Grilled Pesto Chicken Kebabs

Pesto chicken kebabs — chicken cubes in basil pesto, on a stick, on the grill. (Kabobs if you spell it the other way — same thing).

Done in 20 minutes once the chicken has marinated.

This is the no-oven, kid-approved dinner I rotate in at least once a week all summer.

If you’ve never made kebabs before, start here.

Chicken + pesto + a stick is foolproof — you don’t have to think about a marinade recipe, you don’t have to babysit the grill, and the worst-case outcome is still “grilled chicken with pesto on it,” which is dinner.

Growing up in Bulgaria, meat on a stick — шишчета — was summer food at every cookout. Pesto wasn’t part of it, but the principle is the same: marinade, fire, eat.

Why pesto + chicken breast is the combo that works

After 13 years of grilling kebabs every which way, basil pesto is the Italian-style marinade I keep coming back to.

Olive oil, basil, garlic, parmesan, pine nuts, salt — pesto does all the work for you.

A few tablespoons in a bowl with the chicken and that’s the entire marinade step.

I’ve tested meat-on-a-stick with beef, lamb, and chicken.

Chicken breast wins every time.

Lamb and beef dry out fast even with a long marinade.

Chicken breast stays tender and juicy with just an hour in pesto marinade, and it cooks way faster on the grill.

If you’re worried about overcooking, boneless chicken thighs work too — slightly more forgiving and just as juicy.

The pesto marinade time matters

One hour is the minimum.

Overnight is better.

The longer the chicken sits in pesto, the deeper the basil and garlic get into the meat.

If you only have 30 minutes, do it anyway — it’ll still taste good.

But if you’re planning ahead, mix it the night before and grill the next day.

That’s when these go from “good kebabs” to “the kind you remember.”

Meat on its own skewer, veggies on another

I always put the chicken on its own skewer and grill peppers, zucchini, and onion on a separate one. Chicken cooks faster than vegetables — if you mix them, something is always over- or undercooked. Two skewers, two timings, both come out right.

Store-bought pesto is fine

I use store-bought pesto. There, I said it. Costco’s basil pesto and Trader Joe’s both work great here. Homemade is wonderful when I have time, but in the middle of grilling season I want this dinner on the table in 20 minutes, not after I’ve washed a food processor.

Wooden or metal skewers

Either works. Wooden — soak in cold water 15 minutes first, keeps them from burning and the chicken slides off easier. Metal — what I use now: reusable, easy to clean, and they heat from the inside, which cooks the chicken slightly faster.

Gas, charcoal, or stovetop

I use my old Weber gas grill — heats fast, holds temperature, gets the job done. Charcoal works too but my husband handles that one in our house — the smoke flavor is amazing, just takes more know-how than I have.

No grill? A grill pan on the stove gets you close. Medium-high heat, same 8–10 minutes per side, don’t move them around once they’re down. You’ll miss the smoky note but the pesto still carries the flavor.

What to serve with them

Mediterranean-style is how I usually plate these — grilled veggies on the separate skewer, a green salad, rice, or crusty bread to swipe through any leftover pesto on the plate. Kid version at my house: chicken pulled off the skewer, rice underneath, done.

Decided to serve my skewers with some grilled zucchini and a side of pesto olive oil. Here is a simple recipe for a Grilled Zucchini Salad you might want to check out.

FAQ

What if I skip the marinade entirely? The chicken still grills fine, but the pesto sits on the surface instead of working its way into the meat. You’ll taste it on the first bite and then it’s gone.

When does homemade pesto actually matter more than store-bought? In pasta or anywhere pesto is the headline flavor. In a marinade, the oil and salt do half the work — store-bought disappears into the chicken just as well, which is why I save the homemade jar for pasta night.

Can I broil these in the oven? Yes — broiler works much better than baking. Rack 6 inches from the element, 4–5 minutes per side. Skip plain oven baking; it leaves the chicken pale and dry without the char that makes kebabs taste like kebabs.

Any side idea beyond rice and salad? Warm pita with tzatziki or hummus turns this into a Mediterranean plate — everything can be made ahead, which is why I serve it this way when guests are over.

Original recipe posted in July 2014. New photos added in June 2018. Updated in May 2026.