These Smoked Chicken Kabobs are the juiciest and tastiest chicken kabobs ever. Savory and flavorful chicken thighs are cooked with mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini and red onions in a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker until perfectly cooked and filled with tons of smoky flavor. This is a no-marinade no sugar recipe, simple to prep. Enjoy with a side of this 4-Ingredient Macaroni Salad all summer long!
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Making smoked meats in the backyard is one of our family’s favorite things to do when the weather is warm. Smoked meats from the restaurant can be an arm and leg in price, so making it at home is so much cheaper. The smoke flavor is intense and the whole process is pretty simple to do.
Using an electric smoker is also easier than using a grill because all you need to do is plug it in outside then refill the wood chips. No dealing with lighter fluid or stoking a fire. Enjoy these smoked chicken thigh kabobs with Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad or this Farro Salad with Feta.
Why This Recipe is So Good
Smoked meats are always sooo good and these smoked chicken skewers are no different. They have tooons of smoky flavor, the seasonings aren’t overpowering and the tender, smoky vegetables add extra flavor to the smoked chicken thighs.
No marinade and no sugar. If you are short on time, this chicken kabob recipe is perfect. You don’t need to wait for the chicken to marinate. The meat is tossed with pantry staple seasonings then threaded onto the skewers. This recipe is also sugar free, no teriyaki sauce, bbq sauce or brown sugar. You can add those ingredients if you want a different flavor but I really wanted these kabobs to be extra savory and let the smoky flavor from the wood chips shine.
Recipe Ingredients
- Boneless chicken – Chicken thighs won’t dry out easily in the smoker. Grab a package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, then cut them into 1-inch cubes around the same size. If you are using chicken breast, reduce the cooking time by 10 – 20 minutes, just so the meat doesn’t dry out.
- Vegetables – Really any bell pepper, onion or summer vegetable works here. Zucchini or yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, cremini or white button mushrooms, red or yellow onions, green bell pepper or red bell peppers. They caramelize and slightly char in the smoker and are simply delicious.
- Seasonings – I went for a savory smoked chicken kabob flavor, so we are seasoning with ground paprika, granulated onion and garlic, salt and pepper, and a touch of cayenne pepper. A BBQ spice rub or smoked spices would be a delicious touch to this recipe.
- Wood chips – This is what’s going to really flavor your kabobs. Mesquite or hickory wood chips are most common but apple or cherry wood is delicious too. I used these wood chips, and they always make delicious smoked meat.
How to Make Smoked Chicken Kabobs in a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker
All ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Preheat your smoker
Preheat your electric smoker at 265 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 30 – 45 minutes with the vent closed until the smoker comes up to temperature. If you are using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in cold water for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking so they won’t burn in the smoker.
Prep chicken and veggies
Rinse and pat chicken dry with paper towels. Cut chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, about 1-inch chunks. Place chicken into a large mixing bowl, then mix with olive oil, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and paprika. Use a pair of tongs or clean hands to mix the chicken with the seasonings really well. Then set aside.
Rinse and dry veggies with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
Make the chicken kabobs
Thread the chicken and vegetables onto stainless steel skewers. I did mushroom, 2 chunks of meat, then bell pepper, meat, zucchini, meat and red onion, finishing with a mushroom. Repeat until all the chicken and vegetables are used. I had enough for 4 skewers.
Add chicken to the smoker
Transfer chicken kabobs onto a metal sheet pan to transfer to the smoker outside. Place skewers onto the bottom two racks of the smoker, closer to where the smoke is produced. Close the smoker, then add wood chips into the compartment. Keep the vent closed.
Cook kabobs
Set the timer for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Check the wood chips every 30 minutes and add more as needed. Cook the meat until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
Increase the heat to 275 degrees Fahrenheit, then continue to cook the skewers for another 10 – 15 minutes to brown the chicken and vegetables. Use a pair of tongs to transfer the cooked chicken kabobs to a serving platter.
Serve smoked chicken kabobs with napkins or remove the meat and vegetables and serve with steamed rice. Enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions —
It’s common to add red or green bell peppers, red onions, zucchini, mushrooms, or tomatoes. I would avoid anything from the broccoli/cabbage family like asparagus, Brussels sprouts and broccoli, because it tends to be very, very bitter when cooked in the smoker.
Nope! These smoked chicken kabobs are rubbed with spices then immediately cooked in the smoker. You can make a marinade or let the seasonings sit on the chicken for a while before cooking for extra flavor but the kabobs will be plenty flavorful without marinating.
I used onion and garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. You could add a smoke spice rub, smoked paprika or smoked salt.
Looking For More Recipes?
- Smoked Beef Hot Dogs in Electric Smoker (Masterbuilt)
- 3 Cheese Smoked Mac and Cheese In Electric Smoker
- Smoked Chicken Salad Sandwich
- Smoked Turkey Salad Sandwich
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs
- Easy Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs with Beef Bacon
- Baked BBQ Turkey Wings
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Smoked Chicken Kabobs (Masterbuilt Electric Smoker)
Equipment
- 4 – 5 Metal stainless steel skewers I used 14-inch ones
- Electric smoker Mine is a 30-inch Masterbuilt
- 1 – 2 cups wood chips any wood works, I used Mesquite
- 1 Chef knife
- 1 Cutting board
- Plastic gloves for handling raw meat
- 2 Metal sheet pans
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 – 2 ½ lbs chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces, about 9 – 10 chicken thighs. I used organic chicken thighs, and they were pretty small; conventional chicken thighs are larger.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground paprika I used sweet, but smoked paprika works too
Vegetables
- 1 large bell pepper cut into large chunks, red, yellow, orange or green, with stem, pith and seeds removed
- ½ medium red onion cut into 4 chunks
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms small and whole, if using larger ones, cut in half
- 1 large zucchini cut into ½ inch rounds
Instructions
- Preheat your electric smoker at 265 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 30 – 45 minutes with the vent closed until the smoker comes up to temperature.
- Rinse and pat chicken dry with paper towels. Cut chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, about 1-inch chunks. Make them around the same size so they cook at the same rate.
- Place chicken into a large mixing bowl, then mix with olive oil, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and paprika. Use a pair of tongs or clean hands to mix the chicken with the seasonings really well. Then set aside.
- Rinse and dry veggies with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Thread the chicken and vegetables onto metal skewers. If you are using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in cold water for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking so they won’t burn in the smoker. I did mushroom, 2 chunks of meat, then bell pepper, meat, zucchini, meat and red onion, finishing with a mushroom. Repeat until all the chicken and vegetables are used. I had enough for 4 skewers.
- Transfer chicken kabobs onto a metal sheet pan to transfer to the smoker outside. Place skewers onto the bottom two racks of the smoker, closer to where the smoke is produced. Close the smoker, then add wood chips into the compartment. Keep the vent closed.
- Set the timer for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Check the wood chips every 30 minutes and add more as needed. Cook until the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Increase the heat to 275 degrees Fahrenheit, then continue to cook the skewers for another 10 – 15 minutes to brown the chicken and vegetables. Use a pair of tongs to transfer the cooked chicken kabobs to a serving platter.
- Serve smoked chicken kabobs with napkins or remove the meat and vegetables from the skewers and serve with steamed rice. Enjoy.
Notes
How To Store/ Make Ahead
- Make ahead: You can prep the chicken, seasonings, and vegetables up to 1 day ahead of time. Store everything separately in the fridge.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 3 – 4 days.
- Reheat leftovers in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until hot.
Tips and Tricks
- Chicken: Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before threading it on the skewer and cooking. This helps the meat cook more evenly. If using chicken breast instead of chicken thighs, reduce the cooking time by 10 – 20 minutes since this lean meat will cook faster than thighs.
- Timer: The Masterbuilt smoker won’t preheat unless the timer is set. I like to set the timer for 4 hours just to make sure it stays on the whole time, then set a timer on my stove or my phone so I know when to check on the skewers outside.
- Wood chips: These chicken kabobs will taste good with any wood chip variety. We often use mesquite or hickory wood chips.
- Make sure to cook the chicken to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit before serving. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. By the time the chicken is finished cooking for 1 hour and 30 minutes, it should be done, and the last few minutes at cooking at 265 degrees is just to brown the meat.
- Vegetables: Cherry tomatoes, whole jalapenos, or chunks of pineapple.
- Make it sweet: Add brown sugar to the spices, or brush with BBQ sauce or teriyaki sauce.
- Make it extra savory: Add soy sauce or minced garlic.
- Seasonings: Use a smoked spice rub, BBQ spice rub, smoked salt instead of regular kosher salt or smoked chili powder.
Nutrition
All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.
