Baking chicken skewers in the oven is a delicious and easy weeknight dinner without having to fire up the grill! Chicken thigh pieces are marinated in a flavorful yogurt sauce, and baked in less than 20 minutes! The chicken is guaranteed to be tender and amazing with every bite!
Living in LA, we have many great options to go to for amazing chicken kabobs. We eat them so often at our favorite Mediterranean restaurant, that I decided to create my own version to make at home. You can make the yogurt marinade with easy to get ingredients, and then let it marinate overnight to infuse the chicken with all the wonderful herbs and seasoning.
The next day, I just pop them in the oven for a quick bake and broil – you’ll be impressed at how flavorful and juicy the chicken is! Serve them with my super easy rice cooker turmeric rice!
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Ingredients & Notes
Chicken thighs – I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which have more flavor, and it won’t dry out like breast meat.
Yogurt – Use full fat, plain Greek yogurt as the marinade base.
Aromatics – Onion and garlic
Lemon – The addition of citrus brightens up the flavor.
Seasoning – For maximum flavor, I use paprika, cumin, turmeric, oregano, salt and pepper.
Instructions
1). Mix the seasoning, lemon, olive oil and garlic with the yogurt.
2). Marinate the chicken in the yogurt mixture with the sliced onions overnight or for at least 2 hours.
3). Thread the chicken onto the skewers. Place the skewers about 1 inch apart on the roasting pan.
4). Oven bake at 400 degrees for 11 minutes, then broil for 4 minutes on each side. Broiling at the end sears the edges of the chicken and makes it much more flavorful.
Pro Tips
- If using chicken breast, reduce the baking time by 1 to 2 minutes, but I’d still broil it for 4 min per side to get a nice sear on the edges.
- If using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes prior to skewering the chicken.
- For easy cleanup, use foil to cover your roasting pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
It takes about 19 to 20 minutes to cook the chicken in the oven. Different ovens may have varied cooking times, make sure the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the center of the thickest piece.
To broil the chicken skewers, place them about 4 inches below the broiler. Make sure the meat on your roasting pan is right underneath the broiler plate to get a nice char. Broil for about 4 minutes, then flip them and broil for another 4 minutes. This ensures all sides of the chicken have a nice golden color with charred edges (more flavor!).
I’ve tested the chicken skewers several times and the best temperature is 400 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s hot enough to slightly sear the chicken on the outside, and almost fully cook the chicken on the inside, without drying the chicken out. Broiling the skewers will give the chicken an appetizing, golden color with delicious charred edges.
More oven baked recipes to try
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Easy Oven Baked Chicken Skewers
Equipment
- 6 skewers
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- 1 cup greek yogurt full fat or reduced fat
- 1 sweet onion, chopped or cut into 1 inch slices
- 1 lemon, juiced about 3 tablespoons
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons oregano, dried
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Cut chicken thighs into small, bite sized pieces about 1 ½ inches, fat trimmed off. Place into a large bowl.
- Add lemon juice, garlic, kosher salt, paprika, oregano, cumin, turmeric powder and ground pepper into a bowl with yogurt and mix well.
- Add the yogurt mixture and onion into the bowl with chicken and mix well. Cover the bowl and let it marinate in the fridge overnight or for minimum of 2-3 hours.
- When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers, metal or wooden. (See note below for wooden skewers).
- Place chicken skewers about 1 inch apart on a roasting pan, lined with foil for easy clean up. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes. Then broil on high for 4 minutes on each side, placing the meat about 4 inches from the broiler plate.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- If using chicken breast, make sure to reduce the cooking time by 1-2 minutes, but I’d still broil it for 4 minutes per side.
- If using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes prior to skewering the chicken to prevent burning.
- For easy cleanup, use foil to cover your roasting pan or you can lightly grease the baking sheet.
- Broiling the chicken sears the edges of the chicken and makes it much more flavorful.
- Serve with this easy rice cooker turmeric rice!