This Grilled Chicken Kabobs Recipe is both simple and delicious, leaving you with flavorful and juicy chicken every time. Brown sugar, molasses, soy sauce, and garlic make for an easy marinade that infuses the chicken with plenty of bold and tangy flavor.
We’re big fans of cooking out and living in Florida, we’re lucky enough to be able to do it year round! We’ve made everything from blue cheese burgers with mushrooms to grilled chicken nuggets and we just can’t get enough!
Of course, serve dinner on a stick and kids like it even more so this recipe is one of our favorites. Not only are these some of the best chicken kabobs we’ve made, but they’re also healthy and super easy to make – pretty much everything you could ask for in a dinner recipe! Tender chicken thighs are marinated overnight and then placed on wooden or metal skewers and grilled to perfection.
Throw in some cherry tomatoes, green bell peppers, and yellow squash or zucchini and you’ve got a tasty and healthy meal that the whole family will love.
Why We Love This Recipe
- It’s simple – One of the best things about grilling recipes is that they make dinner easy. There’s no need to mess up the kitchen which means there’s less cleanup afterwards. This recipe is a great one for all the dads who love to grill and want to give mom a night off from cooking…who can say no to that?!
- It’s convenient – Marinate the chicken skewers hours before you’re ready to cook them, or even the night before so they’re prepped and ready when you are. When it’s time to cook, all you have to do is toss them on the grill.
- It’s great for a crowd – The ingredients are inexpensive and it’s easy to cook a large number of kabobs at the same time, which makes this recipe great for feeding a crowd. It’s also a perfect choice for a summer cookout – and a nice alternative to the usual burgers and hotdogs.
- It’s versatile – You can add your favorite fresh vegetables to the chicken kabobs for extra flavor and beautiful color. Zucchini, red onion, colorful bell peppers and hearty mushrooms would all work great. Or just serve them with a simple salad with this Easy Blue Cheese Vinaigrette.
- It’s healthy – This dish is packed with protein, and you can add fiber and vitamins when you include fresh vegetables.
What’s Needed for this Chicken Kabobs Recipe
- Chicken thighs-This recipe for kabobs uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts for a leaner option.
- Soy sauce-This salty sauce adds to the deep savory flavor of this chicken dish.
- Garlic and onion– Fresh garlic and onions add savory flavor to the marinade. (You can used yellow, white or red onion, though the red will provide a stronger onion flavor)
- Lemons-The acid in lemon juice tenderizes the chicken and the tanginess adds a nice balance to the other flavors.
- 7-up soda-Lemon-lime soda creates sweet, tangy, sticky, and charred results.
- Ketchup-Gives the marinade a slightly sweet and tomato flavor.
- Brown sugar and molasses– Provided the perfect amount of sweetness that works great to balance out the saltiness in the soy sauce.
- Ground black pepper– Seasons the kabobs.
How To Make Grilled Chicken Kabobs
Step 1: Cut chicken into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl.
Step 2: Make the chicken kabob marinade by combining soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, 7-Up, ketchup, sugar and molasses in a medium bowl (or large measuring cup). Whisk together until well blended.
Step 3: Add chopped onions to the chicken pieces.
Step 4: Pour the marinade mixture over the chicken and cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate overnight if possible, but for two hours at a minimum.
Step 5: Place the chicken pieces on metal or wooden skewers, making sure that they are packed tightly together. Grill chicken skewers uncovered at medium high heat for about 7 to 10 minutes per side, depending on thickness. The chicken is done when your meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.
Tips & Tricks for the Best Kabobs
- If you’re using bamboo skewers or other wooden skewers, it’s a good idea to soak them in cold water for 30 minutes before grilling. This will help ensure that they don’t catch fire when exposed to the heat of the outdoor grill.
- To prevent your chicken from sticking, you can lightly oil your grill grates with some olive oil or cooking spray.
- Chicken is one of those meats that you definitely do not want to undercook. Take the guesswork out of it by using a meat thermometer so you can easily tell when it’s done. Chicken is done when it reaches and internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Be careful with the sharp ends of the skewers. If your dinner crowd includes children, make sure you remove the meat from the skewer before serving it to them.
- Save refrigerator space and make clean-up even easier by placing your chicken and marinade ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag to chill overnight.
- Get creative with your leftovers! This chicken would be great the next day on top of a green salad, in tacos or quesadillas, or as the base for a chicken salad sandwich. You can have a last minute dinner ready in no time.