Cilantro-and-Lime Marinated Chicken Fajita Kebabs Recipe

Skip the steak for these fajitas. This marinade plus chicken equals big, bright flavor.

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated June 16, 2024
Cilantro and lime marinated chicken is grilled on skewers with peppers and onions.

Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

Why It Works

  • Chicken thighs stay juicier and have more flavor compared to chicken breasts.
  • The cilantro and lime-heavy marinade gives the chicken a bright and fresh character.
  • Red and green bell peppers and white onion soften well over direct heat and round out the fajita flavor.

When it comes to fajitas, I'm a skirt-steak fiend, through and through. It's such a flavorful cut that I had almost no interest in making fajitas with other more bland and lifeless proteins, like chicken. A few years back, though, I decided it was time to give poultry a try. I set out on a mission to devise a winning recipe for the grill. After a whole lot of experimentation, I came up with a great marinade—a quick purée of grassy cilantro, tart lime juice, olive oil, brown sugar, salt, cumin, and crushed red pepper—that brings big fajita flavor.

Searching for ways to get more mileage out of that marinade, I wondered how it would hold up in kebab form. The answer? Very well. Which is great news, since I'm a big kebab fan—just check out my grilled kebab guide if you have any doubts.

The cubed and marinated chicken thighs stay nice and juicy over a hot fire, retaining a bright and tangy flavor that, when combined with bell peppers and onion, tastes just like a great fajita—minus the tortilla, of course.

June 2014

Recipe Details

Cilantro-and-Lime Marinated Chicken Fajita Kebabs Recipe

Prep 50 mins
Cook 15 mins
Active 45 mins
Marinating Time 60 mins
Total 2 hrs 5 mins
Serves 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup packed coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

  • 1/3 cup lime juice from about 6 limes

  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4 medium cloves garlic, peeled

  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

  • 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (see notes)

  • 1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

  • 1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

  • 1 large white onion, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes and separated into 3-layer segments

Directions

  1. Place cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, brown sugar, salt, cumin, and crushed red pepper in the jar of blender. Pureé until smooth. Place chicken cubes in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour in marinade and seal bag, removing as much air as possible. Place in refrigerator and marinate for at least 1 and up to 5 hours.

    If using wooden skewers, soak in water 30 minutes prior to grilling.

    Blending bright green cilantro marinade in a blender.

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

  2. Thread chicken onto skewers, alternating with pepper and onion squares.

    Raw marinated chicken, green and red bell pepper squares, and onion threaded onto skewers and placed on an aluminum foil-lined sheet tray.

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

  3. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Alternatively, set all burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate. Grill skewers until well browned on all sides and center of chicken registers between 160-165°F (71°-74°C) on an instant read thermometer, 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer skewers to platter and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Special Equipment

Blender, grill, wooden skewers

Notes

If chicken thighs do not cube well, cut the meat into strips larger than 1 1/2 inches and fold it over when threading onto the skewers to make a cube-like shape.

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
465Calories
33gFat
9gCarbs
36gProtein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories465
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g42%
Saturated Fat 8g40%
Cholesterol 193mg64%
Sodium 687mg30%
Total Carbohydrate 9g3%
Dietary Fiber 1g4%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 36g
Vitamin C 53mg265%
Calcium 38mg3%
Iron 2mg13%
Potassium 529mg11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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