I’ve always been a little intimidated by grilling, but this summer I’m determined to get over that. I’ve been trying to grill something at least twice a week. And surprise, surprise, I’m totally loving it. It’s so fun! One of my favorite things to grill right now are Kabobs. This easy recipe for Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs is a winner! We love to serve them with this simple and DELICIOUS Coconut Rice.
We also like to use this easy homemade Three-Ingredient Teriyaki Sauce on them, but a store-bought teriyaki sauce works great too. The kids like to help make them, and I love that they are healthy. It doesn’t hurt that they are also motivating some of my kids who are less inclined to eat veggies to eat more veggies just because they are on a stick. Grilled peppers are still a hard sell for my number 4, though. What can you do? Can’t blame a mom for trying…
Simple Chicken Recipes Even Your Picky One Will Love
- Easy Baked Chicken Taquitos
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Bake Rice Crispy Chicken Thighs
- Sticky Teriyaki Baked Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Taco and Rice Skillet
- Erin’s Yummy Slow Cooker Chicken
- Slow Cooker Pineapple Salsa Chicken
How to Make Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs
Frequently Asked Questions About Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs
What TEMPERATURE should I grill the Chicken Kabobs on?
I prefer to grill the chicken kabobs on medium-high heat. Each grill is a little different, and you may need to adjust your heat if your grill tends to cook hot. You want to make sure that the chicken cooks through and isn’t getting cooked and charred on the outside without the inside having ample time to cook properly.
Do I marinate them in the teriyaki sauce or baste it on while they are grilling?
No, you do not marinate them in the sauce. In fact, you wait until the kabobs are almost completely cooked to add the teriyaki sauce. The teriyaki sauce has a high sugar content and will get that nice grilled char quickly. If added too early, it may burn. I recommend basting the teriyaki sauce onto the chicken with about 5 minutes remaining in cooking time.
How Many Kabobs will this recipe make?
This recipe will make around 18-20 kebobs by adding 4-5 pieces of chicken and about 5-6 veggies to each skewer.
Does it matter what type of VEGETABLES I use?
Kind of. Technically, you could add whatever veggies you want…but some veggies work better than others. I would definitely not use something like a cucumber, though. Potatoes would also not be a great choice. You want to pick veggies that will cook evenly together or cut them into sizes that will cook to the same doneness at the same time. Does that make sense? You wouldn’t want a really thin piece of zucchini and a really fat mushroom. They wouldn’t cook to the same doneness. One would be overdone, and one would be underdone.
What if I don’t have a grill? Can I bake Chicken Kabobs in the oven?
Yes. I didn’t have a grill for years and would bake these in the oven. It works great. I would cook them at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes depending on how thick I had cut the chicken and veggies. I would brush them with olive oil and salt and pepper them before baking.
- 2-3 pounds boneless-skinless chicken breast, cut into 1½ inch pieces.
- 6-8 cups of your favorite veggies cut into 1½ inch pieces. I like to use, mushrooms onions, bell peppers, and zucchini or yellow squash.
- I usually use an 8-ounce package of mushrooms (halved or quartered), one large red onion, one medium or two small zucchini or yellow squash, and two different colored bell peppers.
- 20 Bamboo Skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
- 1¼ cup teriyaki sauce, divided (Use your favorite brand or try my Easy Homemade Three-Ingredient Teriyaki Sauce.)
- Make sure to soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least thirty minutes before building the kabobs. This helps them not to start on fire or dry out and become brittle during the cooking process. Another option is to use stainless steel skewers if you have them.
- Being careful not to poke yourself. Start building your Kabobs by placing a piece of chicken onto the skewer. Then add a vegetable and continue to alternate. You should be able to add at least 4-5 pieces of chicken and 4-5 pieces of vegetables to each skewer. Be careful not to crowd them too closely but also don't leave big gaps. The meat and veggies will shrink slightly as they cook.
- Place finished skewers on a large baking sheet or in a clean dish that is big enough to hold them.
- If not cooking immediately, be sure to cover them with plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.
- To prepare your grill, pour some canola or vegetable oil onto a paper towel and rub it over the grill.
- Turn the grill on medium-high heat and place the kabobs on the grill. Salt and pepper the kabobs.
- The kabobs will need about 20-25 minutes of cooking time. (This depends greatly on your grill, so just watch them. Turn down the heat if necessary.)
- Let the kabobs cook most of the way before basting them with Teriyaki Sauce. Use ½ cup of Teriyaki sauce to glaze the kabobs. If you do this too early, the sugar in the sauce will burn. It's best to wait until the kabobs only have about 5 minutes of cooking time remaining.
- Reserve the other ¾ cup of sauce for drizzling on kabobs when serving and for drizzling over the Coconut Rice.
- When the Kabobs are finished cooking, place them on or in a clean dish and serve immediately with the reserved Teriyaki Sauce and Coconut Rice or regular rice.
Try one of these next time you bake:
Sara
We eat grilled chicken at least 3 times a week. This is a recipe that never gets old and it helps to change things up! #julygiveaway