The chicken skewers recipe is a great option for a quick and easy meal. The dish consists of boneless chicken breasts cut into small cubes and then marinated. The marinade for chicken skewers gives it a nice sweet and savory flavor. Once the chicken has been marinated, it is then grilled on skewers until cooked through. It can then be served with a dipping sauce or over rice. I will be showing you how to make chicken skewers in the oven with some fresh veggies using simple, easy-to-follow steps.
Chicken skewers are also known as chicken kabobs, chicken kebabs, or Dak-Kkochi (in South Korea).
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- 1½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 500 chicken breasts or 2 boneless chicken breasts
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 medium-sized onion
Cutting the chicken and veggies
- Slice the chicken into strips and then cut into cubes.
- Also, cut the onions and the bell peppers into square pieces
- Combine the onions and the veggies in a small bowl and season with ¼ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of freshly ground black pepper. Toast to combine and set aside.
How do you cut an onion for skewers?
To cut an onion for skewers, first cut off one end and peel it so that the edible layer is exposed; then cut the whole onion bulb into two equal halves. Now, slice each half perpendicularly into 3 pieces. Finally, cut each piece into two equal small cubes.
Making the chicken skewers marinade
Making the chicken skewers marinade is a simple process that makes it tasty and flavorful. Begin by combining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 2½ tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce in a mixing bowl.
Also, add 1½ tablespoon of cooking wine, 2 tablespoons of mustard, 3 minced garlic, ½ tsp of red chili, and 1 tsp of black pepper. Whisk to combine and you have a nice marinade. Alternatively, you can use a ziplock bag to add the ingredients for the marinade and then subsequently add the chicken pieces. It makes it easier to shake and mix thoroughly.
How long should I marinate the chicken?
Generally, you should allow the chicken to sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes, but up to 2 hours is preferred for a flavorful skewer recipe. The longer it sits in the marinade the better. However, it can also be marinated in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When your chicken pieces are thick, you need to marinate them longer.
How to make chicken skewers in the oven
Before making this recipe, it is good you prepare the marinade for chicken skewers the night before and also marinate the chicken pieces with it.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cooking wine, mustard, minced garlic, red chili, and black pepper. Whisk the marinade until well combined, bring the chicken pieces into it, and toss to incorporate. You can also make this using a gallon-sized resealable bag.
Cover and place the bowl in the refrigerator for 2 to 6 hours, if you are going to make this the next day, leave the chicken to marinate overnight.
Take the bowl out when you are done marinating the chicken. Heat a pan on the stovetop, and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the meat to it and cook for 2 minutes on each side, this will allow the meat to absorb the delicious marinade and every piece of the meat will come out really tasty and moist.
After that remove the pan from heat and leave to cool down a bit for your hand to be able to handle it while sticking the chicken on skewers.
Begin threading the chicken on the skewers while alternating it with the veggies. Start with about 2 onion slices, then the green, red, and finally the red bell pepper. Continue with this step for the rest until you are done threading the whole chicken on the skewers.
You can preheat your grill or oven to 400 °F while doing this.
When done, arrange the threaded chicken on your baking rack and place it in the oven to grill for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes of grilling the chicken skewers, brush them with some oil or the remaining marinade and also turn them over, and then grill for 10 minutes. The closer they are to the broiler the faster they cook and become golden brown.
Take your chicken skewers out of the oven when they turn golden brown. I don’t need to tell you how nice they taste and smell.
How do you cut chicken for skewers?
To cut the chicken into cubes for your skewers, you will first slice the chicken breast into 2 or 3 strips. Then cut each strip into small cubes.
Are chicken skewers healthy?
Chicken skewers can be a great way to enjoy a healthy meal. Though they may not be the most nutritious option, they are low in calories and fat, making them a good choice for people looking to shed some weight. And since they are grilled, they also have a high level of nutrient density, meaning they offer plenty of vitamins and minerals. This recipe for chicken skewers was baked in the oven, thus reducing the amount of oil that would have been used if it were grilled; this makes it healthier.
Another way for a healthier version is to avoid using bread crumbs or other unhealthy additives in your skewers recipe, and the use of chicken is healthier than using beef.
Other variations of the chicken skewers recipe
There are many other ways of making chicken kabobs. These include:
- Breaded variety (this uses breadcrumbs to coat the chicken pieces prior to grilling).
- The Greek version (also called Souvlaki).
- Barbeque chicken skewers (grilled)
- Asian chicken skewers recipes such as chicken satay (often served with spicy peanut sauce); Dak-Kkochi (South Korean version). Another Asian variety is Teriyaki chicken skewers (made with teriyaki sauce).
- Mediterranean chicken skewers: this has lemon added to give a tangy taste.
- Tandoori chicken skewers (it uses greek yogurt, and turmeric to give it a red color; sometimes food coloring is added to it.)
- Hawaiian chicken kabobs (this uses pineapple as the unique ingredient).
- Yakitori chicken skewers: this combines different parts of the chicken such as chicken breast, thighs, chicken gizzards, and hearts.
Chicken skewers recipe
Equipment
- 10 Wooden Skewers
- 1 Oven
Ingredients
- 2 large Chicken breasts boneless
- 1 whole Red Bell Pepper
- 1 whole Green Bell Pepper
- 1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper
- ½ tsp Black pepper freshly cracked
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 whole Red onion medium-sized
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
Chicken Skewers Marinade
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Dark soy sauce
- 2½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ tbsp Cooking wine
- 2 tbsp Mustard
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- ½ tsp Red chili
- 1 tsp Black pepper ground
Instructions
Cutting the chicken and veggies
- Slice the chicken into strips and then cut into cubes.
- Also, cut the onions and the bell peppers into square pieces
- Combine the onions and the veggies in a small bowl and season with ¼ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of freshly ground black pepper. Toast to combine and set aside.
Making the chicken skewers marinade
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cooking wine, mustard, minced garlic, red chili, and black pepper.
- Whisk the marinade until well combined, bring the chicken pieces into it, and toss to incorporate. You can also make this using a gallon-sized resealable bag.
- Cover and place the bowl in the refrigerator for 2 to 6 hours, if you are going to make this the next day, leave the chicken to marinate overnight.
- Take the bowl out when you are done marinating the chicken. Heat a pan on the stovetop, and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Cooking the chicken on the stovetop
- Once hot, add the meat to it and cook for 2 minutes on each side, this will allow the meat to absorb the delicious marinade and every piece of the meat will come out really tasty and moist.
- After that remove the pan from heat and leave to cool down a bit for your hand to be able to handle it while sticking the chicken on skewers.
- Begin threading the chicken on the skewers while alternating it with the veggies.
- Start with about 2 onion slices, then the green, red, and finally the red bell pepper.
- Continue with this step for the rest until you are done threading the whole chicken on the skewers.
- You can preheat your grill or oven to
400 °F while doing this. - When done, arrange the threaded chicken on your baking rack and place it in the oven to grill for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes of grilling the chicken skewers, brush them with some oil or the remaining marinade and also turn them over, and then grill for 10 minutes. The closer they are to the broiler the faster they cook and become golden brown.
- Take your chicken skewers out of the oven when they turn golden brown. I don’t need to tell you how nice they taste and smell.
Video
Notes
This is a simple and easy chicken skewer recipe that does not need many ingredients and takes less effort to prepare.
Is chicken breast or thigh better for skewers?
It doesn’t really matter on the part of chicken used but if you have chicken breast on hand at the time you want to make this simply make use of it. I personally prefer chicken breast because it is tender and has more meat compared to the thigh. Also, it is easy to debone and cut into perfect cubes than the thighs.
What sides goes well with kabobs?
The most popular sides to put on kabobs are boiled rice, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, or even vegetable salad.
What vegetables are good on kabobs?
There are many vegetables that can be used on chicken skewers. Some of the best include red onions, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms. You can combine the vegetables to make them colorful on a single skewer just as I did in this recipe.
You can steam the veggies and use them as a side or you can skewer them together with the chicken as it was done in this recipe. Choose sturdy vegetables that will not fall apart when skewered.
Nutrition
The chicken skewers recipe is high in protein and low in fat. This contains the following nutrients.
- Calories: 126
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Cholesterol: 54mg
- Sodium: 267 mg
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 25g