This fajita chicken kebab recipe has tons of flavor & color, incredibly juicy chicken, is and easy recipe to make, AND keto! Great for the whole family.
After trying to ignore it, I came up with this recipe for what ended up being the BEST chicken kabobs I’ve ever had - Fajita chicken skewers!
This flavorful kabob recipe features flavorful, tender chicken, flanked with brightly colored bell peppers and onions.
I topped it off with a quick avocado crema - all the flavours I was looking for, in the form of chicken kebabs.
I’m always down for an easy chicken recipe, and I knew from the very first time we made this wonderful recipe, that it would be going into heavy, regular rotation.
It’s definitely a new family favorite in this house!
Nutritional Information Spoilers
The nutrition info is in the recipe card at the end of the post, but figure I’ll mention the highlights of this chicken kabobs recipe here, for those who are also on a low carb diet (or keto diet, specifically).
Per serving - including the avocado crema - this recipe works out to 16 total grams of carbs with 6 grams of fiber (10 grams of net carbs), as well as 51 grams of protein.
Definitely a healthy meal option, and an especially great way to get your protein in!
For those who prefer to go even lower with the carbs, just know that almost 6 grams of the total carbs in each serving come from the crema, so if you'd like to cut the carb count, just skip the dip!
Fajita Chicken Shish Kebab Ingredients
This recipe may seem ingredients-heavy, but they’re all pretty simple ingredients - and pack a lot of flavour!
There are 3 main aspects to this recipe, the skewers, the marinade, and the (optional) avocado crema. Here’s what you’ll need for each.
Skewers
These are pretty simple, just chicken and some fresh produce (red bell peppers, green pepper, orange bell pepper, and red onion - I like colorful vegetables when making chicken kababs!)
As far as the chicken goes, I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts - usually 2-3 whole chicken breasts, depending on the size. I just find it easier to cut uniform chunks of chicken breast, than other cuts of chicken.
That said, boneless skinless chicken thighs work, if you prefer!
Chicken Kebab Marinade
This is where the bulk of the flavour comes from, and what ensures juicy chicken. You will need:
Olive oil (You can use vegetable oil or canola oil*)
Lime juice (You can use lemon juice or calamansi juice)
Jalapeno pepper
Fresh Cilantro
Garlic cloves
Salt
Smoked Paprika
Cumin
Ground Black Pepper
* You’ll also want a bit of additional oil (vegetable or canola oil - or grill spray) for the cooking
Avocado Crema Dip
This dip is optional, but who eats fajitas without some kind of dip? I HAD to stay on theme 🙂
You will need:
1 Ripe avocado
Lime juice
Fresh cilantro
Sour cream**
Unsweetened almond milk, optional
Salt and Pepper
** You can substitute plain yogurt if you prefer. Greek yogurt, fat free yoghurt, whatever - just unsweetened!
Equipment
Mini Food Processor
I recommend using a mini food processor for this, both for the marinade and the avocado crema.
I use mine almost daily, it’s perfect for processing smaller amounts of ingredients.
I find it harder to get a perfect consistency when using a regular food processor with under ~2 cups worth of ingredients. I use a KitchenAid 3.5 cup Food Chopper, love it!
Pro tip: Don’t bother washing out the processor bowl after making the marinade, just add the crema ingredients. Any residual ingredients from the marinade will just add a bit more flavour to the crema.
Skewers
There are two main styles of skewers you can use for this recipe, each with their own pros and cons:
Metal Skewers
This is the easiest option - needs no preparation ahead of time - but also the least “presentation”-friendly option.
If using metal skewers, you’ll probably want to remove the chicken and vegetable pieces after cooking. Place the food on the serving plates, rather than just serve them skewer and all.
These metal skewers are the type we use, though I think ours may be a bit longer than 12"?
Bamboo Skewers
Bamboo Skewers come in a bunch of different lengths and styles, and can be a more photogenic way to cook and serve your chicken kebabs.
Bamboo skewers (sometimes referred to as wooden skewers) are prone to burning, though, so you’ll need to soak them before use.
The popular recommendation is 20-30 minutes of soaking in warm water, I prefer to go an hour or two ... when possible. The soaking time will also depend on the thickness of the bamboo.
Because there’s such a long wait involved, I recommend soaking more skewers than you think you’ll need. You can always dry unused skewers, but soaking new ones if you run short is... not ideal!
Grill
Finally, you’ll want some way to cook these!
I prefer cooking them over a charcoal grill, but a gas grill, campfire, or even an indoor grill all work fine, too.
How to Make Chicken Fajita Kebabs
The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, here is walk through with step by step photos:
Prep Work & Marinade
Wash and seed the peppers, cut peppers and onion into bit sized pieces - I usually aim for ~ 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
Trim the chicken breast - if needed - and cut into bite sized pieces. Again, I aim for about 1" chicken cubes on these.
Place the chicken pieces in a large ziplock baggie, set aside.
Combine marinade ingredients in a mini food processor or blender, blitz until well combined.
Pour marinade over the chicken. Seal bag - squeezing out most of the air - and gently massage the marinade into the chicken, ensuring every piece is fully coated.
Note: Alternatively, you can marinate your chicken in a medium bowl - just stir well to coat, and cover it with plastic wrap before chilling.
Avocado Crema Dip
Peel and pit the avocado, chop into small pieces.
Place avocado pieces, lime juice, and cilantro into the mini food processor, blitz until smooth and well combined.
Add sour cream, blitz again to combine. Thin with a little almond milk, if desired, before seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
Assemble & Grill
When you’re ready to cook the skewers, preheat your grill. We aim for a medium-high heat.
Thread the peppers, onions, and marinated chicken onto skewers, alternating ingredients as you go.
Grill skewers over an open flame until chicken is golden brown and fully cooked, with the chicken reaching an internal temperature of 165F.
Note: The amount of time will vary depending on your grill, and how you cut the chicken pieces. It usually works out to 4-5 minutes per side for us - flipped once.
Leftovers
Leftovers can be cooled to room temperature and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Chicken Kebab Tips
- If using wooden/bamboo skewers, soak them in warm water for at least 30 minutes before threading the ingredients and cooking
- The sheet pan you assemble the skewers on should be washed after taking the skewers to the grill, and a clean pan / baking sheet used to bring them in.
- This recipe also works well as a fajita shrimp kebab - just marinate them for 30 minute or so, NOT overnight.
- If you have leftover peppers and onions after threading the skewers, chop them up and cook with a little of the remaining marinade. This makes a FANTASTIC addition to omelettes the next day!
- Almost 6 grams of the total carbs in each serving come from the crema, so if you'd like to cut the carb count, just skip (or cut back on) the dip!
- We’ll usually eat this recipe as-is and not bother with any side dish (the peppers are the side, IMHO!), but this would also go well with my Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
More Grilled & Smoked Food Recipes
Looking for low carb excuses to fire up the grill or smoker? Here are some fantastic ideas for you:
Bacon Cooked in a Smoker
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
Chicken Bacon Ranch Armadillo Eggs
Cold Smoked Mayo
Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings
Greek Chicken Souvlaki
Grilled Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Hot Smoked Salmon
Montreal Smoked Meat
Smoked Cheese Balls
Smoked Chicken Breast
Share the Love!
Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @LowCarbHoser - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!
Also, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense. Well, the published nonsense, anyway!
... and hey, if you love the recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and comment!
Fajita Chicken Kebabs
Equipment
Ingredients
Skewers:
- 1 Red bell pepper
- 1 Orange bell pepper
- 1 Green bell pepper
- 1 Red onion
- 2 lbs Boneless skinless chicken breast
Marinade:
- ¼ cup Olive oil
- ¼ cup Lime juice
- ½-1 Jalapeno seeded and finely chopped
- 3 tablespoon Cilantro
- 3 Garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Ground black pepper
Avocado Crema Dip:
- 1 Ripe avocado
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
- ¼ cup Finely chopped Cilantro
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- Unsweetened almond milk optional
- Salt and Pepper
Garnish:
- Fresh Cilantro
- Lime slices
Instructions
Prep Work & Marinade:
- Wash and seed the peppers, cut peppers and onion into bit sized pieces - I usually aim for ~ 1" pieces. Set aside.
- At this point, I like to chop the jalapeno and peel / crush the garlic, before I use the cutting board for the chicken.
- Trim the chicken breast - if needed - and cut into bite sized pieces. Again, I aim for about 1" on these.
- Place the chicken pieces in a large ziplock baggie, set aside.
- Combine marinade ingredients in a mini food processor or blender, blitz until well combined.
- Pour marinade over the chicken. Seal bag - squeezing out most of the air - and gently massage the marinade into the chicken, ensuring every piece is fully coated.
- Transfer to the fridge, chill for at least 1 hour, ideally 3+ hours. (You can do this overnight if you need!).
Avocado Crema Dip:
- Peel and pit the avocado, chop into small pieces.
- Place avocado pieces, lime juice, and cilantro into the mini food processor, blitz until smooth and well combined.
- Add sour cream, blitz again to combine. Thin with a little almond milk, if desired, before seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
Assemble & Cook
- When you’re ready to cook the skewers, preheat your grill. We aim for a medium-high heat.
- Thread the peppers, onions, and chicken onto skewers, alternating ingredients as you go.
- Brush or spray the grill grates with a little oil. Place the prepared skewers on the grill.
- Grill skewers until chicken is fully cooked - the cook time will vary depending on your grill, and how you cut the chicken pieces. It usually works out to 4-5 minutes per side for us - flipped once.
- Note: If using wooden/bamboo skewers, soak them in warm water for at least 30 minutes before threading the ingredients and cooking.
- Serve hot, garnished with additional cilantro, limes slices, and avocado dip.
Notes
Nutrition
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