Chicken Shish Kabobs

5 from 5 votes

Chicken Shish Kabobs with Basil Vinaigrette, marinated in garlic, lemon, and Gaby's Everyday Seasoning, grilled until charred and juicy. A summer grilling staple

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Marinating Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: people

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

For the chicken:

3 tablespoons Dalkin&Co Gaby's Everyday Seasoning
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves roughly chopped
1 lemon juiced
1 lemon cut into wedges/sliced for serving
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts cut into 1 ¼-inch cubes
1 recipe Basil Vinaigrette

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the Go-To Seasoning, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, and lemon juice until combined.
Add the cubed chicken to the marinade and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
Prepare a grill over medium-high heat. Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers, dividing evenly, and discard the excess marinade. Sprinkle each skewer with a little extra Go-To Seasoning.
Grill the skewers, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes total.
Transfer to a platter and serve with the basil vinaigrette and extra lemon wedges.

Notes

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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