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How Long to Grill Chicken Kabobs

How Long to Grill Chicken Kabobs

Last Updated on 17th December 2021 by

Before you start preparing your chicken kabobs for the grill, you might want to know how long it will take to cook them. I would put an estimated cooking time at somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes, but keep in mind that how long it takes to cook will depend on the meat you are using.

The veggies tend to cook very quickly, but how long to grill chicken kabobs depends on how thick the meat is and whether it is frozen or thawed. There is a difference in cooking time depending on whether you’re cooking beef, shrimp, chicken, or some other meat. Some meats quick cook very quickly, while others take much longer to cook.

Also keep in mind how well done you watch it done. If you are making beef kabobs, and you would like them to be well done, that will take longer than making juicy, succulent chicken kabobs. You cook the veggies for the same amount of time, but the meat is the real deciding factor on how long the entire dish takes to cook.

Is It Okay to Cook the Meat Separately?

A question that comes up when talking about how long the grill chicken shish kabobs is whether you can cook the meat on its own. That’s actually not a bad idea if your meat is frozen or if you’re using a meat that takes a long time to cook.

Chicken tends to cook quicker compared to beef, but thick cuts of meat will still take a while to cook.

How long to cook chicken kabobs on grill if you cook the meat first? You can simply cook your chicken ahead of time, grilling it on its own. Don’t cook it all the way but only most of the way, and then add it to your kabobs and grill it with the rest of the vegetables.

This way, you are only grilling the entire kabob as one for a few minutes- just long enough to put char marks on the vegetables and chicken.

How Well Done Do You Want It?

Another factor that determines how long the you are cooking kabobs on the grill is how well cooked you want everything. The longer you cook your meat and vegetables for, the drier they will be. You have to be careful about overcooking them and drying out your dish.

When you consider how long to grill chicken kabobs on gas grill, think about how juicy and tender the components of the kebab will be. It’s definitely tempting to cook everything until the chicken is done, but your various ingredients may need to cook at a different heat for a different duration than the vegetables.

That’s why it’s advisable to cook at least the meat on its own and then add it to the rest of the kebab and finish cooking them together.

So, when you’re looking at how long to cook chicken kabobs on gas grill, you may actually be looking at two separate cook times- one for the initial meat cooking and one for when you grill the kebabs as a whole.

What Temperature Should You Use?

Another factor that affects how long to grill kabobs chicken is the temperature you use. How hot should the grill be for cooking kabobs?

This isn’t a dish you need to slow cook. You can use a heat of 155 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit for chicken. If you’re cooking beef, seafood, or lamb, your grill temperature may vary, as well your cooking times. So, how long does it take to grill chicken kabobs at about 160 degrees Fahrenheit?

This should take around 10 to 15 minutes, but you don’t want to rely on just the given time for this dish. Always be sure to check the internal temperature of your meat to make certain it is cooked all the way through.

The minimum safe internal temperature for chicken is 160 degrees Fahrenheit. You can check this with your kitchen thermometer by sticking the centre of chicken. Remember that the centre is where the chicken will be the coolest and will give you most accurate reading.

If you don’t have a thermometer to check the internal temperature, you may be wondering if there’s another way to determine how long to cook chicken shish kabobs on grill. How do you determine if the chicken is done if you can’t check the internal temperature?

An easy way to check is to cut the chicken open down the centre and see if the inside is white or pink. If you see any pink or clear looking meat, then the chicken is not done yet and should cook for a while longer.

Avoid These Common Chicken Grilling Mistakes

It can be tough to get your chicken to come out right on the grill, especially if you’re not used to grilling it.

The first thing I want to mention is to make sure that you get good quality chicken. Check the expiration date and look for signs that the chicken might have gone bad, like discolouration and changes in texture.

You also want to season your chicken before putting on the grill. You can use something as simple as salt and pepper as your rub, or you can use more complex chicken rubs.

One important thing to keep in mind about how long to cook chicken kabobs on charcoal grill is that it’s very easy to overcook it or cook it at too high of a temperature. Not all grills make it easy to control the temperature precisely, and it’s an easy mistake to have the heat too high.

What this does is cook the outside of the chicken much faster than the inside, creating a dried out skin that’s overly tough and an interior that isn’t cooked all the way through. Remember, you don’t have to slow cook this meat, but you definitely want to use a low heat with an ideal temperature of about 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Also make sure you flip the chicken partway through so it can cook evenly on both sides. This is especially important for the larger, thicker cuts of meat. It’s a good idea to keep part of the grill turned off so that you have a cool area to move the chicken to.

You may need to transfer the chicken over to the cool area if the skin is cooking much faster than the interior flesh.

Now you know how long to cook chicken kabobs on a gas grill, and you can look forward to chicken that comes out just right every time.

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Pauline Loughlin

I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!