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Smoked Chicken Kabobs
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4.5 from 6 votes

Smoked Chicken Kabobs Recipe

Once you’ve tried your hand at these smoked chicken kabobs, you’ll find yourself turning back to the recipe time and again. Whether you’re a beginner who wants to learn how to make kebab from scratch, or a seasoned pro looking for a new recipe, our tutorial has you covered.





Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chicken Kabob
Servings: 1
Calories: 521kcal

Equipment

  • A smoker(preferred) or charcoal grill
  • A chimney starter
  • Charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid, or lump charcoal
  • Aluminum pan for holding water
  • Wood chips
  • Wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
  • A sturdy set of grilling tongs
  • A 1-gallon zip-top bag
  • At least 2 plates for holding the kabobs before and after cooking
  • An instant-read meat thermometer

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

  • 1 cup plain yogurt (if you use Greek yogurt, you may need to add more lemon juice to the recipe to thin the marinade)

  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

  • 1/4 cup sesame oil

  • 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (we prefer tamari for this recipe, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand)

  • 2 tablespoons honey

  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Kabobs:

  • 1-1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks

  • 1-1/2 lbs sirloin beef tips, cut into 1-inch chunks

  • 1/2 lb white button mushrooms, halved

  • 1 onion, cut into wedges

  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (for sprinkling)

Instructions

  • Make the marinade.
  • Combine all ingredients in a bowl made of nonreactive material (such as stainless steel).
  • Set aside about 1/4 cup to use on the kabobs while they’re cooking.

  • Prepare the meat. 

  • Use a meat tenderizer to pound on the chicken and beef before adding it to the marinade.
  • In addition to tenderizing the meat, it will help it soak up the flavors.

  • Add the marinade and the tenderized meat to a sturdy, 1-gallon zip-top bag.

  • Be sure to allow as much air as possible to escape before sealing the bag.

  • Give the bag a good shake to ensure that every piece of meat gets coated with the yogurt marinade.

  • Place bag in refrigerator and allow the meat to marinate for 2 to 3 hours.

  • While meat is marinating, soak the wood skewers in water so that they won’t catch fire during cooking.

  • Prepare your charcoal fire. 

  • If you’re using a smoker, follow the unit’s instructions for getting a low and slow fire going.

  • You’ll want the kabobs to cook at about 275 degrees—slightly higher than the temp you might use for smoking ribs or pulled pork.

  • If you opt to use your charcoal grill as a smoker, you’ll need a water pan (a simple, inexpensive foil cake tin will work).

  • Fill your chimney starter about one-third full with briquettes or lump charcoal.

  • When the fire has died down and the coal is covered with a thin layer of ash, add all the charcoal to one side of the grate.

  • Place your disposable foil pan on the other side and add about two to three cups of water to the pan.

  • It should take about 30 minutes to one hour for the coals to cook down to the proper temperature for smoking the kabobs.

  • When they’re ready, drop your prepared wood chips onto the coals, then position the cooking grate above the fire.

  • Note that it may be necessary to add more coals during the cooking process if the fire dies down too much before the kabobs are ready.

  • Remove meat from the marinade. 

  • When the meat has spent enough time in the chicken kabob marinade, gather all your ingredients.

  • Discard the yogurt marinade, allowing the excess to drip off before adding the meat to the skewers.

  • Assemble the kabobs.

  • Thread the meat and vegetables through the skewers.

  • The most efficient way to do this is to start with beef, then a layer of onion, one layer each green and red bell pepper, then mushroom, then chicken.

  • Repeat the process with each skewer, adding additional layers if necessary.

  • Add the kabobs to the prepared grill.

  • For the meat to reach the desired flavor and consistency, the kabobs should cook for about an hour and a half.

  • Turn the skewers every half-hour so that the heat and flavor distributes evenly.

  • Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure that the chicken has reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • Brush the kabobs with the additional marinade that you set aside earlier as needed to help maintain moisture and boost the flavors.

  • Remove meat from grill and sprinkle with the reserved sesame seeds.

  • Serve alongside basmati rice, or substitute brown rice cooked with a little extra-virgin olive oil.

Nutrition

Serving: 500g | Calories: 521kcal