My Cookbook: Souk to Table 
Juicy Baked Chicken Skewers
If you’re ever worried about baked chicken breast turning out dry, these juicy baked chicken skewers will change your mind. The secret is a simple yogurt marinade (it tenderizes chicken and locks in so much moisture) and the perfect baking time on an oven rack! With garlic, lemon, and a hint of Middle Eastern spices, every bite is tangy, juicy and perfectly seasoned.
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Now a quick confession before we dive into this recipe: I’m not a chicken breast fan. I’m a dark meat girl through and through. I even prefer my famous sheet pan chicken shawarma and joojeh kabab skewers with boneless chicken thighs!
But I do venture into chicken breast on occasion because when cooked right, it can be very tasty! So the two things that make this recipe actually juicy using chicken breast are:
- Using a yogurt, mayonnaise and lemon juice based marinade. The yogurt locks in moisture, the mayonnaise adds richness, and the lemon juice tenderizes the chicken. They all add incredible flavour too – yogurt has been traditionally used in shish tawook for centuries!
- Baking it for just the right amount of time! There’s a fine line where chicken breast goes from juicy to dry – we don’t cross that line!
One thing to note as well, I do love chicken breast using the air fryer. I often make these air fryer chicken kabobs interchangeably using both thighs or breast and they’re always a hit.
The Easy Step by Step Process!
This is everything you need to make these chicken skewers. Do not shy away from those warm spices (cumin and cinnamon). I promise, your skewers will not taste like cinnamon! They are necessary to balance the acidity in the marinade and create the perfect flavour.
The first step is to mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and marinate the chicken cubes. My go-to size is 1-inch cubes.
TIP: When baking chicken, its best to ensure the pieces are cut into an even size so they cook evenly. To make this even easier, ask your butcher to cut them for you!
Marination Time: If you don’t have time, you can just marinate the chicken for 15 minutes in the fridge. But you’ll get even more flavour pay-off if you marinate for 1-2 hours or overnight!
Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil (so the drippings don’t burn on it and create a mess), then add an oven rack. lay the skewers on the rack and be sure to not overcrowd them.
The rack helps the air circulate around the skewer and helps avoid steaming them and releasing the moisture. Bake for 13 minutes or until they are white and fully cooked (test a piece!). You may need to add a few extra minutes if your pieces are larger.
Once you’re done baking them, baste with the butter and parsley and then broil for 3-5 minutes until golden. Serve immediately!
My favourite way to serve them is with warm pita, or over yellow rice. This white sauce is also a must! And if I have a bit of extra time, a salad like this tangy cabbage salad or my classic Arabic salad round out the full meal.
Other Easy Chicken Recipes You Will Love
If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page – I’d love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!
Juicy Baked Chicken Skewers (25 Mins!)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces (or sub boneless thighs)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup whole milk yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, approx. juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaaspoon lemon zest
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Butter Baste (Optional)
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes, or herb of liking
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the 2 pounds chicken breast pieces, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 cup whole milk yogurt, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 teaaspoon lemon zest, 4 cloves garlic , 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix well, cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or overnight for maximum favour.
- Preheat the oven to 450℉. Thread the chicken breast pieces on metal skewers. If using wooden skewers, soak them for 15 minutes before threading.
- Place a piece of foil to cover the bottom of a large baking sheet and place a metal wire rack over top. Place the chicken skewers on top and bake for 13 minutes or until white on the inside. You may need to bake longer if your chicken pieces are larger, but do not over bake (check them at the 13 minute mark and add 1-2 minutes if required). For additional colour, broil for 5 minutes.
- For the butter baste, combine the melted 3 tablespoons butter with the 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes and brush the chicken skewers just before broiling. This step adds flavour, moisture and colour.
Notes
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs may be used instead of chicken breast.
- If using wooden skewers, soak in water overnight to prevent them from burning while in the oven.
- The butter baste is optional but highly recommended because it adds flavour, colour and moisture to the finished skewers.
- Serve with simple sides like Arabic rice or crispy potatoes and a salad.
I’ve made this recipe countless times, and it turns out absolutely delicious every single time. SO juicy and packed with flavor. I cook it on a grill rack in the oven and monitor it closely with a thermometer to make sure it’s perfectly done. I love serving it with homemade tzatziki, hummus, fattoush, and rice. Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m really glad you love it, Nora! Sounds like you’ve nailed exactly how to cook it. Thanks so much for leaving us a review! 🙂
These were delicious—we loved them. At the very least I would recommend the overnight marinade. I started out with 4 pounds of chicken and didn’t have enough room in the oven to make the entire 4 pounds the first day. So some remaining chicken sat marinating in the fridge for another day. The difference between the 24 hour marinade and the 48 hour marinade was absolutely phenomenal—we ate them right off the rack the second day—they didn’t even make it to the table! In the future when I make these, I will marinate them for two days. And absolutely no less than 24 hours. The flavor was amazing the warm spices right on point! We love these.
I didn’t have skewers so I just cooked the chicken right on the wire rack. I didn’t know it was possible to get chicken this good without a barbecue grill. The cubes were even a little charred! I live in an apartment and unfortunately don’t have access to a barbecue grill so this is a recipe I will make over and over again.
Thank you for a great keeper recipe!
Wow – that is so lovely to hear! I totally agree with you about the 24 hour marinade (but people are so rushed these days you know?). I will have to try it myself for 48 hours, as I haven’t yet! So glad you were able to enjoy these without a BBQ. Thanks so much for your lovely review!
These chicken skewers are absolutely delicious. I marinated them overnight and they turned out so juicy, moist and bursting with flavour. Since I don’t have a BBQ grill this recipe was perfect in the oven.
This recipe is a keeper for me.
This oven recipe is perfect for those without a BBQ, I’m so glad you enjoyed them and thanks so much for the review!
How much paprika to use? It’s listed in the instructions but not the ingredients. Excited to try this, thanks!
Hi! Thanks for noting that – I just fixed it! It is 2 teaspoons of paprika. Looking forward to hearing how you like the recipe!