I’m raising a skewer of Fajita Chicken Kebabs high into the air and calling for a change in dialogue. Why must we always “man” the grill? I hereby decree that we “woman” it too!
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Whether by design or default, whenever I attend a backyard barbecue, it always seems to be the men who rush to the grill (fixins for Grilled Pork Chops in tow) and the women who handle the accompanying sides/desserts (ahem, Grilled Corn Salad).
Even at home, whenever we grill, Ben insists on being the one to “man” the flame. I rarely disagree, since it’s the one occasion he cooks (unless it’s this Balsamic Glazed Salmon).
Still, I was beginning to feel a grill-shaped void in my cooking repertoire.
After all, why shouldn’t I be able to hold a spatula and master the flame? Move over boys—I’m armed with fajita chicken kebabs, and I’m ready to take over the tongs.
5 Star Review
“We went camping a few weeks ago and I made these kebobs for dinner one night. They were so amazing!!!”
— Brynn —
How to Make Fajita Chicken Kebabs
If you’ve been intimated to try grilling, I’m thrilled to now say from experience: basic grilling is a snap! These juicy, fajita-inspired chicken kebabs with bell peppers and red onion could not be any simpler or more delicious.
A quick 30 minutes of marinade time are all you need, though you can certainly prep the chicken up to 24 hours in advance (ditto for this Orange Chicken Marinade), for maximum dinner speed.
The Ingredients
- Chicken. Juicy, lean chicken breasts pack in the protein without extra fat. It doesn’t get much better than Grilled Chicken Breast.
- Bell Peppers. Bring color, traditional fajita flavor, and nutrition in the form of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and fiber.
- Red Onion. Yellow onions are great for soups (like this Chicken Tortilla Soup) and stovetop cooking, but for grilling, I love the flavor, color, and crunch of zippy red onion.
- Lime Juice. Tenderizes the chicken as it marinates and infuses every bite with bold lime flavor.
- Cumin + Chili Powder. The (obligatory) dynamic duo for any and all southwest cuisine (including these Slow Cooker Carnitas).
- Jalapeno. Brings the heat! We like our kebabs spicy so I use a whole jalapeno (seeds and all) but feel free to adjust the amount to suit your tolerance/preference.
- Garlic. For some extra bite.
- Cilantro. For a finish of color and authentic southwest taste.
- Fixins. Salsa, Best Homemade Guacamole, sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), and anything else your heart desires. (Ben deconstructed his kebabs and rolled them up in tortillas like classic Beef Fajitas).
The Directions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Place in a zip-top bag.
- Whisk together the marinade.
- Pour over the chicken, seal the bag, and let marinate.
- When ready to cook, preheat your grill to medium-high.
TIP!
Don’t forget! If using wooden skewers, soak the skewers in water for at least 20 minutes prior to use. Otherwise, they’ll burn up on the grill.
- Cut the bell peppers and onion into 3/4-inch chunks, then thread onto the skewers with the chicken.
- Pop them on the grill until the chicken is fully cooked, turning occasionally so the kebabs cook evenly.
- Remove the fajita chicken kebabs to a serving plate, garnish with cilantro and lime juice. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Leftover chicken kebabs may be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Warm gently in the microwave until heated through.
What to Serve with Chicken Kebabs
- Rice. We love these fajita chicken kebabs with a simple side of Lemon Rice.
- Beans. A side of Instant Pot Black Beans would be delicious with these kebabs.
- Salad. This Mexican Street Corn Quinoa Salad would be a wonderful side to these kebabs.
One final, burning question: Is it more appropriate to refer to a woman as “Grill Master” or “Grill Mistress?”
Please discuss—I can’t decide which to put on my future apron.
Frequently Asked Questions
For these kebabs, I typically stick to bell peppers and red onion since they’re key to the fajita taste. However, you could certainly add other vegetables of your choice. Small slices of corn on the cob, portobello mushrooms, or zucchini would all work well on these. For more ideas see my Grilled Chicken Kabobs post.
Sure! If you’re all about the beef, you could swap the chicken for pieces of steak. I recommend cutting up chunks of sirloin steak and marinating as directed. If you like your steak on the rare side, keep an eye on the kebabs to ensure the steak does not overcook though.
If you don’t own or have access to an outdoor charcoal or gas grill, you can also cook these kebabs inside on a stovetop grill plate. Prepare as directed then cook over medium-high heat until cooked through.
Fajita Chicken Kebabs
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Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- Zest and juice of 1 large lime plus additional for serving
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 jalapeño chopped (remove seeds and membrane if sensitive to spice)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 1 large red onion
- Fresh cilantro for serving
- Salsa, sour cream (or plain yogurt), and guacamole, optional for serving
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Place in a zip-top bag.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the canola oil, lime juice and zest, chili powder, cumin, garlic, jalapeno, and salt.
- Pour over the chicken, seal the bag, the gently “squish” the bag so that the chicken is coated with the marinade. Place the bag in a baking dish to catch any accidental drips, then refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.
- When ready to cook, heat your grill to medium-high.If using wooden skewers, soak the skewers in water for at least 20 minutes prior to use.
- Cut the bell peppers and onion into 3/4-inch chunks, then thread onto skewers with the marinated chicken pieces, alternating the chicken with the vegetables.
- Lightly oil the grill, then place the kebabs on the grill, cover, and let cook until the chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink, about 6 to 8 minutes, turning the chicken once or twice throughout so that it cooks evenly.
- Remove the chicken kebabs to a serving plate and sprinkle with cilantro and a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Serve warm, garnished with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole as desired.
Notes
- TO STORE: Leftover chicken kebabs may be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Warm gently in the microwave until heated through.
Nutrition
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I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made these!!! The boyfriend is obsessed too, to the point that it’s almost become a joke, because we keep finding excuses to fire up the grill and cook them. They are so easy and have so much flavor. We love them in tortillas, but honestly I like them plain too. Thanks for a great recipe!
Susie, I’m so happy to hear that the two of you are enjoying these so much! Thanks for trying the recipe and letting me know. I really appreciate it!
Tried these last night and they were delicious! Will definitely be having these again.
Quick , Easy and very very tasty.
I’m so thrilled to hear that Rene! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and sharing your review :)
We just cooked this for dinner and it was absolutely delicious. We had to make them in the oven which was on the grill setting but they still tasted fabulously. I just think I went a bit heavy on the spice so we needed a glass of milk each and followed the meal up with some vanilla honey ice cream. Yum!
Anna, I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and letting me know how it came out. Also that ice cream sounds divine :)
We went camping a few weeks ago and I made these kebobs for dinner one night. They were so amazing!!! I marinated the chicken the night before we left and they were so flavorful. My advice for anyone making these is to make a lot…they go fast!
Brynn, what a great idea to take these camping!! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and sharing how it turned out for you!
Lots of people comment about how good something looks but not many comment about how the recipe actually turns out. I made these. They were quite spicy due to the jalapeño and I did remove the seeds and membrane – one jalapeño is a lot for this small amount of marinade, so adjust if needed as per your taste. I mixed a little water in with the marinade to tone down the heat a bit, but I was still worried they would be too spicy. I like spicy, but not burn -your-mouth spicy. Once they cooked up they were very good. My boyfriend liked them too, but not as much as I did. I would make them again. I used metal skewers on the grill, cooked for 4 minutes each side.
Thanks so much for taking the time to share your feedback! I truly appreciate it, and I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe!
oh my. It’s so tasty !!!! We just cooked this for dinner and it was absolutely delicious.
Thx for this article.
Wow! This marinade for grilling chicken is divine! Thanks for sharing, Erin!
Awww thank YOU Simon! So so happy to you all enjoyed this! Thanks for letting me know!
great recipes, I want to try it, terimakaih already share. I think this is very good
I am so pleased to hear this, thank you!
THe kabobs were excellent. I have also used the marinade for chicken breasts.
Great recipe for the grill. Simple and flavorful. Making it tonight! I’m going to try marinade on skirt steak too. My hubby is not into chicken unless it’s fried…and I’m the GRILL BOSS!
Thanks for sharing this review, Janet! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Hi!!! I love your recipe!! Can you please tell me serving size? I don’t see that. I’m just trying to double or even triple the recipe to feed enough people. I’ve only made your recipe for 2 people before. Thank you for your time!!! And I love it!!
Thank you, Andrea! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! If you scroll down to the recipe, there is some text under the title that tells you how many servings it will make. This recipe should yield about four servings, and if you make too much, it would be excellent leftover! (:
Made this last week and making it again this week! Fabulous recipe with great flavor. (I was a little lazy with the veggies. I sliced them into strips, seasoned with a little oil, S&P, and dried oregano, and then grilled them in a veggie basket while the chicken cooked on the skewers.)
I’m so happy it was a hit, Cat J! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
So glad I found this recipe! It came together quickly, was full of flavor, and perfect for a summer night grilling!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Lindsay! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
my wife made chicken kabab with your mentioned ingredients and it was too yummy. i will subscribe your website for future tasty foods. thanks for posting dishes like this.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Samuel! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I’ve loved this recipe for years! Is there a calorie count for this recipe?
I’m SO happy to hear that, Allie! Nutritional information is something I started adding to recipes in January 2016. Unfortunately, it’s a time-consuming process, so I’m unable to go back to all my past recipes to add it. The good news is that you can calculate the calories for free at MyFitnessPal (there are other similar sites too). I hope that can be a helpful resource for you!
This was SO good! Fam just loved it, especially with homemade tortillas. What a winner recipe! 😁
So glad to hear you all enjoyed it! Thank you for your kind review Julie!
Amazing flavor and so simple! Served with “copycat” chipotle black bean recipe and Spanish rice in rice cooker. Perfect meal for Father’s Day!
Great to hear, thank you Sue!