DinnerCountGrilled Chicken Kabobs
This summer dinner looks like more work than it is. Cubes of chicken sit in a lemon and garlic marinade for fifteen minutes while the wooden skewers soak. Then you thread the chicken with chunks of bell pepper and onion and put the skewers on the grill. Kids are often more willing to eat a pepper from a stick than from a plate.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- Chicken breasts1½ lb
- Bell peppers2 each
- Yellow onion1 each
- Olive oil¼ cup
- Lemon1 each
- Garlic clove3 cloves
- Italian seasoning1 tbsp
- Salt1 tsp
- Black pepper½ tsp
How Much to Make for 2, 4, 6, or 8
For 2 people, you’ll need ¾ lb chicken breasts, 1 bell pepper, and ½ yellow onion.
For 4 people, you’ll need 1½ lb chicken breasts, 2 bell peppers, and 1 yellow onion.
For 6 people, you’ll need 2¼ lb chicken breasts, 3 bell peppers, and 1½ yellow onions.
For 8 people, you’ll need 3 lb chicken breasts, 4 bell peppers, and 2 yellow onions.
| Ingredient | For 2 | For 4 | For 6 | For 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breasts | ¾ lb | 1½ lb | 2¼ lb | 3 lb |
| Bell peppers | 1 each | 2 each | 3 each | 4 each |
| Yellow onion | ½ each | 1 each | 1½ each | 2 each |
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | ¼ cup | 6 tbsp | ½ cup |
| Lemon | ½ each | 1 each | 1½ each | 2 each |
| Garlic clove | 2 cloves | 3 cloves | 5 cloves | 6 cloves |
| Italian seasoning | 1½ tsp | 1 tbsp | 1½ tbsp | 2 tbsp |
| Salt | ½ tsp | 1 tsp | 1½ tsp | 2 tsp |
| Black pepper | ¼ tsp | ½ tsp | ¾ tsp | 1 tsp |
The amounts are rounded to what you can measure at home. Pounds are rounded to the nearest quarter or third, cups to the marks on a measuring cup, and spoons to real measuring spoons. An egg stays whole. Because of the rounding, some amounts are the same at two sizes.
- For 2: This recipe is written for 4 adult-size portions. You are cooking about 2 adult portions, which is roughly 0.5 times the recipe. With fewer pieces on the grate, the time is the same.
- For 6: This recipe is written for 4 adult-size portions. You are cooking about 6 adult portions, which is roughly 1.5 times the recipe. At about 1.5× the recipe that’s more than one batch on the grate. The time for each piece is the same. Keep the first batch warm under foil.
- For 8: This recipe is written for 4 adult-size portions. You are cooking about 8 adult portions, which is roughly 2 times the recipe. At about 2× the recipe that’s more than one batch on the grate. The time for each piece is the same. Keep the first batch warm under foil.
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Steps
- If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes so they do not burn. Before you touch the chicken, squeeze half of the lemon or lemons in the ingredient list into a bowl, and cut the rest into wedges for serving. Finely chop the garlic, and then cut the chicken into 1½-inch cubes.
- Whisk the lemon juice with the olive oil, the garlic, the Italian seasoning, the salt, and the pepper. Add the chicken, toss to coat it, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
- Cut the peppers and the onion into chunks about the size of the chicken. Thread them onto the skewers, alternating chicken, pepper, and onion.
- Heat the grill to medium with the lid closed for 10 minutes. The grill is ready when the grates are hot. If the grill has a lid thermometer, it reads about 350 to 400°F on medium. You can also flick a drop of water onto the grate, and it should skitter and vanish at once.
- Grill the skewers for about 15 minutes in all, and give them a quarter turn about every 4 minutes. The kabobs are done when the chicken is browned at the edges and the biggest piece reads 165°F on a thermometer. Move them to a clean plate, and serve them with the lemon wedges.
Good to Know
- 🌡 Chicken: cook to 165°F at the thickest part, the USDA minimum for poultry. A thermometer is the test, and color is not.
