Turn your favorite summer kebabs into an easy weeknight meal with this flavorful Baked Chicken Skewers recipe. They are well-seasoned, juicy, take less than 30 minutes to cook, and you don’t even need a grill!
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These flavorful oven chicken skewers are ideal for family dinner and entertaining guests because they are so easy to make. Marinate your chicken overnight, then add it and some veggies to skewers and pop them in the oven. It’s that easy! You probably won’t have leftovers because these kebabs are so delicious.
If you like these oven baked chicken kebabs, you will love our Oven Chicken Fajitas, Baked Ravioli, Sheet Pan Sausage Green Beans and Potatoes, and easy Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No Grill Required: I love grilled chicken skewers, but sometimes grilling is more trouble than it’s worth. Making these chicken skewers in the oven eliminates the need for a grill and good weather. Now you can have them anytime, no grill needed.
- Simple, But Flavorful: This dish is incredibly simple, but it’s also packed with flavor! Marinating the chicken before baking makes it taste juicy and well seasoned, without any extra effort.
- Ready in Less Than 30 Minutes: Not including the marinating time, this recipe takes less than 30 minutes of active cooking! Just prep the marinade, add the chicken, and set it aside until you’re ready to cook. Then after 20 minutes in the oven, your succulent chicken kebabs are ready!
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: Create the juiciest chicken kebabs using boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Honey: Add a little sweetness to your marinade with a little bit of honey.
- Dijon Mustard & Ketchup: This slightly spicy mustard adds a zip of flavor to the chicken marinade while the ketchup brings some sweetness and rich tomato flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This vinegar adds acidity and helps tenderize the chicken so each piece practically melts in your mouth.
- Seasonings: Amp up the flavor in your chicken skewer marinade with spices like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and chipotle chili pepper.
- Red and Green Bell Peppers: Peppers add a delicious flavor to kebabs. Cut them into bite-sized pieces and place them between the chicken pieces so they absorb some of the chicken juices.
- Red Onion: This onion has a sharp, pungent, and slightly sweet flavor. It tastes amazing on a skewer with chicken because it complements the taste.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions for how to cook chicken skewers in the oven.
Variations
- Add More Vegetables: Veggies like mushrooms, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes taste amazing on a kebab. You could even add pineapple for a sweeter flavor!
- Substitute for Thighs: Cut boneless, skinless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces for these kebabs. They are more fatty and have even more flavor!
- Change the Flavor: These oven baked chicken skewers are very versatile. Swap out the spices in the marinade to completely change the flavor. Use a pesto marinade for Italian-style kebabs, try yogurt and dill for a Mediterranean marinade, or use teriyaki for an Asian-inspired kebab.
How to Make Baked Chicken Skewers
These oven chicken skewers are the perfect easy meal and there’s hardly any cleanup. It’s perfect when you’re craving a summery grilled meal, but don’t have time to grill or the weather is less than ideal. To get started grab all your ingredients and preheat your oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
- Step 1: Make the Marinade and Marinate. Combine marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Then, add the chicken and thoroughly coat each piece with the marinade, then let it marinate covered in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The longer you let it marinate, the more flavorful the chicken will be!
- Step 2: Assemble the Skewers.. Slide the chicken, peppers, and onion pieces onto the skewers in an alternating pattern and place them on your baking sheet.
- Step 3: Bake the Skewers. Bake the chicken kebabs in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165℉.
Expert Tips
- Soak Wooden Skewers: To avoid your wooden skewers burning in the oven, soak them for at least 20 minutes before adding the chicken and vegetables. You can also wrap the ends of the wooden skewers in aluminum foil to keep the uncovered wood from burning in your oven.
- Broil the Skewers at the End: Finish the skewers off with a few minutes under the broiler after they cook. This will brown the edges of the chicken and veggies to make them a little crisp and mimic the grill.
- Cover Your Baking Pan: Cut down on clean up even more and cover your baking sheet with aluminum foil before adding the chicken skewers to the pan.
- Don't Marinate Too Long: The consistency will begin to change if you leave it in the marinade for too long. Only marinate up to 12 hours for the best results.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store leftover baked chicken kebabs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat the chicken in the microwave at 60-second intervals until it is heated through. You can also reheat them wrapped in foil in a 350° F oven for 10-15 minutes. Be sure to thaw frozen leftovers for 24 hours in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
These oven chicken kebabs make it so easy to serve your guests delicious food on a stick, without worrying about the weather or starting up the grill. They are cooked to perfection in the oven with hardly any work on your part. Plus, clean up is a breeze! That leaves more time for making the side dishes and socializing!
- We love these chicken skewers with a side of hummus and pita bread for build your own gyros!
- Capture the flavors of a real summer barbeque and make a salad to go with the kebabs like this zesty Italian pasta salad, spaghetti salad, or fresh cucumber tomato salad.
- Serve your guests something to snack on while the kebabs bake, like this layered taco dip or veggies with cottage cheese dip.
- Don’t forget dessert! This easy dinner pairs well with a simple dessert like this fruity strawberry pretzel salad or fun fruit pizza cookies.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! You can marinate the chicken for up to 12 hours ahead of time. You can also go ahead and assemble the chicken and vegetables on the skewers a few hours ahead of time after marinating the chicken. Lay the skewers out on a baking tray and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake.
Yes, you can! Heat up your grill and then cook the skewers for 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked to 165° F. You will want to turn them over as the cook for even cooking.
More Delicious 30-Minute Meal Recipes
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Baked Chicken Skewers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 medium red bell pepper cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 medium green bell pepper cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium red onion cut into bite-sized pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.
- In a large bowl, add olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, chipotle chili pepper, onion powder, and paprika. Stir until well combined, then add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinade for at 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
- Assemble the skewers by alternating chicken, bell peppers, and onions. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes to prevent them from burning.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165℉.
Notes
- Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 20 minutes before adding the chicken and vegetables to keep them from burning in the oven.
- Broil the skewers for a few minutes after they finish cooking to brown the edges of the chicken and veggies.
- Swap olive oil for avocado oil to avoid the oil smoking at 400 degrees.
- Cover your baking sheet with aluminum foil before adding the chicken skewers to reduce clean-up.
Nutrition
*All nutrition information provided is automatically calculated and is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact numbers on your ingredients, I would recommend calculating them with your prefered nutrition calculator.
Ryan Allen
This is such a great chicken skewer recipe, especially when you don't want to fire up the grill.