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    Home > Main Courses > Main Dishes Chicken > Easy Grilled Chicken Kebabs Recipe, with Ancho Chile Lime Marinade

    Easy Grilled Chicken Kebabs Recipe, with Ancho Chile Lime Marinade

    Published: Jun 24, 2017 · Modified: Jun 23, 2022 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Grilled chile lime chicken kabobs

    A chicken breast kebab marinade of orange juice, lime juice, chile powder and chipotle peppers gives this easy chicken kebabs recipe a fabulous kick of flavor before it hits that hot grill. This is an easy and healthy grilled chicken recipe for a classic Summer dinner option.

    easy grilled chicken kebabs on a platter garnished with lettuce

    About This Recipe and Why It Works

    Easy Summer recipes are a must for me this year. As I’ve mentioned, I’m attending Culinary School in Downtown Denver.

    The alarm announces the beginning of the day at 4:30 a.m. and the clanging of the light rail train announces my departure to downtown at 6:12. Outfitted in my chef coat and hat and industrial non-skid shoes, I’m at my post at 7:30 and learning cooking skills that I never even knew existed. I’m absolutely loving every second I spend at school.

    Needless to say, I’m on my feet all day, cooking rich indulgent food all day, so fast easy healthy meals are important for our dinner routine.

    Cue this easy chicken kebabs recipe with chili lime kebab marinade.

    I can prepare the flavorful chili lime chicken marinade either the night before, or it only takes minutes to whisk together in the morning. Once I’m home, I can toss the cubed chicken into the marinade, enjoy a glass of wine, then light that grill and dinner is ready in about 10 minutes.

    The combination of ancho chile powder, lime juice, orange juice and canned chipotle peppers bring a bright and lively flavor to the chicken. Not to mention a little sass in the form of latin spice.

    One of my favorite Summer chicken kebab recipes, let’s take a look.

    Ingredients You’ll Need

    Ingredients to make easy ancho chili lime chicken kebabs
    • 3 – 4 limes. Two for juicing and one to slice and grill alongside the kebabs
    • Canned Chipotles in Adobo Sauce
    • Chicken Breast: boneless, skinless
    • Orange Juice
    • Lime Juice
    • Chile or Chili Powder
    • Garlic
    • Vegetable Oil

    Ingredient Swaps or Substitutions

    • Chicken: Feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe.
    • Orange Juice: Pineapple juice is a good substitution for orange juice, plus, it’s a great tenderizer for any meat.
    • Chile Powder: Use what ever you have on hand. Ancho chile powder is popular choice due to its medium head factor. New Mexico Chile Powder, Chimayo Chile Powder for example, is usually higher on the heat index scale and beautiful with earthy chile powder flavor. You can also use chili powder (with an i) which is a blend of spices readily sold in grocery stores. The kind you buy to season your chili soup.
    • Garlic: This recipe calls for three cloves of garlic, chopped. You can substitute 1/2 – 1 teaspoon garlic powder, depending on how garlicky you want the flavor. The garlic powder I buy is pretty strong, so I’d stick with the 1/2 teaspoon.

    How To Make This Easy Chicken Kebabs Recipe

    cubed chicken breast in a shallow pan waiting for chicken marinade
    Step 1
    • Step 1: Cut the chicken breast meat in about 1 1/2 inch chunks. Place them in a shallow bowl or pan.
    marinade for chili lime chicken kebabs in a white bowl
    Step 2:

    Step 2: Whisk together the marinade ingredients

    pieces of chicken breast marinating in chili lime sauce for chicken kebabs
    Step 3

    Step 3: Pour the marinade over the cubed chicken breast. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

    ancho chile lime chicken kebabs on a white platter ready to grill
    Step 4

    Step 4: Thread the marinated chicken breast onto skewers. Use metal skewers or wooden skewers. If using wooden skewers make sure to soak them in water for at least an hour so they don’t burn on the grill.

    grilling three chicken kebab skewers
    Step 5

    Step 5: You’re ready to grill. Place the chicken kebab skewers on an oiled preheated grill. Cook for about 4 – 5 minutes per side.

    Tips and FAQ’s

    How Do I Keep Chicken Kebabs From Drying Out On The Grill?

    Whether using white chicken breast meat or dark meat from the thigh, it’s important to not cut the chicken into chunks that are too small. They will dry out quickly on the grill. Larger chunks of 1 to 1½ inches are ideal.

    Why Is There Oil In The Chicken Kebab Marinade?

    A marinade containing a high oil content will not only flavor the chicken, it will also help keep the chicken from drying out on the grill.

    Can I Add Vegetables To These Kebabs?

    I like to use separate skewers for meats and vegetables. For meat I keep the pieces very close to each other with a only a small space between for a bit of circulation. For vegetable skewers, I simply make sure the chunks are of equal size. For me, separating the meats from the veggies insures easier control of cooking times. Then the meat and vegetables can be removed from the skewers and combined on a large plate for serving.

    Can This Recipe Be Made Ahead of Time?

    You can cut up the chicken and mix the marinade ingredients, but don’t marinate the chicken for any longer than an hour. The acid in both the lime juice and orange juice will compromise the texture of the chicken by “cooking” it. It will become tough.

    Can These Chicken Kabobs Be Cooked Indoors

    These chicken skewers are very versatile and can be cooked on either an out-door grill or indoor grill. Or even in the oven. To use an indoor stove top grill pan, just brush the pan with oil and heat the pan over medium high heat until hot. Add the chicken skewers and cook 5 – 7 minutes per side. If using an oven, the broiler is the way to go. Place chicken kebab skewers on a sheet pan. Place under broiler using the 2nd rack down. Watch them close and broil them about 5 minutes per side.

    Tip:

    Cut up the chicken in equal sized pieces to insure even grilling.

    Ancho Chile Lime Chicken Kebabs, Easy Chicken Kebabs Recipe

    Easy Mexican Grilled Chicken Kabobs Recipe

    These grilled chicken kabobs are a great way to bring a delicious and easy entree to your Summer dinner table.

    I hope you give this easy chicken kebab recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and leave a message about your experience with the recipe and leave a star rating. And if you have a favorite chicken kebab recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

    What to serve with chicken kebabs? How about a simple green salad, Mexican Corn Salad with Citrus Aioli, or Purple Roasted Potatoes with Thyme and Green Chile.

    More Grilled Chicken Recipes

    • Ginger Lime Aioli Grilled Chicken Cutlets
    • The Best Grilled Whole Chicken
    • Maple Glazed Grilled Chicken Kabobs
    • Black Pepper Grilled Chicken Wings

    And if you’re looking for even more chicken recipes, don’t miss my Chicken Category, you’ll find lots of great recipes, including the most popular chicken recipe on my site for Chicken Barbacoa.

    And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

    If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. And write a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback.

    easy grilled chicken kebabs on a platter garnished with lettuce

    Ancho Chile Lime Easy Chicken Kebabs Recipe

    An easy grilled chicken kabob recipe that’s kicked up in flavor with an Ancho Chile, Orange Juice, Chipotle Pepper, Lime Juice Marinade. Your new go-to grilled chicken recipe the Summer.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course Chicken
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 544kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Ingredients

    • 2 chicken breasts skinless and boneless, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
    • 1/2 cup orange juice Fresh squeezed
    • 1/4 cup lime juice Fresh squeezed
    • 3 tablespoons canola oil
    • 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder or New Mexico Chile Powder, or Chili Powder
    • 3 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
    • 2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce seeds removed, fine diced
    • 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the can of chipotle peppers
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • Grilled lime halves for garnish and to squeeze over meal for additional flavor
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Place the chicken pieces in a large shallow bowl or baking dish.
    • Whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, oil, chile powder, chopped chipotle peppers in Adobo, adobo sauce and garlic. Pour over the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator 1 hour.
    • Heat a grill to 500 degrees. 
    • Remove the chicken from the marinade and skewer. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper. Turn the grill temperature down to 350 degrees and place the chicken on the hot grates.
    • Cook until each side is golden brown and slightly charred. About 4 – 5 minutes per side.  Close the grill lid and let cook through. About 1 – 2 minutes.
    • Remove from the grill and let rest 5 minutes. While the chicken is resting, place limes cut side down onto grill. Cook until grill marks appear on the flesh. About 1 – 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skewers and serve garnished with grilled lime wedges.

    Notes

    Tip: Cut up the chicken in equal sized pieces to insure even grilling.
    These chicken skewers are very versatile and can be cooked on either an out-door grill or indoor grill. Or even in the oven. To use an indoor stove top grill pan, just brush the pan with oil and heat the pan over medium high heat until hot. Add the chicken skewers and cook 5 – 7 minutes per side. If using an oven, the broiler is the way to go. Place chicken kebab skewers on a sheet pan. Place under broiler using the 2nd rack down. Watch them close and broil them about 5 minutes per side.
    Make Ahead: You can cut up the chicken and mix the marinade ingredients, but don’t marinate the chicken for any longer than an hour. The acid in both the lime juice and orange juice will compromise the texture of the chicken by “cooking” it. It will become tough.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 544kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 3797mg | Potassium: 1071mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 549IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!

    Easy Chicken Kebab Recipe .. It’s what’s for Dinner.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Larry says

      June 25, 2017 at 6:38 am

      Glad you are enjoying the cooking school. The chix looks and sounds very good.

      Reply

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    I'm Lea Ann, A Culinary School Grad bringing you Wild West Colorado inspired recipes. You'll find lots of Southwestern, and Mexican food recipes, and some favorites from Culinary School along with pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous home cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of inspiration and reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

    More about me →

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