Go-To Grilled Chicken Kebabs
By Annie PetitoPublished on June 2, 2025
Time
1 hour, plus 1 hour marinating
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Leaving the excess fat on the chicken thighs intact encourages small flare-ups from their drippings, which in turn creates the savory compounds that we associate with grill flavor. If you have thin pieces of chicken, cut them larger than 1 inch and roll or fold them into approximately 1-inch pieces. A rasp grater makes quick work of turning the garlic into a paste, which doesn’t burn on the grill. We developed this recipe with Cento tomato paste. We like to serve the kebabs with lettuce, tomato, Greek yogurt, hot sauce, and flatbread or tortillas, or with rice and grilled vegetables.
Instructions
- Whisk tomato paste, oil, fish sauce, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in medium bowl until smooth. Add chicken and, using your hands or silicone spatula, mix until chicken is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter three-quarters filled with charcoal briquettes (4½ quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high; cover; and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).
- While grill heats, thread chicken onto skewers, rolling or folding pieces as necessary to form 1-inch pieces and alternating leaner pieces with fattier pieces (fold any excess fat onto skewers as needed to keep it from hanging loose).
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place kebabs directly over coals (over primary burner if using gas) and cook (covered if using gas) until grilled side is well browned and slightly charred, 2 to 2½ minutes. Turn one-quarter turn. Continue to cook and turn until all sides are browned and charred and meat registers 175 degrees, about 12 minutes in total, rearranging skewers halfway through cooking so those farthest from heat source are now closer and vice versa. (If large flare-ups occur, slide kebabs to cool side of grill until fire dies down.) Remove kebabs from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve.
- FOR RED CURRY PASTE AND LIME MARINADE: Reduce tomato paste to 2 tablespoons. Add 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste and 2 teaspoons grated lime zest to marinade in step 1. Serve kebabs with lime wedges.FOR HARISSA, ALEPPO PEPPER, AND MINT MARINADE: Reduce tomato paste to 2 tablespoons. Add 2 tablespoons harissa, 2 teaspoons ground dried Aleppo pepper, and 2 teaspoons dried mint to marinade in step 1.
Time
1 hour, plus 1 hour marinatingYield
Serves 6Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For grilled kebabs that were juicy and savory with deep browning and charring, we started by using boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which have a rich flavor and collagen that can break down to keep the meat juicy. We left the fat on the chicken to encourage small flare-ups, which contributed to creating charring and grill flavor. We then cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces and tossed them in a thick, flavorful mixture of tomato paste, salt, sugar, fish sauce, garlic, and oil. After letting the chicken marinate for at least an hour, we threaded it onto skewers and cooked it over a moderately hot grill. The fat on the chicken encouraged small flare-ups that created lots of char and grill flavor. Rotating the skewers a quarter-turn every couple minutes ensured even cooking and browning.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
Leaving the excess fat on the chicken thighs intact encourages small flare-ups from their drippings, which in turn creates the savory compounds that we associate with grill flavor. If you have thin pieces of chicken, cut them larger than 1 inch and roll or fold them into approximately 1-inch pieces. A rasp grater makes quick work of turning the garlic into a paste, which doesn’t burn on the grill. We developed this recipe with Cento tomato paste. We like to serve the kebabs with lettuce, tomato, Greek yogurt, hot sauce, and flatbread or tortillas, or with rice and grilled vegetables.
Instructions
- Whisk tomato paste, oil, fish sauce, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in medium bowl until smooth. Add chicken and, using your hands or silicone spatula, mix until chicken is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter three-quarters filled with charcoal briquettes (4½ quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high; cover; and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).
- While grill heats, thread chicken onto skewers, rolling or folding pieces as necessary to form 1-inch pieces and alternating leaner pieces with fattier pieces (fold any excess fat onto skewers as needed to keep it from hanging loose).
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place kebabs directly over coals (over primary burner if using gas) and cook (covered if using gas) until grilled side is well browned and slightly charred, 2 to 2½ minutes. Turn one-quarter turn. Continue to cook and turn until all sides are browned and charred and meat registers 175 degrees, about 12 minutes in total, rearranging skewers halfway through cooking so those farthest from heat source are now closer and vice versa. (If large flare-ups occur, slide kebabs to cool side of grill until fire dies down.) Remove kebabs from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve.
- FOR RED CURRY PASTE AND LIME MARINADE: Reduce tomato paste to 2 tablespoons. Add 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste and 2 teaspoons grated lime zest to marinade in step 1. Serve kebabs with lime wedges.FOR HARISSA, ALEPPO PEPPER, AND MINT MARINADE: Reduce tomato paste to 2 tablespoons. Add 2 tablespoons harissa, 2 teaspoons ground dried Aleppo pepper, and 2 teaspoons dried mint to marinade in step 1.
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