Grilled Lemon-Cilantro Chicken and Veggie Skewers
These grilled lemon-cilantro chicken and veggie skewers are a fresh, light and flavorful meal to enjoy all summer long.
For me, summer meals should always be quick and easy to make, include fresh produce of the season, and require as little cooking inside as much as possible. And this meal delivers on it all!
These chicken and vegetable skewers require some prep time to chop everything and let it marinate, but they cook up in minutes outside on the grill. The marinade is made up of lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, and cilantro, and gives this dish so much bright flavor. Plus, the grilled chicken is tender and juicy and the veggies are fresh and crisp.
This is one of my family’s favorite meals during the hot summer months, and I promise you’re going to love them!
Ingredients you’ll need
- Boneless chicken thighs (recommended) or breasts
- Zucchini
- Bell pepper
- Cremini, baby bella or button mushrooms
- Lemons
- Fresh cilantro
- Soy sauce
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
How to make grilled lemon-cilantro chicken and veggie skewers
- Chop chicken and veggies. Trim fat from chicken, and chop chicken and veggies into 1-inch pieces. Uniform sized pieces will cook more evenly!
- Marinate. Whisk together lemon juice, soy sauce, olive oil, cilantro, salt and pepper and toss with chopped chicken and veggies in a large bowl, plastic container, or zipped-top plastic bag. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
- Assemble skewers. Arrange chicken and veggies on metal or wooden skewers, leaving some space at either end for handling on the grill.
- Grill. Preheat grill to medium high heat and place skewers directly over the heat. Cook until lightly charred, then flip and cook until chicken is completely done. Adjust heat and move skewers as needed to promote even cooking.
Serving ideas
Depending on how hungry we are, I typically serve these skewers with steamed rice or another grain like quinoa or farro. A simple salad is a great side dish too.
Variations
Chicken is usually my protein of choice, but these skewers would be awfully tasty with steak or shrimp as well.
Often I switch up the veggies too depending on what’s in season and in my fridge, but I love the combination of onions, red pepper, zucchini and mushrooms. This recipe is very adaptable, so use what you have or prefer.
And, enjoy!
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This recipe was originally published April 2015.
Grilled Lemon-Cilantro Chicken and Veggie Skewers
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the skewers:
- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs (recommended) or breasts , cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 small zucchini , sliced
- 1 red/yellow/orange bell pepper , cut into cubes
- 1 small red onion , cut into wedges
- 2 cups crimini, baby bella or button mushrooms , halved
- 2 lemons , halved
- Additional cilantro , for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, soy sauce, olive oil, cilantro, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and all vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat grill to medium high heat. Place chicken and vegetables on metal or wood skewers. Brush lemon halves with marinade.
- Cook skewers on grill until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are softened, about 4-5 minutes on each side. While the skewers are cooking, place the lemons cut side-down on the grill for a few minutes until charred.
- Squeeze grilled lemons over skewers and serve as desired with a salad, rice, quinoa, etc. Garnish with additional cilantro.
Notes
Notes:
- Chicken thighs have more flavor than chicken breast and are recommended for this recipe, but either can be used.
- If using wooded skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes before assembling skewers to prevent them from burning on the grill.
This will be my staple meal during the next few months for sure! I love everything about these skewers and you used all of my favorite vegetables 🙂 I love how easy they are to make, yet they look kind of fancy.
xo, Elisa
These look great and I can’t believe you are already grilling away at the new house. SUPERHERO MOM!
This is basically all I want to eat all summer long. With a side of tomato-basil-mozarella salad. Everything fresh with lots of veggies and so much flavor. Looks great. I’m totally drooling over here. What a perfect first “real meal” in the new house!
Love me some grilled skewers! These are beautiful and refreshing!
I have four cilantro plants growing right now – it’s by far my favorite herb. I will definitely be adding these to the list of Must Grills these year!
I love grilled vegetables. A good match with chicken!
But no cilantro for me!
This lemon grilled chicken is really delicious and nutritious, the recipe is quite easy to understand. I love this dish!
The dish is delicious, with vegetables scattered throughout to enhance its flavor.
The grilled chicken with lemon cilantro that you shared is really attractive and attracted me. Simple recipe and easy to prepare. The taste is great!
I really enjoy reading through an article that can make people think. I also thank you very much for allowing me to comment on this article!