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Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Skewers

Grilled lemon garlic chicken skewers with bright lemon-garlic butter, char-marked cubes, and herb flecks throughout. Marinate for tender kabob-style chicken and baste during grilling for a glossy finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
marinating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 34 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 410
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
  • 1.5 lb boneless chicken breasts or thighs
Unsalted butter, melted and reserved for basting
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
Olive oil for marinade
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
Garlic for marinade
  • 4 clove garlic
Lemon juice for marinade
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Lemon zest for marinade
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
Fresh rosemary for marinade
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
Fresh thyme leaves for marinade
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Salt
  • 1 tsp salt
Black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
Lemon wedges and fresh parsley for serving
  • 1 lemon wedges
  • 1 fresh parsley

Equipment

  • 1 grill

Method
 

Make the lemon-garlic marinade
  1. Whisk melted butter, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper together until smooth and fragrant. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the mixture for basting so it stays ready for the grill.
Marinate the chicken
  1. Toss the chicken in the marinade until all pieces are evenly coated. Marinate at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours, covered, until the chicken looks glossy and lightly opaque.
Skewer and prep the grill
  1. Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes, then thread the chicken onto skewers in a tight, even layer. Set up skewers so the chicken pieces are close together for consistent grilling.
  2. Preheat the grill to medium-high and oil the grates right before cooking. The grill should look hot with visible heat shimmer when you place the skewers on.
Grill and baste
  1. Grill the skewers 6-7 minutes per side, basting with the reserved butter mixture, until charred and cooked through to 165F. The chicken should show golden char marks and the surface should look lightly lacquered with butter.
Serve
  1. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and fresh parsley. Finish with extra lemon on top so the chicken stays bright and aromatic.

Notes

Pro tip: don’t skip reserving the 3 tablespoons for basting—this keeps your finishing sauce fresh and lets it form that glossy sheen on the char. Refrigerate marinated chicken up to 8 hours; cooked skewers keep 3 days in the fridge. Freezing cooked chicken is yes, but expect a softer texture after thawing. For a lower-fat option, use olive oil plus 2 tablespoons butter (or use all olive oil) to reduce richness while keeping the lemon-garlic flavor.