Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken Skewers

Sounds weird, right? Yogurt on chicken? At least that's what we thought the first time we heard about marinating chicken kabobs in Greek yogurt. But guess what? It's AWESOME! These chicken skewers are easy to make and they grill up tender, juicy and delicious every time.

JUMP TO RECIPE ↓

For a lot of us, marinating chicken in yogurt just sounds well...weird. But it's been going on for thousands of years! It's a technique that historians think began in Asia during the 13th or 14th century. Specifically, the Mongols would use fermented milk to soften up tough or old cuts of meat.

Luckily, in modern times, we're working with nice, fresh cuts of chicken breast, but the same general principle still applies! The marinade slowly tenderizes the meat thanks to a healthy dose of lactic acid in the yogurt. And unlike citrus based marinades the yogurt won't turn the meat rubbery or chewy.

Greek yogurt marinated chicken skewers are great in warm weather and cold and pair well with lemon rice, hummus, salad, pita bread and even french fries.

What we like about Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken Skewers!

Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken Skewers Ingredients

• Chicken Breast

• Red Pepper Flakes

• Sweet Paprika

• Greek Yogurt (Plain Traditional)

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Red Wine Vinegar

• Kosher Salt

• Black Pepper

• Garlic

• Lemon

How to make Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken Skewers.

1. Add all ingredients to a large bowl.

2. Mix thoroughly.

3. Cut onions and chicken breasts into skewer size bites.

4. Thread onion and chicken pieces onto skewers. (We like reusable metal skewers but wood skewers work great too. Just make sure to soak them in water for a few minutes before adding the chicken and onions.)

5. Coat skewers LIBERALLY with marinade and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. You can also marinade the chicken in the yogurt mixture before you thread them onto the skewers but we like to do it before hand so they're ready to go when we are.

6. Remove from refrigerator and let skewers sit before placing on the grill. Cold chicken tends to 'seize up' when placed immediately on a hot grill which makes for tougher meat.

7. Place skewers on a preheated grill set to medium. Turn each skewer occasionally for a total cook time of 10 to 15 minutes.

8. Serve with lemon wedges, tzatziki sauce or even red pepper hummus!

Tips and Tricks

1. Make sure to let the skewers rest when you remove them from the refrigerator. As mentioned above, cold meat tends to 'seize up' when placed on a hot grill. Letting the chicken sit on the counter for 30 minutes before cooking will temper the meat and make it cook more evenly.

2. More rest. Cooking on the grill brings the juices in the chicken to the surface of the meat. Letting the skewers rest after cooking allows the juice to soak back in and redistribute evenly through the meat.

3. Nicole purchased a set of reusable metal skewers for barbecuing and we couldn't be happier with them. They even have a little push bar that slides down the skewer and pushes the meat and veggies onto your plate.

4. Wood skewers work great too. Just make sure to soak them in water for 20-30 minutes before cooking so the ends don't burn up and disintegrate on the grill.

FAQs

1. Can you marinade the skewers for more than an hour? Absolutely! One of the great things about this marinade is the lactic acid is very gentle. One caveat though, if you're planning on marinating the skewers for over 3 hours you may want to remove the red wine vinegar from the recipe.

2. Will this Greek yogurt marinade work on other types of meat? For sure. You can use this recipe with chicken, beef, pork, lamb and even fish!

3. Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts? You bet. We used to use chicken breast exclusively for our meals. But recently we've discovered how versatile chicken thighs can be. They have a higher fat content than breasts which make them great for slow cooker meals, grilling and more!