These chicken kebabs are made with a Greek marinade that’s super easy, delicious and healthy!

Did you know the name shish kebab is Turkish?

These meat and vegetable-laden sticks started in Turkey. Here in America, you’ll commonly hear them referred to as shish KeBOBs. Either way, they make for a delicious meal when the warmer weather rolls around.

With only six ingredients this marinade is something you could easily make with common pantry staples.

Marinades enhance the flavor of meats as well as vegetables. I will share three marinating methods you can use and my favorite one.

6 Ingredient Greek Chicken Kebab Marinade

Extra virgin olive oil. It wouldn’t be Greek without EVOO. This healthy fat makes up most of the marinade base.

Red wine vinegar. Provides just the right amount of acidity to help amplify the flavor of the chicken.

Greek oregano. You can use fresh or dried oregano. If you can use real Greek oregano do! Greek oregano has a more savory and earthy flavor. The oregano found in stores is usually a combination of different oreganos.

Garlic. Fresh, minced garlic adds a wonderful flavor plus antioxidants.

Sea salt and Black pepper. I use Redmond’s Real Salt. I like the flavor plus it’s unrefined and doesn’t contain an anti-caking agent. With the black pepper, use freshly ground.

Which Vegetables Should I Use For A Greek Chicken Kebab?

Much of this comes down to personal choice and which vegetables you enjoy. Here are four vegetables to consider.

Bell peppers. Red and green are the ones I usually use. However, any color of bell pepper would work. Be sure to buy organic as bell peppers are on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen List.

Onions. Sweet, yellow, and purple onions are the way to go. You really can’t go wrong with any of those three. I would avoid white as they have a much stronger taste and can overpower the dish.

Zucchini. Green or yellow zucchini both work well with this dish.

Button mushrooms. If you like mushrooms, white button mushrooms are the way to go. They are also a great source of Vitamin D.

Three Marinating Methods

You have a couple of options when it comes to marinating the kebabs. I’ll share three methods and my personal favorite.

All-in-one. Throw all of your diced-up chicken and vegetables into a bag and pour the marinade all over. This is probably my second favorite way to marinate. A one-and-done approach.

Divide and conquer. With this method, put the chicken and the vegetables in separate bags. Then simply divide the marinade by pouring half on the chicken and half on the vegetables. This method is useful if you want to cook the meat and vegetables on separate skewers.

Chicken only. My personal favorite. Simply use the marinade for the chicken only. Vegetables already have great flavor, especially when barbecued. Plus, you can focus on putting the vegetables on skewers while marinating the meat.

Regardless of which method you choose, marinate for 20-30 minutes in the fridge.

TIP: If using wooden skewers, soak them in the water while everything marinates. This helps reduce splintering.

Personally, I prefer these metal skewers which are reusable and you don’t have to worry about finding a piece of wood in each bite.

Best Way To Assemble Greek Chicken Kebabs

This is personal preference again. However, I prefer to cook the meat and vegetables on separate skewers. This is also how it’s traditionally done in Turkey where shish kebabs originated.

You may find this method is best as it allows you to not overcook the vegetables while ensuring the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Plus, this method makes the whole assembly process easier and quicker.

Keep in mind, chicken should always register an internal temperature of 165 degrees with clear running juices.

Happy shish kebabing!