Chicken Shish Kabobs

Why I Love This Recipe

My dad makes the best Chicken Shish Kabobs I have ever had, and this recipe is my version of his, built on the bones of what he taught me but with a few of my own moves layered in. The marinade is doing the heavy lifting here. Garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and a generous amount of Dalkin&Co Gaby's Everyday Seasoning blend get worked into the chicken for at least an hour, and that hour matters. It is long enough for the acid and salt to really penetrate the meat without breaking it down too much, which keeps the chicken juicy and tender once it hits the grill.

The basil vinaigrette is the part of this recipe that gets the most attention, and for good reason. It is bright, peppery, garlicky, and completely transforms a simple grilled chicken skewer into something that feels like a full destination meal. I keep a jar of it in my fridge through most of the summer because it goes on more than just this chicken. Drizzle it over my Grilled Salmon Skewers or toss it with a big bowl of Greek Chicken Salad and you have got a full week of dinners sorted.

Ingredients

Substitutions & Swaps

🍗 The Chicken

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs only - Thighs have more fat content than breasts, which means they stay juicy and forgiving on high heat even if you go a minute or two over. My top pick for kabobs.
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts only - Breasts work great if you keep the cubes a full 1 ¼ inches and pull them the second they hit 165F. Smaller pieces will dry out fast on a hot grill.
• Boneless skinless turkey thighs - Turkey thighs have a similar fat-to-protein ratio as chicken thighs and take the same marinade beautifully. Add 2 to 3 extra minutes on the grill since they run a bit thicker.
• Lamb shoulder (boneless, cut into 1 ¼-inch cubes) - Lamb shoulder loves this exact Mediterranean marinade profile. The garlic, lemon, and red wine vinegar cut through the richness of the meat and give you a proper shish kabob in the most traditional sense.

🧄 Gaby's Everyday Seasoning

• Za'atar - Za'atar brings thyme, sumac, and sesame into the mix, which leans into the Mediterranean direction of this recipe and adds a slightly nutty, tangy layer you won't get from a standard all-purpose blend.
• Italian seasoning plus smoked paprika - A 2-to-1 ratio of Italian seasoning to smoked paprika is a solid pantry sub. The herbs cover the savory base and the smoked paprika adds the color and subtle smokiness that makes the chicken look as good as it tastes.

🍋 Red Wine Vinegar

• White wine vinegar - Lighter and slightly less tannic than red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar keeps the marinade bright and clean without competing with the lemon juice. A seamless one-for-one swap.
• Sherry vinegar - Sherry vinegar has a nutty, slightly oxidized depth that adds a layer of complexity to the marinade you don't get from standard wine vinegars. Use the same amount but taste as you go.
• Fresh lemon juice (extra) - If you are completely out of vinegar, double up on the lemon juice already in the recipe. It won't have the same fermented tang but the citric acid still does the work of tenderizing the chicken in the marinade.
• Apple cider vinegar - ACV has a mild fruitiness that softens the sharpness of a straight acid swap. It won't fight the lemon and garlic flavors, though it shifts the marinade slightly sweeter so keep that in mind.

🌿 Basil Vinaigrette

• Cilantro vinaigrette - The bright, herby punch of cilantro vinaigrette takes the kabobs in a slightly more Latin-inspired direction. Same concept, totally different flavor profile.
• Chimichurri - The parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil base of chimichurri is built for grilled meat. It is punchy, herby, and slightly acidic in all the right ways alongside grilled chicken.
• Tzatziki - Creamy, cool, and garlicky, tzatziki leans fully into the Greek shish kabob direction and is a natural pairing with lemon-marinated chicken. It also doubles as a sauce if you are wrapping these in pita.
• Lemon tahini sauce - Tahini, lemon, garlic, and water whisked together makes a nutty, rich drizzle that complements the char on the chicken without overwhelming it. Especially good if you are serving these over rice or in a pita.

🫙 Olive Oil in the Marinade

• Avocado oil - Avocado oil has a higher smoke point than olive oil and a neutral flavor, which means it won't leave any bitterness if the grill gets very hot. A clean, practical swap for high-heat grilling.
• Grapeseed oil - Grapeseed oil is light, almost flavorless, and handles heat well. It lets the garlic, lemon, and seasoning carry the flavor without adding any competing notes from the fat itself.
• Plain full-fat Greek yogurt (as part of the marinade) - Swapping half the olive oil for Greek yogurt turns this into a tandoori-style marinade. The lactic acid in the yogurt tenderizes the chicken from the inside out and helps it get a beautiful char on the grill.

How to Make Chicken Shish Kabobs

Step 1: Combine the seasoning, olive oil red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl; whisk to combine.

Step 2: Add in the chicken. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Step 3: Prepare grill over medium-high heat. Thread chicken pieces on skewers, dividing equally. Discard marinade in bowl. Sprinkle each skewer with additional Gaby's Everyday seasoning.

Step 4: Grill chicken until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer skewers to platter. Serve with basil vinaigrette and extra lemon wedges

🍋🔥 Tips & Tricks for the Best Chicken Shish Kabobs

My dad's legendary kabobs get the Gaby treatment and honestly, they've never been better.

• Marinate for at least one hour, but overnight is the move. The acid from the lemon juice and red wine vinegar needs time to penetrate the chicken and tenderize the meat. An overnight marinade means every single bite is seasoned all the way through, not just on the surface.
• Cut your chicken into uniform 1 ¼-inch cubes. Uneven pieces cook at different rates, which means some chunks will be dry and overcooked while others are still raw in the center. A consistent size guarantees everything finishes at the same time.
• Pick one cut of chicken per skewer, not a mix. Chicken thighs and breasts have different fat content and cook at different speeds. Dark meat takes longer than white meat, so mixing them on the same skewer will always result in one being overcooked.
• Thread the chicken pieces snugly on the skewer. Pieces packed tightly together protect the cut surfaces from direct heat, keeping the interior moist and juicy. Loose spacing exposes more surface area to the flame and dries the chicken out faster.
• Use metal skewers or soak wooden ones for at least 30 minutes. Dry wooden skewers will char and can ignite on a hot grill before your chicken is done cooking. Metal skewers also conduct heat from the inside of the meat, which can speed up cooking slightly.
• Preheat your grill to medium-high and make sure the grates are clean and oiled. A properly preheated grill creates the sear you need for golden brown color and good caramelization. Clean, oiled grates prevent the chicken from sticking and tearing when you rotate the skewers.
• Discard the marinade from the bowl and do not use it as a baste. The marinade has been in contact with raw chicken and contains harmful bacteria. Applying it to cooking meat without first boiling it is a food safety risk you simply do not need to take.
• Season each skewer with an extra hit of Gaby's Everyday Seasoning right before they go on the grill. The marinade seasons from the inside but a final dusting before grilling builds a flavorful crust on the exterior as the chicken sears. It adds texture and a concentrated burst of seasoning in every bite.
• Turn the skewers occasionally but not constantly. Letting the chicken sit on the grate for a couple of minutes per side before turning allows the Maillard reaction to develop and creates a proper sear. Constant flipping prevents browning and results in pale, steamed-tasting chicken.
• Pull the chicken off the grill at an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. A meat thermometer is the only reliable way to confirm doneness without cutting into the meat and losing juices. Cutting to check color is guesswork and will cause the kabobs to dry out before they even hit the platter.
• Let the skewers rest on the platter for three to five minutes before serving. Resting allows the muscle fibers to relax and the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. Cutting into kabobs the second they come off the grill means all those flavorful juices run straight onto the platter instead of staying in the chicken.
• Serve with the basil vinaigrette drizzled directly over the hot skewers. The heat from the freshly grilled chicken helps the vinaigrette coat every piece and slightly warms the fresh basil, which intensifies its aroma and flavor dramatically compared to serving it on the side.

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