Chipotle Chicken Skewers (Grilled or Baked)
Fire up your grill (or oven) for these smoky, spicy chipotle chicken skewers, bursting with bold flavors and perfect for your next summer cookout!
Marinated in a creamy yogurt marinade with olive oil, chipotle peppers and fresh lime juice, these skewers are a delicious source of protein you can add to salads, bowls and more! Here’s everything you’ll need and how to make them.
What You’ll Need
Equipment
- Wooden skewers: I use the 12″ ones.
- Food handling gloves: Optional.
- Blender or food processor
- Grill: I love this grill plate to put over my gas stove. Oven instructions also included below.
Ingredients
- Chicken breast: Or thighs.
- Non fat plain greek yogurt
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- Limes
- Taco seasoning: I use my homemade recipe.
- Olive oil
- Cilantro
- Salt + pepper
How To Make Them
- Prep the chicken: Trim chicken breasts and dice into ~1 in cubes. Add to a bowl or container and set aside.
- Blend the marinade: In a food processor or blender, add yogurt, chipotle pepper, juice from 1 lime, taco seasoning, olive oil, small handful of fresh cilantro and pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Marinate: Divide yogurt sauce in half, setting aside one half for later. Coat the chicken in the other half, cover tightly with plastic and let marinate in the fridge at least 30 minutes (up to 4 hours).
- Grill: Oil your grill or skillet and set to medium high heat. Thread chicken evenly onto 6 skewers. Grill until lightly charred and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes per side (165 F internal temp). Let rest 5 minutes, then serve with remaining chipotle yogurt sauce!
To Bake
- Preheat oven and prep pan: Preheat oven to 450 F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Bake: Follow chicken prep and marinade instructions above, then bake skewers for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway, until lightly charred and fully cooked (165F internal temp).
Tips
- Soak skewers: To prevent burning, soak skewers in water 20-30 minutes (during the end of marinating the chicken).
- Take off excess marinade before grilling: A very thin coating is perfect, as yogurt can stick and burn easier than an oil marinade.
- Oil grates well: Make sure you’ve oiled your grill grates or pan well before grilling to prevent sticking.
- Grill over medium-high: Too hot and you can scorch the yogurt.
- Don’t move too early: Let the meat set and naturally release to avoid tearing. If needed, use a spatula to gently loosen.
Yogurt marinades can be trickier to work with when grilling, so if you are worried about them sticking or burning, I’d recommend baking in the oven! Easy peasy.
To Store
Once cooled, store leftover chipotle chicken skewers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. To freeze, take chicken off of skewers, place in a freezer safe container or bag and freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake at 350F for 10-15 min, until warmed through. Can also microwave in a covered dish with a small splash of water or broth for 1-2 minutes, until warmed through.
You’ll Also Love
- Chipotle chicken burrito bowls
- Southwest dense bean salad with cilantro lime dressing
- 10 minute chicken bacon chipotle wrap
Lastly, be sure to leave a rating and review down below if you make these chipotle chicken skewers! Always love to hear from you guys and don’t forget to tag me on all the socials so I can see what you’re cooking up! Enjoy. ♡
Chipotle Chicken Skewers (Grilled or Baked)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 lbs chicken breast or thighs
- 1 cup non fat plain greek yogurt (227 g)
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml)
- 1 small handful cilantro
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim chicken and dice into ~1 in cubes. Add to a bowl or container and set aside.
- In a food processor or blender, add yogurt, chipotle pepper, lime juice, taco seasoning, olive oil, cilantro, salt and pepper and blend until smooth (add a splash of water, if needed).
- Divide yogurt sauce in half, setting one half aside. Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken and stir to evenly coat. Cover tightly and marinate in the fridge at least 30 minutes (up to 4 hours).
To grill
- Oil grill grates or pan well and set to medium high heat. Thread chicken evenly onto 6 skewers and grill ~6-8 minutes per side, until fully cooked (165F internal temp). Let rest 5 minutes, then enjoy with remaining yogurt sauce for dipping!
To Bake
- Preheat oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Follow instructions above for prepping the chicken, then bake 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway, until lightly charred and fully cooked (165F internal temp).
Notes
- Soak skewers: To prevent burning, soak skewers in water 20-30 minutes (during the end of marinating the chicken).
- Take off excess marinade before grilling: A very thin coating is perfect, as yogurt can stick and burn easier than an oil marinade. Make sure to oil grates well and keep on medium high heat to avoid burning.
- Don’t move too early: Let the meat set and naturally release to avoid tearing. If needed, use a spatula to gently loosen.
- Yogurt marinades can be trickier to work with when grilling, so if you are worried about them sticking or burning, I’d recommend baking! Easy peasy.
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. See footer for privacy policy and terms of use.
