Oven-Baked Lemon Basil Chicken Skewers are the perfect base to any healthy meal! The chicken is juicy, tender, and bursting with fresh flavor. Easily customize this dish to serve with salad, pasta, grains, or vegetables!

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Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• 🍴Ingredient Notes
• Recipe Variations
• 🍴Step by Step Instructions
• Expert Tips
• Serving Suggestions
• Cooking Methods
• How to store leftovers
• Recipe Card
• Want more recipes?
• 💬 Reviews

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Whether you call them chicken kebabs or chicken skewers, they're a quick and easy way to make juicy and flavorful chicken! And because the marinade is so simple, it goes well with a variety of meals.

• It's easy to prepare.
• Easy cleanup.
• Made with simple ingredients.
• You can serve with a variety of dishes.
• The chicken is made with a simple homemade marinade.
• They can be oven-baked, air fried, or grilled.
• It's super flavorful!

🍴Ingredient Notes

• Chicken Breast - Cut the chicken breast into small cubes. To save time, I suggest using Chicken tenders like I did!
• Chopped Basil - Fresh basil works best with this recipe.
• Lemon Juice - Lemon juice adds a nice flavor to the chicken. Lemon zest would also be a great addition!
• Olive Oil - I would not recommend using a different oil.
• Salt - Feel free to add more or less depending on your taste!
• Black Pepper - For an extra kick of spice, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

Recipe Variations

• To make this more of a complete meal, add vegetables to the skewers! Zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, and sweet onion would be great options.
• Add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder to the marinade to switch up the flavor. (Fresh minced garlic works too!)
• Swap the chicken breast for boneless skinless chicken thighs.

🍴Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Marinate Chicken Breast

Start by adding chicken cubes or chicken tenders into a large bowl with lemon juice, chopped basil, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

Mix together until chicken is evenly coated. Cover the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2: Add Chicken to Skewers

Slide each piece of chicken onto the skewer. Do not pack too tight or they will not cook evenly.

Step 3: Bake Chicken Skewers

Place the chicken skewers on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. (Depending on how thick the chicken pieces are.)

Broil on high for 2-3 minutes to give them a little golden-brown color.

Expert Tips

• If you plan to use wooden skewers, make sure you soak them in water first to avoid burning. (Especially if you grill or broil them.)
• Marinate the chicken the day before to allow more time for the flavors to soak in.
• Instead of using plastic wrap while marinating the chicken, try these W&P reusable silicone stretch lids! They're my favorite.
• The metal skewers get HOT. Use an oven mitt when removing the chicken from the skewers.
• Do not overcook the skewers or the chicken will get dry.
• Use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken has cooked through. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165 degrees.

Serving Suggestions

Because this dish is made with a simple marinade, you can serve it in a variety of ways!

• One of the easiest ways to serve lemon basil chicken is on top of a salad! You can find my favorite salad recipe on my Instagram.
• For a simple meal idea, serve chicken over white rice, brown rice, or potatoes. For vegetables, sautéed or steamed asparagus, broccoli, or zucchini would be great options!
• Give your pasta dish a boost of protein! Serve with my Cashew Pesto Pasta or Avocado Lemon Pesto Pasta!

If you love easy chicken recipes like this, make sure you try my Lemon Chicken Sheet Pan Meal or my One Pot Lemon Chicken Pasta!

Cooking Methods

The oven is a simple and easy way to cook these chicken kabobs, but you can also cook them on an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan on the stovetop.

For more information on how to grill chicken skewers, check out my Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewer recipe.

You can also make the kabobs in an air fryer! Follow my Air Fryer Chicken Kabob recipe for cooking instructions.

How to store leftovers

To store leftovers, remove the chicken from the metal skewers. Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

More chicken recipes!

After you make these Oven-Baked Lemon Basil Chicken Skewers, make sure to leave a comment & rate the recipe!

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