Southwest Grilled Chicken Kabobs

Name: Southwest Chicken Kabobs
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Cuisine: Southwest
Ingredients: 2/3 cup avocado oil or olive oil (I like avocado oil because of it’s high smoke point); 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (sub: white vinegar); 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (sub: fresh parsley); 4 teaspoons chili powder; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, crush in hand; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground; Pinch of red pepper flakes (sub: cayenne pepper); 1 1/2 – 2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

5 /5

Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe

By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 6/24/24Updated: 6/24/24

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Southwest Chicken Kabobs are an easy and mouthwatering dinner that you can even prep ahead and freeze using our instructions. Serve with Southwest Ranch Dressing as a dipping sauce.

Table of Contents

Why Make These Chicken Kabobs

Food on a skewer is fun to eat. 🙂
All ages love these. They are flavorful thanks to our Southwest Chicken Marinade but not spicy (unless you want to add more red pepper flakes).
Super easy to prep ahead and make when you’re ready. Freezing instructions included.

“My husband and I loved the flavor of these kabobs and making extra for freezer was a bonus!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Debbie

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need for these southwest chicken skewers:

Ingredient Notes

Olive oil – Avocado oil will work too. I like avocado oil b/c of its high smoke point.
Apple cider vinegar – If you don’t have this you can substitute it with white vinegar. (Gluten-Free: Make sure your vinegar is gluten-free.)
Fresh cilantro – You can substitute this with fresh parsley
Chicken breast – Here is where we get meat you can trust.

How to Make Southwest Chicken Kabobs

The method really couldn’t be easier.

Marinate the Chicken

To get the kabobs started, cut your chicken into evenly sized pieces and throw it in a bag with the marinade. Let it sit in the fridge at least an hour or two and up to 24 hours.

Southwest chicken tenders marinating in a baggie with skewers soaking in water next to it.

Grilling Tip

While the chicken marinates, place your kabob sticks in some water so they don’t get obliterated on the grill.

Assemble and Grill

Then, all you have to do is quickly thread them on the sticks and grill away. This recipe only takes a few minutes on each side. Chicken is done when its internal temperature is 165°F.

Southwest Grilled Chicken Kabobs on a white platter.

The Best Meat Thermometer

When it comes to checking the internal temperature of our meat, we both use and love Thermapen. It’s high quality, waterproof, and recommended by Americas Test Kitchen.

Learn More

How to Serve These Kabobs

As long as you don’t overcook these guys, you’ll end up with very moist, tasty pieces of meat. Serve them over Cilantro Lime Rice, on Southwest Chicken Salad, on a Taco Bar, or on their own with some of your favorite sides, like these…

Side Dish Ideas

Roasted asparagus on a square white plate.

How to Grill Asparagus

Homemade guacamole in a bowl with blue corn chips around it.

Chips and Guacamole

Fiesta Salad

Grilled peach halves with feta cheese, and balsamic drizzle lined up on a serving platter.

Jane’s Grilled Peaches

Make It A Freezer Meal

Freeze For Later: Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Add all the ingredients to a gallon sized freezer bag that’s been labeled. Seal (squeezing out excess air), squish around to combine, and freeze.

Prepare From Frozen: Place the frozen chicken in the fridge and let thaw for about 24 hours. If you need your chicken defrosted sooner, use one of these safe thawing methods. Then, cook immediately (so you don’t over-marinate the chicken) according to one of the methods below

Recipe FAQs

Can I cook kabobs in the oven?

Yes, you can bake kabobs in the oven. Preheat your oven to 425°F, and place the skewers on a baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F internally.

Can I use a gas grill or charcoal grill for grilling kabobs?

You can use either a gas grill or a charcoal grill. Just make sure to preheat the grill before adding the kabobs.

Southwest grilled chicken kabobs stacked up on a platter.

Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

Southwest Grilled Chicken Kabobs

Why Make These Chicken Kabobs