Lebanese Chicken Skewers

5 from 81 votes

These Lebanese chicken kebabs are the perfect 30 minutes meal! Easy to make and incredibly flavorful they are a total crowd favorite.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Marinating time30

Total Time55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie

Servings: skewers

Calories: 181kcal

Author: Toni Dash

Equipment

Skewers

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium garlic cloves diced
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
Juice from 1 medium lemon
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

In a bowl combine the chicken, olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, lemon juice, tomato paste, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator.
Remove from the refrigerator. Divide chicken evenly between 6 skewers (around 6 pieces of chicken per skewer). Place them on the skewers so the pieces are touching but not jammed together tightly.

Grilling: indoor grill, grill pan or outdoor grill

Heat a grill or cast iron skillet over medium high heat (400 degrees F). Place all the skewers on the hot grill with space in between them.
Cook for 3-4 minutes on a side, flip and repeat for each of the four sides (total of 12-15 minutes). The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165 degrees F.
Remove from the grill, allow to rest for 2 minutes and serve.

Oven

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the skewers on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
Allow them to cook for 20-25 minutes, turning them over once during cooking.
Check the internal temperature. If it has reaches 165 degrees remove the chicken and allow to rest before serving. If it has not reached 165 degrees allow to cook a few more minutes to reach the done temperature.

Notes

Skewers

We recommend using flat skewers or unsoaked bamboo skewers with a grill guard. To make a grill guard fold a piece of foil and place it under the end (or ends) of the exposed skewer so it's not over the open grill.

Recipe Tips

Do not marinate the chicken more than 1 hour. The amount of lemon juice in the marinade will begin to make the chicken breast meat tough if it's over marinated. Thirty to sixty minutes is all that is needed.

Don't jam the chicken pieces together on the skewer. They will cook more evenly if the chicken pieces are next to each other but not smashed together.

Make the chicken pieces the same size. This ensures even cooking for the whole skewer in the same amount of time.

How to Store

Remove the chicken from the skewers and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave.

FREEZER: remove chicken from skewers and allow to cool. Place in an airtight freezer container or freezer bag and freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.

Nutrition