Hajar Larbah

Chicken Skewers in the Oven

5 from 48 votes

Juicy, flavorful, Moroccan-inspired marinated chicken skewers in the OVEN! Did you know you can make juicy chicken skewers in the oven with no BBQ or mess? It’s effortless but they come out so impressive with beautiful char marks as if you did grill.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Jump to Recipe

Juicy, flavorful, Moroccan-inspired marinated chicken skewers in the OVEN!

Did you know you can make juicy chicken skewers in the oven with no BBQ or mess? It’s effortless but they come out so impressive with beautiful char marks as if you did grill. You can even add some bell peppers or onions to the skewers to incorporate more veggies.

We enjoyed this with some rainbow rice that my mom taught me how to make and a homemade Caesar salad. Both of these recipes will be shared soon!

Chicken Skewers in the Oven

Juicy chicken skewers that are “grilled” in the oven to perfection! The marinade is inspired by Moroccan chermoula which is typically made from garlic and fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley and spiced with cumin and paprika. They’re so easy to make with no hassle of going outside to grill on the BBQ and no one will ever know.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless and skinless, cut into small pieces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons minced garlic to taste
  • 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
  • sumac and parsley or cilantro to garnish optional

Equipment

  • skewers/wooden sticks
  • roasting tray

Instructions 

  1. In a large bowl, add the chicken which has been cut into small pieces.
  2. Then add the olive oil, yogurt, paprika, cumin, salt, onion powder, ginger, black pepper, turmeric, minced garlic, parsley, and cilantro.
  3. Mix all together to marinade evenly.
  4. Cover and let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
  5. If you don’t want the wooden skewers to burn in the oven, soak them in warm water for about 20 minutes.
  6. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  7. Thread the pieces of chicken onto the skewer. If the piece is kind of long thread it twice through the skewer so it’s not dangling off. Once the skewer is full, repeat with the other skewers until all the chicken is threaded.
  8. Place the skewers on your rack and tray, making sure they are spaced apart.
  9. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, then flip over and roast for another 5 minutes. Make sure the chicken has cooked through in the center and then take out of the oven.
  10. Garnish with more cilantro or parsley and a sprinkle of sumac. Serve warm.

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you make this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out. I love hearing from you!

Rate & Review

Recipe Rating




79 people are discussing this recipe. Join in

  1. Roselia Rubiera
    Reply

    I love all your receipts

  2. Charlotte
    Reply

    These skewers are so good! The seasoning is delicious. I had to cook the chicken for an extra 5 minutes because they were still slightly uncooked after only 20 minutes.

  3. Ramsha
    Reply

    5 stars
    Looks delicious ? can’t wait to give it a try. ??

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com
      Reply

      Yay! Cant wait to hear how it turns out Ramsha

  4. Manal
    Reply

    Cant wait to try this recipe out! Thank you so much for sharing!
    If you could please answer this, what can i used if i dont have a racking tray? Thank you?

  5. Manal
    Reply

    5 stars
    Cant wait to try this recipe out! Thank you so much for sharing!
    If you could please answer this, what can i used if i dont have a roasting tray? Thank you?

  6. Alexandra
    Reply

    My husband doesn’t like chicken thigh…have you ever made this with chicken breast? I’m assuming the cooking time might be more?

  7. Abbie
    Reply

    5 stars
    Delicioussss so easy to make!

    1. Safwan
      Reply

      5 stars
      Don’t ever stop making these delicious things. I have never cooked in my life before and lived off sandwiches. Once my injury heals ill make all your other stuff. Can’t wait to see pizza hut bread sticks

  8. Tanzeela
    Reply

    5 stars
    Very tasty love the recipe

  9. Sierra
    Reply

    Is it okay to use boneless chicken breast?

  10. Catherine
    Reply

    5 stars
    Just made these tonight and they were SOOOOOO good! I can’t wait to make them again. I followed the recipe almost exactly-my package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs was only 1.55 lbs. and I didn’t have any sumac on hand for the garnish. I just can’t get over how amazing these tasted. The chicken was so juicy and flavorful. My husband and I seriously loved them, and I have never cooked anything this style before, so it was an awesome change-up to our traditional meals. Thank you Hajar!

  11. Hina
    Reply

    5 stars
    Yum! My family loved it! Thank You!

  12. Yusra Jilani
    Reply

    5 stars
    made this for iftar and it was amazing

  13. Johanna
    Reply

    5 stars
    Just finished my plate and hopped on to comment. It was delicious!!! I found your recipe on Tik Tok I couldn’t save the clip fast enough. Finally got to making it yesterday (figured I’d marinate it for 24) anyway I had all ingredients but the yogurt so I used sour cream which I think was the closest to it. I also completely forgot to add the olive oil. But other than that I followed your instructions. I made calabazitas as a side. Also I attempted to make some creama based sauce I tasted on a plate I ordered off a (middle eastern cuisine) food truck back when I went NYC. Not exactly what I recall but it was a nice addition. The chicken was so delicious!!!! I wish I could post a pic here… Anyway thank you for sharing. Great day!

  14. Aerionna Martin
    Reply

    5 stars
    This was so good! I used Boneless, skinless chicken breast and served it with a side of couscous. Next time I’ll make some tzatziki sauce on the side!

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com
      Reply

      Yay! so happy it was a hit Aerionna!

      1. Nace
        Reply

        5 stars
        I didn’t have yogurt, parsley or cilantro but gave it a shot. They still came out amazing. Can’t wait to try with all ingredients

  15. Saraiba
    Reply

    5 stars
    Made it for iftar the other day and AMAZING!!! Everyone loved it 10/10 ???

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com
      Reply

      Thank you Saraiba! Glad it was a success for iftar ?

  16. Mikayla O’Neill
    Reply

    5 stars
    Saw this recipe on instagram and tried it right away. It was amazing!! So delicious, everyone in my family loved it.

  17. Mariam
    Reply

    5 stars
    So good! I used chicken breast and added a little chili powder since I like extra spice but otherwise used your recipe and it was a success! Adding it to the iftar/dinner rotation.

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com
      Reply

      Yay! So happy it went well for iftar! Got to try it with the spicy kick next time too

  18. Nikki
    Reply

    Hi! I would love to try this, but before I do, can you tell where to find or which brand would be plain whole milk yogurt?

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com
      Reply

      Hey! I like to use the brand mountain high. You can find plain yogurt with all the other yogurts in the grocery store. It’ll say whole milk and plain on it

  19. Souki Eljamri
    Reply

    5 stars
    AMAZING and SUPER EASY!! This will be my go-to chicken recipe moving forward!

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com
      Reply

      So amazing to hear that!

  20. Sam
    Reply

    5 stars
    Am eating it right now. it’s great! Love the “spicy” paprika feel and makes a lot. Also have made her Smores Brownie Bars which I’d highly recommend, unless you want to be skinny 😀

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com
      Reply

      Yay!! So happy the recipes have been a hit ?

  21. Rukaiya
    Reply

    5 stars
    I made this on Mother’s Day for 7 people along with the rainbow rice recipe and it was a total hit! Chicken turned out a bit more dry than I hoped for but it was packed with flavours so it made up for it. Super fun and perfect for a beginner cook, 10/10 would recommend!

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com
      Reply

      Aww yayy! Such a cute idea. Maybe your oven might be a little hotter than the temperature indicated so I’d cook a little less next time to avoid the dryness. Thank you!

      1. Ashlyn
        Reply

        Sounds delicious! I’ll make it this weekend. I saw in your Instagram saffron was used. How much?

  22. Andrea
    Reply

    5 stars
    I love your recipes!! You make them so tasty and so simple – these chicken skewers were packed with flavor and dummy proof 🙂 Thank you!!

  23. Lisa
    Reply

    5 stars
    So easy and delicious! Had to exclude the onion and garlic for dietary restrictions and it was still fabulous. The chicken was flavorful and perfectly cooked. Adding this to my dinner rotation for sure!

  24. Monique
    Reply

    5 stars
    Used this on chicken legs that I later grilled. It was delicious. I only marinated for a couple of hours, can’t wait to try overnight. Loved it and had 3 people ask me for the recipe.

  25. Jayne Melvin
    Reply

    My son made these with chicken thigh, was absolutely superb. He cooked them in a bullet smoker. I’ve made some tonight, they are marinating overnight, I added a small amount of chilli as I like heat

  26. Alex
    Reply

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious, easy to make, and best of all, I made too much and left the chicken marinating an extra day and it tasted even better. This has become a common dish in my house now and tastes even better on the grill.

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com
      Reply

      Hi Alex! Love how you marinaded it an extra day – so much flavor. Thank you for sharing!

  27. Betty
    Reply

    Is there a recipe available for the rice shown in the images that goes along with the chicken ?

    Thanks!

  28. Jennifer
    Reply

    2 stars
    I should have realized myself, that 2 teaspoons of salt into basically just 1/2 cup of yogurt, would be way too salty for my personal taste. The color from the other spices on the finished kabobs was beautiful.

  29. Mona
    Reply

    5 stars
    I’ve made these skewers two times now, both times they turned out great! Always trust you for great recipes. Second time I added some chili oil & extra garlic, and it was still great.

  30. mary
    Reply

    do you use whole milk plain greek yougurt cuz thats what i have

  31. mary
    Reply

    do you use greek yogurt

  32. Jocelyn
    Reply

    5 stars
    Absolutely divine! So much bang for your buck. Incredibly tasty, flavorful and easy to make. Thanks for sharing the recipe! I’ll be making these kabobs often.

  33. mary
    Reply

    5 stars
    made this last night it was a huge hit will be making again soon!

  34. Robin
    Reply

    I was wondering if it would work to marinate the chicken thighs in this sauce and then throw them in the instant pot with a cup of water? I really enjoy the flavors in this recipe, but I prefer chicken thighs cooked in the instant pot because the fat blobs cook out of the chicken and you don’t have to bite into them. Just curious if you have ever tried this.

  35. Masa
    Reply

    Can I use a cast iron skillet and how? College student with limited appliances ?

  36. Maria
    Reply

    I am so glad I found you. Middle Eastern food is one of my favorites. I will definitely be trying this! Can you also please share the recipe for the delicious looking rice in the background?

  37. mary
    Reply

    i made these and my family loved them. it was so amazing will be making again.

  38. mary
    Reply

    5 stars
    i made this.it was an amazing dish my family loved it .i will definetly be make this many more times.

  39. Bernadette Roman
    Reply

    Turned out amazing. My Egyptian husband loved it. Served with yogurt salad and and rice. Adding to our meal rotation.

  40. Alison
    Reply

    I’m wondering is the 1 tsp ginger, dinger powder or fresh ginger?

  41. Rana S
    Reply

    5 stars
    Recipe turned out great. Only thing, I had to cook it longer…

  42. N H K
    Reply

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for this recipe! Made it today and it was a hit! Adjusted the spices to our Pakistani taste (added some chilli powder) and didn’t put them
    On skewers, just in the oven. Served them with potato wedges and tzatziki sauce. Was superb!

  43. N H K
    Reply

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for this recipe! Made it today and it was a hit! Adjusted the spices to our Pakistani taste (added some chilli powder) and didn’t put them
    On skewers, just in the oven. Served them with potato wedges and tzatziki sauce. Was auper!

  44. Gigi Harris
    Reply

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! One of my go-to recipes that everyone just loves! 🙂

  45. Ashley S
    Reply

    5 stars
    Love the recipe- it’s definitely in my rotation. I usually pair it with your Rainbow rice (without the steak). Only question I have is if I’m doing something wrong? Every time I cook it, I have to cook it for the double amount of time listed in recipe to bring the chicken up to proper temp. From the recipe it looks as if you thread the chicken with little to no space between chicken pieces- is this accurate? Or should I start separating the chicken more?

  46. Jeni
    Reply

    Can you make this dairy free?

  47. Rinu Xavier
    Reply

    Omg I made this recipe and it was delicious and my family loved it. Im your big fan ?

  48. Barbara
    Reply

    I am in the process of making this now. Recipe is pretty straight forward but was wondering about the ginger. You don’t say if it’s fresh or ground ginger. Since I didn’t have fresh ginger I went with aa 1/4 tsp of dried. Also glad to read someone made this with chicken breast as I was wondering the same. It looks good and can’t wait to try it.

  49. RMG
    Reply

    5 stars
    So delicious! I followed your recipe exactly… turned out perfectly! Definitely a keeper! Thanks!!

  50. Rhea
    Reply

    5 stars
    These were really really good. I didn’t have sumac on hand, but I squeezed lemon juice instead and it was really tasty. Also, I did have to cook them for an extra 5-10 minutes because the chicken was still pink.

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