Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers 

These Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers are an incredibly flavorful dish to serve as an appetizer, snack or main course. Bursting with flavor and easy to prepare, these delicious skewers cannot be missed!

When you’re having company over and need an easy dinner that’s sure to please everyone, these delicious Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers are the way to go. 

Bursting with flavor in every tender, meaty bite, they are the perfect dish. 

They are also surprisingly easy to put together. Just mix up this marinade and let each bite-sized piece of meat soak up every bit of the flavor over an hour or even overnight. Then string them on a skewer, bake, coat in even more garlic goodness and enjoy! I promise your taste buds will thank you!

Why Make This Recipe

1. Great Make Ahead Meal: There is always a little bit of prep time involved when you have to think about marinating meat, but mix the meat with the marinade the night before and these chicken skewers can be ready in less than 20 minutes the next day. A little planning ahead and you’ve got a high-protein snack that will blow you away!
2. Layers of Flavor: These chicken skewers don’t just rely on a good marinade for flavor. We add an additional, incredible garlic butter parmesan sauce at the end to ensure every bite is a burst of flavor that will melt in your mouth.
3. Enjoy Any Time: This dish is such a versatile dish to make. You can serve it as an appetize or even build the meal around it with plenty of delicious vegetables and side dishes. Anytime you are craving a little bit of garlic and parmesan, you can’t go wrong with this chicken recipe.

What Do You Need To Make This Recipe

Ingredients

1. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast: You will cut the chicken into small pieces for these chicken kebabs. You could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat. Boneless skinless chicken breasts are a slightly healthier option and in my opinion it’s easier to cut into uniform pieces.
2. Lemon Juice: I recommend fresh squeezed lemon juice if you can get a real lemon! If this is a last-minute I’m-using-what-I-have-on-hand kind of dinner, pre bottled lemon juice will work as well. 
3. Seasonings: Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Paprika, Salt. Black Pepper
4. Grated Parmesan Cheese: You can hand grate your parmesan cheese or buy it already grated! If you are buying it already grated, make sure to buy a high quality brand for delicious flavor!
5. Salted Butter: I highly  recommend a high quality butter for best results. Kerrygold is by far my favorite option!
6. Garlic Cloves: Don’t skimp on this, fresh garlic makes all the difference! Mince up a few cloves for that delicious garlicky flavor 

Tools 

1. 8 Wooden or Bamboo Skewers: Soak these in water overnight so they do not burn in the oven. You could also use metal skewers if you have them. 

How to Make This Recipe

Step One: Marinate the Chicken

Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place the chicken in a medium mixing bowl, then add the olive oil and the lemon juice. Mix to coat the chicken. 

In a small bowl, add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and black pepper. Mix to combine. 

Pour the seasoning blend and the grated parmesan cheese over the chicken pieces and stir to fully coat the chicken in the spices. Add the mayonnaise and stir one more time to evenly coat. 

Cover the bowl and place in the fridge. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least an hour but ideally 3-4 hours. 

Step Two: String the Chicken

Once the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Skewer the chicken chunks onto the soaked wooden skewers. Mine took about 8 pieces per skewer, but based on the size of your chicken, this could be more or less. Place skewers on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. 

 Step Three: Bake

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes.

Then flip and bake the chicken for another 4-5 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. 

 Step Four: Make the Garlic Butter

While the chicken is cooking, make the garlic butter. To do so, melt the butter in a small pot over low heat. 

Once melted, add the garlic cloves into the butter and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant. Watch carefully to make sure that the garlic does not crisp up. 

 Next add the parsley, salt, red pepper flakes, and honey. Stir to combine. 

 Remove the butter from the heat. Add the grated parmesan cheese and stir.

Step Five: Finish the Chicken

When the chicken is done cooking, turn the oven to a boil and broil for 1-2 minutes until the tops are crispy. Watch carefully to make sure that neither the chicken or the skewers burn. 

Remove the cooked chicken from the oven, brush it evenly with the garlic butter sauce and serve any remaining sauce on the side. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

• If you are using wooden skewers, it is very important to soak your skewers for at least 30 minutes or, even better, overnight before using them. If skewers are not soaked they may burn or catch fire, and they could make your chicken taste burnt as well.
• Leave a little room on each of your skewers to make it easier to pick them up 
• The flavor of the marinade deepens the longer it sits, so marinating overnight is highly recommended. This is a great recipe to get started the night before and cook up on a busy weeknight or when you have guests over and don’t want to spend a long time cooking!
• Try to cut all your chicken pieces into even bite-sized pieces to ensure even cooking of each bite.
• Chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

FAQs

Can You Cook These Skewers in an Air Fryer?

You could absolutely cook these chicken skewers in an air fryer. Many air fryers may not fit an entire skewer in the air fryer basket, so just make sure yours fits.

Could You Use Chicken Thighs for This Meal?

Whether you use chicken breasts or thighs is a matter of preference. Chicken thighs are darker meat, which is more forgiving if you tend to overcook your chicken. The fat in the meat also adds an extra layer of flavor as it cooks.

Chicken breasts are leaner meat and cook faster than chicken thighs.

Why Are My Skewers Dry?

If your chicken skewers end up too dry, you may have overcooked your meat. Consider taking them out a minute or two sooner next time. My best tip for this is to use a meat thermometer and monitor your chicken for the moment that it hits 165 degrees Fahrenheit. 

You could also try marinating your meat for longer next time. The lemon juice in this marinade helps to tenderize the meat, making it juicy and moist when done right.

Can You Save Chicken Skewers?

This is a great dish to make a big batch of and save. You can enjoy the meat by itself as a snack later or toss it in a salad or sandwich the next day.

To store these delicious chicken skewers allow them to cool and then place them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag and keep them in the refrigerator. They will stay good in the refrigerator for up to four days and can also be frozen for up to three months.

 If cold chicken doesn’t bother you, these are a great snack right out of the fridge but if you want to reheat you can do so in the oven or air fryer at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes.

What to Serve With Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers

This quick chicken dish is so versatile, which is one of the things I love about it. You can serve it by itself as an appetizer or make this juicy chicken a complete meal by serving the pieces of chicken with:

• Fresh salad
• White Rice
• Mashed Potatoes
• Alfredo Noodles
• French Fries
• Roasted Bell Peppers

You can also serve the chicken with a side of hot sauce and extra parmesan butter for dipping. No matter how you serve it, it is sure to be a hit!