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Top down shot of grilled teriyaki chicken skewers on top of a bed of white rice.
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Marinated & Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs (Gluten Free)

These grilled chicken kabobs (or chicken kebabs) have a delicious, flavorfulgluten-free teriyaki marinade that’s quick to whip up! By using coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, the homemade marinade is entirely gluten-free. Best of all,this recipe calls for just a quick 25-minute marinade before the chicken kabobsare tossed on the grill.
Cuisine American
Keyword bbq, chicken, gluten free, grill, teriyaki
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 5
Calories 389kcal

Ingredients

Marinade:

  • cup coconut aminos
  • cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • ½ ground ginger
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 5 scallions

Meat & Veggies:

  • 1.5 pounds chicken thighs
  • 1 large zucchini
  • 10 whole mushrooms
  • 2 bell peppers
  • ½ an onion white, yellow, or purple
  • Oil one with a high heat point to grease the grill, like avocado oil

Instructions

Items Needed:

  • Ten 12-inch skewers (wooden or metal - if wooden, soak for at least 8 hours prior)
  • A large measure cup
  • Measuring spoons
  • A garlic press
  • A small sharp knife
  • A microplane or zester
  • A cutting board
  • A small whisk or spoon
  • A large dish or bowl
  • A medium or large sharp knife
  • Plastic wrap
  • Paper towels
  • A basting brush
  • A large plate or platter
  • An oven mitt

Directions:

    How to Prep Chicken Kabob Marinade

    • In a large measuring cup, pour in the coconut aminos and balsamic vinegar.
    • Using a measuring spoon, measure out the sesame oil and dump into the large measuring cup.
    • Peel a large clove of garlic and put it through a garlic press, scraping the pressed garlic into the large measuring cup with a utensil (knife or spoon)
    • Peel the skin off the ginger piece with a small sharp knife, then with a microplane (or other zester) finely grate the ginger into the measuring cup.
    • Measure out the kosher salt with a measuring spoon and dump it into the measuring cup.
    • Wash the scallions and remove any pieces that are shriveled or brown. Then using a medium or large sharp knife and a cutting board, slice the dark and light green portions into small pieces, dumping them into the cup as well.
    • Stir the marinade together with a small whisk or other utensil, .
    • Grab a large dish or bowl and pour ⅔ of the marinade into it, reserving the remaining to coat the vegetables.

    How to Prep Chicken Kabobs

    • Using a cutting board and sharp knife, cut away and discard any fat from chicken.
    • Once you remove as much fat as you can, cut the chicken into roughly 1.5 inch (high) x 1.5 inch (wide) x 0.5 inch (deep) pieces (this by no means has to be exact, just large enough to get the skewer through the chicken pieces).
    • As you finish cutting each piece, toss it into the dish with the marinade.
    • Once finished, cover the dish with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 25 minutes.

    How to Prep Vegetables for Kabobs

    • Wash the vegetables and dry them off with a towel. The mushrooms should be wiped down individually to remove any dirt.
    • Using a sharp knife and a cutting board (either a new one or wash the ones you used for the chicken), cut the vegetables into roughly one-inch pieces. Prep for each vegetable is detailed in each following step.
    • For the bell pepper, cut the tops and bottoms off with the knife and remove the seeds by hand or by tapping the pepper over the counter or a garbage can. Cut the pepper in half, then slice each half into three pieces. Slice each piece in two and set aside.
    • For the onion, slice it with the knife in half. Then depending on the size of the onion, make two or three cuts in the other direction. You want to divide the onion into roughly the same size pieces as the bell pepper (with the outer layers likely being a bit larger and the inner layers being quite a bit smaller).
    • For the zucchini, trim off the ends and slice it into coins using the knife. The coins should be roughly a quarter-inch wide.
    • For the mushroom, remove and discard the stems.

    How To Assemble Chicken Kabobs

    • Take half of the skewers and slide the vegetables onto them in whatever order you like, leaving a little bit of space between each vegetable. When placing the onion pieces on, you can include two layers at a time for convenience. Place the finished skewers on a large plate or platter to easily carry them to the grill.
    • Using a basting brush, coat the vegetables with the reserved marinade, making sure to get all sides of each vegetable piece.
    • Once the chicken is done marinating, remove it from the refrigerator. Take a piece and very gently shake off any residual marinade. Slide it onto a skewer, then repeat the process until all the chicken is on a skewer. Be sure to leave a little room between each piece of chicken to ensure more even cooking.
    • Throw away any marinade left over from the chicken. You can use the same dish the chicken was marinating in to carry the chicken kabobs to the grill.

    How to Grill Chicken Kabobs

    • Oil the grill using a paper towel dipped in (but not saturated with) a high heat oil (like avocado oil). Then heat the grill to a medium heat (400 to 450 degrees F).
    • If you have a large grill that heats evenly, you will be able to cook the vegetable and chicken kabobs at the same time. If you don’t, you can cook the vegetable kabobs first as they will take longer, then remove them and cook the chicken kabobs.
    • Once the grill is at temperature, put an oven mitt on your hand, place the kabobs on the grill and close the lid. Cook the veggies for 5 minutes on all four sides (20 mins total). For the chicken, cook is 4 minutes on one side, then flip and cook 4 minutes on the other side. The chicken will be done when the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F.

    Notes

    • If you’re using wooden skewers, be sure and soak them ahead of time. I like to start them in the morning, or even the night before, because they tend to disintegrate and make it hard to turn the kabobs when cooking. But this is also why I switched to metal skewers for grilling because they were too frustrating to deal with.
    • Be sure and use an oven mitt (or other safety measure) when cooking on the grill! Those skewers will get hot and I’m betting you like your hands without any burns on them
    • This recipe calls for boneless skinless chicken thighs because a) in my opinion, they taste way better than breasts and b) they don’t overcook as easily as breasts. If you want to try this recipe with chicken breast, feel free, but you’ll have to be much more careful not to overcook the chicken.
    • You can use whatever veggies you want for the kabobs, just make sure you cut them in the right size pieces so they won’t all break when skewering and they’ll all be done around the same time.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 712mg | Potassium: 661mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1795IU | Vitamin C: 71.1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1.8mg