This chicken skewers recipe is as classic as it gets. While the big cuts of meat usually take center stage at a cookout, one of the most recognizable BBQ dishes are these colorful skewers.
In this recipe, we’re going back to basic with chicken thighs, bell peppers, and onions. To make this a more fulfilling meal, we pair the skewers with a silky-smooth chickpea puree.
Is Our Chicken Skewers Recipe Healthy?
Yes, chicken skewers are healthy.
This dish has only 466 calories and 3.6 g of saturated fat in each serving. These amounts are reasonable for a main dish.
We use canned chickpeas and various seasonings in this recipe, which takes the amount of sodium per serving to 607 mg. Don’t worry as it is still within the limits of our nutrition guidelines.
Chicken thighs provide you with 37.2 g of lean protein per serving. Also, red and yellow bell peppers and onions give you essential nutrients like minerals and antioxidants, especially vitamin C.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Chicken
We chose chicken thighs because they are juicier and more flavorful than chicken breasts. Cooked thighs are tender and succulent, which gives you a distinctly different texture from the crunchiness of bell peppers and onions.
We season the chicken with an array of spices: soy sauce, ketchup, honey, sesame oil, dried oregano, chili powder, salt, and pepper. This seasoning blend gives the chicken all sorts of different flavors.
- Vegetables
Our choices for vegetables are some of the most common options for skewers: red, yellow bell peppers, and onions. These vegetables give this dish more color, making it an appealing dish both flavor- and aesthetic-wise.
- Chickpeas
We make creamy chickpea puree to serve alongside the chicken skewers. This easy puree has only three ingredients: milk, lime juice, and chickpeas.
What Cut of Chicken Is Best for Skewers?
Both chicken thighs and breasts are fitting for this recipe. When cooked right, they will be tender and juicy, though thighs have a slighter edge over breasts in this aspect. Choose skinless and boneless cuts to reduce prep time.
How to Store and Reheat the Leftovers
Chicken skewers can be kept in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and in the freezer for 2 months. Make sure that you store the leftover skewers in airtight containers. Reheat the skewers in the oven at 400 °F for around 10 minutes or until warm.
What to Serve With
We handpicked these fresh and vibrant salads to accompany these smoky chicken skewers.
Treats Featuring Shredded Chicken
These BBQ chicken tacos are the finger food that keep your tummy warm. Inside each crispy shell sit a colorful mix of crisp veggies on top of smoky, spicy chicken shreds. We keep everything moist and rich with the white sauce we whip up from scratch, and don’t worry—they all come together in 30 minutes.
The crunchy romaine lettuce, tender ground chicken, tomatoes, onions, spices, and herbs in this ground chicken tacos elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary. It’s forever our favorite.
Chicken Skewers Recipe
Our chicken skewers recipe reintroduces one of the cookout classics: beautiful and tasty skewers with chicken, onions, and bell peppers.
- cook TIME 25 mins
- prep TIME 10 mins
- total TIME 35 mins
- COURSE Main
- CUISINE Global
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 466 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 20 oz skinless boneless chicken thighs (cut into chunks)
- 8 oz red bell peppers (cut into squares)
- 8 oz yellow bell peppers (cut into squares)
- 8 oz onions (cut into squares)
- 18 oz canned chickpeas
- 1 tbsp Heinz ketchup
- 1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted roasted sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tbsp parsley (finely chopped)
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep:
Cut the chicken: Cut the pieces of chicken into 1.5-inch square chunks.
Cut the bell peppers: Slice off the top part of the peppers, then slice through the flesh and open them. Remove the white part and the seeds. Cut the peppers into wide strips, then cut the strips into squares a bit smaller than the chicken.
Cut the onions: Slice the onion in half and peel the skin. Place the onion halves cut side down, then cut them into wedges. Separate the onion layers and cut them into squares roughly the size of the peppers.
Chop the parsley: Bunch the parsley into a small mound and chop finely.
Cook:
Season the chicken: Add 1 tbsp Heinz ketchup, 1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp chili powder. Mix the seasoning blend with 20 oz skinless boneless chicken thighs and set aside.
Make the skewers: Prepare some wooden skewers. Build the skewers with the seasoned chicken, 8 oz onions, 8 oz red bell peppers, and 8 oz yellow bell peppers. Alternate between the pieces of ingredients so that no two pieces of the same ingredient are next to each other.
Season the chickpeas: Add 1/2 cup of milk and 1 tbsp lime juice to 18 oz canned chickpeas.
Puree the chickpeas: Microwave the chickpeas with milk and lime juice for 7 minutes. Remove from the microwave when done and make the puree.
Grill the chicken skewers: Place a pan over low heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Sear the chicken skewers on all sides for 15 minutes in total. Remove the skewers from the heat when the chicken turns golden.
Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with 2 tbsp parsley and 1 tbsp unsalted roasted sesame seeds. Enjoy.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary Consultant
Luna Regina
Writer, Author
- Kerley ReChicken skewers were delicious and so easy to make!