These baked chicken kabobs are so quick and easy to make! Cooking chicken kabobs in the oven makes a flavorful, fresh dinner that even picky eaters love.

Cooking Chicken Kabobs In The Oven

One of my favorite things to do during the summer is light up the grill and enjoy all of my favorite BBQ foods. Seriously, I don’t think there’s anything better than eating fresh food outdoors with your friends and family.

As the winter months drag on, I really start to miss that. This winter seems to be colder than ever, and I found myself impatiently waiting for summer to roll around so I could make shish kabobs for my family on a hot summer day.

In the meantime, these chicken skewers do just the trick. They’re loaded with juicy, tender chicken bites, soft yet crunchy vegetables, and coated in a lovely blend of oil and spices. I love how simple the seasoning blend is, yet the Italian seasoning, onion and garlic powder, and soy sauce add tons of flavor. After it’s done cooking, I love broiling it for a minute to give it a beautiful, charred, golden color.

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Ingredients

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: I love using chicken breasts for kabobs because they have such a neutral flavor, which means they take on the flavor of the marinade so well.

Red and Yellow Bell Peppers: Adding the colors of the red and yellow bell peppers makes the kabobs visually stunning, and it also adds a delicious, sweet, and crunchy element.

Onion: The flavor of caramelized onion edges can’t be beat and is what makes it taste so great on kabobs.

Olive Oil: This fat helps the seasonings stick to the chicken, helps the chicken brown, and insulates it a bit while it cooks, which helps keep it juicier. You can also use avocado oil if you prefer.

Soy Sauce: I love using soy sauce in recipes to add both salt and a savory, umami depth of flavor. You can swap this with Tamari if you eat gluten free or coconut aminos if you prefer a less salty and slightly more sweet flavor.

Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Pepper: This is a super easy seasoning blend that adds tons of savory flavor easily.

Alternative Ingredients

• Protein: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a great option because they’ll stay juicy if they’re overcooked. Tons of proteins work great on kabobs though. You could swap chicken breast for sirloin steak, strip steak, shrimp, pork tenderloin, or extra firm tofu.
• Vegetables: Just make sure to choose vegetables that cook in about the same amount of time as the chicken. Zucchini, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and even pineapple chunks are all great options.
• Marinade: Feel free to swap the marinade for your favorite flavor profile. If you want a Mediterranean vibe, use lemon juice, oregano, minced garlic, and smoked paprika. For a Teriyaki style sauce, use honey or brown sugar, fresh ginger and garlic, and sesame oil. A spicy Mexican-inspired marinade can be made with lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and a little chipotle powder. You could also keep it super simple and just use BBQ sauce.

How To Cook Chicken Kabobs In Oven

Soak the Skewers: If using wood or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes to prevent them from burning during the cooking process. You’ll need around 8-12 skewers, depending on how full you want each one. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)

Make the Marinade: Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large Ziploc bag. Seal the bag and give it a good shake to mix everything together. 

Marinate the Chicken: Open the bag and add the chicken, bell peppers, and onion. Seal the bag again and shake it until everything is evenly coated with the marinade. Let it sit in the refrigerator to marinate while the skewers are soaking.

Preheat the Oven: While the chicken and vegetables are marinating, preheat your oven. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.

Assemble: Thread the chicken and vegetables onto the skewers, alternating between the two. Make sure to leave a bit of space between each piece for even cooking.

Bake then Broil: Place the kabobs in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake them in the preheated oven, then flip them over halfway through to make sure both sides are evenly cooked. After baking, switch your oven to broil and broil the kabobs until they’re browned to your liking. 

Serve: Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the thickest piece of chicken. It should read 165F at the thickest point. If your pieces of chicken are larger, you may need to cook them a bit longer. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.

Pro Tips

• Cut Chicken and Veggies to the Same Size: It’s important that you cut everything to the same size so that the chicken and vegetables cook evenly. If you don’t, you’ll either end up with dry chicken or vegetables that aren’t cooked enough and are too crunchy.
• Leave a Little Space on the Skewers: If you leave a little space on the kabobs it allows the hot air to circulate around each piece, which cooks everything evenly.
• Use Two Skewers per Kabob: This isn’t something I normally do, but if you struggle with all of the pieces spinning when you go to flip the kabobs, using two skewers fixes this problem easily.

How Do You Cut Chicken For Shish Kabobs?

Use a knife to cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 1-inch cubes for kabobs. It’s important to keep all the pieces roughly the same size so that they cook evenly. If you cut them to different sizes, the smaller pieces will start to dry out before the larger pieces have finished cooking.

How Long Does It Take To Cook Kabobs In The Oven?

They actually cook pretty quickly in the oven since the chicken is cut into smaller pieces. It depends on the size you cut the chicken to, but it takes about 16 minutes for me in a 425F oven. They’re finished cooking when the largest piece of chicken reads 165F internally at the thickest point on an instant read meat thermometer.

Can You Cook Wooden Skewers In The Oven?

Yes, as long as you thoroughly soak the wooden or bamboo skewers first, you can cook them in the oven. You should also make sure you cover as much of the wood as possible with the food and don’t set the oven at too high of a temperature.

How Long To Soak Wooden Skewers Before Putting In Oven?

You should soak them for at least 30 minutes before placing wooden skewers in the oven.

How Often Do You Flip Chicken Kabobs?

You only need to flip them once, about halfway through cooking. This gives them a chance to brown and cook evenly.

How Do You Know If Chicken Kebabs Are Cooked?

The only way to know for sure is by using an instant read meat thermometer. The biggest piece should read 165F at the thickest point. The chicken shouldn’t be pink and the juices should run clear.

What To Serve With Chicken Kabobs

I love serving kabobs with some rice, preferably this Instant Pot cilantro lime rice, this seasoned rice, or this Cajun rice, and a delicious dipping sauce, like this copycat Pollo Tropical cilantro garlic sauce, this cilantro lime sauce, this authentic tzatziki sauce, or this shawarma sauce.

Storing Leftovers

Let the kabobs cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container, and store leftovers for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Keep In Touch

I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime

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Dinner Recipes

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our other dinner recipes. Some reader favorites are:

• Baked Greek Chicken Thighs with Greek Chicken Marinade
• Broiled Chicken Thighs
• Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
• Shrimp Kabobs
• Grilled Black Bean Burgers
• Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

The next time you’re craving kabobs but can’t use a grill, you’ve got to try making these incredible baked chicken kabobs in the oven with the best ever chicken marinade.