Chicken Kabob Marinade
Published 4/18/2022
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You’ll never use another chicken kabob marinade! This one will leave your chicken and veggies so tender and juicy.
Best Marinade for Chicken Kabobs
Is there anything better than a juicy chicken kabob straight off the grill? One thing that makes our chicken kabobs so special is their juicy marinade.
Let your chicken and veggies sit for just a bit and then they’re ready to be grilled to char perfection!
In this post, we’re talking all things chicken kabob marinade. We’ll share our signature recipe and answer all of your q’s!
Why should I marinate my chicken kabobs?
A marinade is going to infuse your chicken and veggies with so much flavor. Think of it as a flavor bath.
What You Need
We decided to make 2 different marinades for our rainbow grilled chicken kabobs to really give every bite a unique flavor.
Chicken
- soy sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lime juice
- orange juice
- honey
- minced garlic
- grated ginger
- salt
- olive oil
- rice vinegar
- sriracha (optional)
How much chicken should I use? This recipe calls for 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breast.
Check it out!
6 Chicken Breast Marinades
You are going to love these 6 Easy Chicken Marinades. They’ll infuse your chicken breast with flavor and they’re so easy to put together!
Veggies
- olive oil
- sesame oil
- lime juice
- minced garlic
- grated ginger
- salt
- rice vinegar
- fresh chopped cilantro
- honey
How long should I marinate chicken?
We recommend marinating chicken for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Check out our guide to chicken marinades post.
Do kabobs have to be marinated?
While you do not HAVE to marinate your kabobs, we recommend it. Since you’re cutting the chicken and veggies into small pieces before grilling, a marinade is going to help keep them nice and juicy and not dry out over the direct heat.
What cut the chicken for kabobs?
We recommend using either chicken breast or boneless, skinless chicken thighs for kebabs.
What goes best with chicken kabobs?
Chicken kebabs are great on their own, but also so delicious served next to any of the following:
Storage
If you have leftover chicken kebab marinade, you can store that in the fridge for up to 5-7 days as long as it hasn’t touched any raw chicken!
Rainbow Grilled Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sriracha, optional
Veggie Marinade
- 3 large bell peppers, cut into 1-inch squares (we used 3 different colors)
- 1 medium purple onion, cut into 1-inch squares
- 1 head of garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt, separated
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon honey
For Serving
- Freshly squeezed lime juice
- Fresh minced cilantro
Instructions
- First, marinate the chicken. Begin by slicing the chicken breasts into 1.5-inch to 2-inch cubes and place them into a large gallon size bag or a deep dish with sides. Set them aside.
- Now make the chicken marinade. Add the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, orange juice, honey, garlic, ginger, salt, olive oil, rice vinegar, and sriracha (if using). Whisk all the ingredients together until the honey dissolves.
- Pour the chicken marinade over the chunks of chicken and mix the chicken with the marinade. Seal the bag and place the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to for up to 2 hours.
- Next, prepare the veggies. Place the chopped peppers, purple onion, and garlic cloves into a large bowl. Set aside.
- Make the veggie marinade and add the olive oil, sesame oil, lime juice, garlic, ginger, salt, rice vinegar, cilantro, and honey to a mason jar. Cover the jar and shake until combined.
- Pour the marinade over the veggies and toss until coated. Set aside for later.
- Preheat the grill to 400ºF.
- Assemble the chicken kabobs. To assemble the kabobs, use water soaked wooden skewers or metal skewers. Thread a piece of chicken onto the skewer, then a bell pepper, onion, and garlic clove. Repeat until you have 3 or 4 pieces of chicken on the skewer. Set the kabob aside and repeat until all the ingredients have been placed on kabobs.
- Place the kabobs on the grill and turn them every 5-7 minutes for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165ºF.
- Remove from the grill and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Serve with freshly squeezed lime juice and fresh cilantro.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Ashley McGlaughlin from The Edible Perspective.
