These citrus marinated grilled chicken skewers are easy, light, and perfect for summer! In this recipe tender chunks of chicken breast are marinated in a zesty citrus blend and skewered alongside vibrant zucchini, yellow squash, and onions. Then they’re grilled until golden and delicious.
The citrus marinade used for the chicken is a quick version of our Cuban-style mojo marinade. Instead of sour oranges we use lime juice and OJ and we sub in garlic powder instead of using fresh. It’s tasty, tangy, and a little sweet. Perfect for our quick chicken skewers.
Whether you're hosting a backyard cookout or craving a wholesome and tasty grilled meal, these skewers are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Serve them along with a refreshing three bean salad and our loaded potato salad for a delicious spread you and your guests will love.
Ingredients
- Chicken – We use boneless, skinless chicken breast for this recipe. You can substitute chicken thighs, if desired but you may have to adjust the cooking time.
- Citrus – We take a shortcut making the marinade by using bottled orange juice instead of fresh squeezed. I do prefer to squeeze the lime juice because bottled lime juice is just not the same.
- Produce – Zucchini, yellow squash, and onions cook beautifully with the chicken.
- Oil – The chicken is cooked over moderate heat, so olive oil works well. You can use your favorite oil if it has a moderate to high smoke point.
- Herbs and spices – Salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, onion powder, ground cumin, and black pepper season the marinade and the vegetables.
- Sugar – Sugar is added to the citrus marinade to give it a little extra sweetness.
- There are two components to this recipe, the chicken and citrus marinade and the vegetables and their seasonings. All are combined in this list but photographed separately.
- See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
Instructions
Add the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, sugar, onion powder, ground cumin, and black pepper to a cup or bowl. Stir well to combine.
Place the chicken pieces in a large plastic zip top bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Remove most of the air, seal the bag, and massage the chicken with the marinade to coat.
- Refrigerate the chicken for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Turn it over occasionally.
- An hour before you are ready to cook, soak 15 bamboo skewers (12 inches long) in water. Soaking them will reduce the chance of them burning.
- Add the zucchini, yellow squash, onion, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, oregano, and black pepper to a large bowl. Toss gently to coat.
- Thread the chicken and vegetables on the damp bamboo skewer alternating between each. Don’t compress them. Leave a slight space between the ingredients and if they touch, it should be lightly. Also, leave 1-2 inches of room on the back end of the bamboo skewer and about 1 inch on the tip.
- Discard any leftover marinade.
Grill the skewers
If you are not cooking right away cover the prepared kabobs with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready. Including while you are preheating the grill.
Preheat the grill to medium heat (around 350°-375°F).
Arrange the chicken skewers on the grill so they are not touching. Grill for 8-10 minutes and turn them using tongs.
Continue cooking for 8-10 minutes or until the largest chicken piece registers at least 165°F. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure. Turn them occasionally to brown on all sides and prevent too much charring in spots.
Remove them from the grill and serve.
Recipe tips and notes
- Don’t season the vegetables until a short time before cooking. The salt will draw moisture out of the zucchini/squash, and for this recipe we don’t want that.
- Cut chicken pieces roughly the same size so that they cook at the same rate.
- Double bag the marinating chicken and/or place it on a sheet pan or plate in case it leaks.
- If you run out of one ingredient just build a skewer using what you have left.
- If you use metal skewers take care when cooking and serving because the metal will hold the heat longer than the wood. Also, it conducts heat better so check on the food a little sooner.
Storing instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To freeze, cool, place it in a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for 2-3 months.
Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
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📖 Recipe
Grilled Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
Chicken and citrus marinade ingredients
- 3 pounds Chicken Breast boneless and skinless, cut into 2 inch pieces
- ¼ cup Orange Juice
- 2 tablespoons Lime Juice about 2 limes depending on how juicy they are
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Vegetables and seasonings ingredients
- 1 Large Zucchini cut into quarters or halves (depending on how thick it is) then sliced into 1½-2 inch pieces
- 1 Large Yellow Squash cut into quarters or halves (depending on how thick it is) then sliced into 1½-2 inch pieces
- 1 Medium Onion quartered then each quarter cut into 1-1½ inch pieces then separate the layers
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Add the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, sugar, onion powder, ground cumin, and black pepper to a cup or bowl. Stir well to combine.
- Place the chicken pieces in a large plastic zip top bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Remove most of the air, seal the bag, and massage the chicken with the marinade to coat. Double bag the marinating chicken and/or place it on a sheet pan or plate in case it leaks.
- Refrigerate the chicken for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Turn it over occasionally.
- An hour before you are ready to cook, soak 15 bamboo skewers (12 inches long) in water. Soaking them will reduce the chance of them burning.
- Add the zucchini, yellow squash, onion, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, oregano, and black pepper to a large bowl. Toss gently to coat.
- Thread the chicken and vegetables on the damp bamboo skewer alternating between each. Don’t compress them. Leave a slight space between the ingredients and if they touch, it should be lightly. Also, leave 1-2 inches of room on the back end of the bamboo skewer and about 1 inch on the tip.
- Discard any leftover marinade.
Grill the skewers
- If you are not cooking right away cover the prepared kabobs with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready. Including while you are preheating the grill.
- Preheat the grill to medium heat (around 350°-375°F).
- Arrange the chicken skewers on the grill so they are not touching. Grill for 8-10 minutes and turn them using tongs.
- Continue cooking for 8-10 minutes or until the largest chicken piece registers at least 165°F. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure. Turn them occasionally to brown on all sides and prevent too much charring in spots.
- Remove them from the grill and serve.
Notes
- Don’t season the vegetables until a short time before cooking. The salt will draw moisture out of the zucchini/squash, and for this recipe we don’t want that.
- Cut chicken pieces roughly the same size so that they cook at the same rate.
- If you run out of one ingredient just build a skewer using what you have left.
- If you use metal skewers take care when cooking and serving because the metal will hold the heat longer than the wood. Also, it conducts heat better so check on the food a little sooner.
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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