Looking for easy, flavorful skewers perfect for grilling? These chicken and halloumi skewers with a Greek style marinade are colorful, juicy and full of texture! Trust me: you will make them all summer long on repeat!
What you’ll love about this recipe
Greek flavors are right up my street: my great grandfather was Greek by the way, but even though I haven’t experienced Greek cuisine in my childhood, my love of travel took me to the South Ionian isles on a yacht vacation. And learning the flavors of my travels it’s what I do: no surprise then, Greek cuisine is here to stay in my repertoire!
- Quick and easy: Marinate the chicken for as little as 30 minutes for a delicious weeknight meal. You can always prep ahead for a delicious BBQ if you fancy 😉.
- Healthy and balanced: Packed with protein from chicken and cheese, and goodness of vitamins and minerals from the veg, herbs and lemon.
- Flavorful: Juicy chicken, salty halloumi, and a simple marinade which infuses the chicken with delicious Mediterranean flavors.
- Customizable: Swap ingredients or add your favorite veggies for endless variations.
- Perfect for Summer BBQs: Fire up the grill and enjoy these skewers as a light main course or delicious appetizer.
- Squidgy halloumi: This is by far one of my most cravable (erm… is this a word? LOL 😂) textures, soft and squeaky, oh, so satisfying 🥰.
Watch how to make chicken halloumi skewers
Ingredients you’ll need
- Chicken breast (diced in cubes) – I made this recipe with both breast and thigh fillets and they both work wonderfully. Juiciness is the key here, nobody wants dry chicken! And you already know my mantra, buy the best quality and welfare chicken you can, it’s worth it!
- Halloumi – please try and find Cypriot halloumi, that is almost guarantee not to crumble. As well as cutting it into thick cubes.
- Red onion – it adds gorgeous sweetness and color, so enticing !
- Lemon – if you haven’t tried grilled lemon, let me tell you! You get small pieces of sweet and sharp, with slight caramelization. We don’t eat the zest, but I guess you could.
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Oregano and Mint – I use dried herbs, but fresh will work, you may just have to adjust the amount and chop them really finely.
- Vinegar – I used white wine vinegar, but apple cider vinegar will work and in a pinch any vinegar really.
- Salt and Black pepper
- Pomegranate molasses – optional. They are wonderful to drizzle some sticky sweetness for a finger-licking experience.
How to make chicken and halloumi skewers (BBQ and griddle pan)
Time needed: 25 minutes
Tender juicy chicken marinated in a Greek style marinade embraces pillowy yet crispy halloumi bites and the crunchy sweetness of red onions. Jewels of lemon slices get a little sticky on the grill, what a treat! So quick and easy to make, all you need is some skewers!
- Marinate the Chicken:
Cut the chicken breast in cubes of approximately 1 inch. Add the chicken to a large bowl, then the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, mint, salt, and pepper. Use a spoon to coat. Cover and allow to marinade in the fridge for 2 hours, or for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Prepare the Vegetables and Skewers:
While the chicken marinates, peel and slice the red onion and lemon wedges. Soak wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes, or use metal skewers.
- Assemble the Skewers:
Thread the chicken cubes, halloumi cubes ,onion wedges, and lemon wedges onto the skewers, alternating ingredients. Aim for 4 pieces of chicken and 3 pieces of the other components per skewer.
- Grill the Skewers:
Heat a cast iron griddle pan or preheat the grill/barbecue over medium heat. Brush with olive oil and add the skewers in batches depending on the size of your grill pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes, turn and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Check to make sure they are fully cooked, you can turn them all over for a quick minute to make sure the chicken is cooked through and the halloumi is golden brown.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Serve the hot skewers with a refreshing yogurt and cucumber tzatziki dip and tear warm flatbread. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses for a touch of sweetness, and squeeze fresh lemon juice for extra zing.
Pro Tips
- Try to cut the chicken and halloumi into even cubes (approximately 1 inch = 2.5 cm), this thickness will keep the chunks nice and juicy.
- This may sound like I’m teaching a granny to suck eggs, but if you want to avoid the onion pieces splitting, keep 2 layers of onion when you cut them up. Cut the onion in 8, opening each piece up in layers, I would leave 2 or 3 layers to pierce through each piece.
- Slice the lemon in thick slices and each slice in 4, so you can skewer them easily.
- It’s important to have a decent quality halloumi, I found that Cypriot hallomi does not break and keeps its shape and moisture well. The texture is nice and soft on the inside after grilling. Having said that, I have coated my halloumi cubes in a little extra virgin olive oil before skewering them and that helps a ton!
- I use a cast iron griddle pan that I place on the BBQ grill, but if you don’t have one, you can cook on a stove top griddle pan or you can use a tinfoil tray to put on the barbecue. You can of course cook the skewers directly on the BBQ, but they are more likely to dry or stick, so you need to keep a close eye on them.
- Get the griddle pan nice and hot to sear the chicken quickly and locks in the juices.
- Keep the skewers an inch apart to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- If you use bamboo skewers, remember to soak them for at least 30 minutes before loading them. If you have metal skewers, they conduct heat better and the flat ones are better of keeping the meat from rotating.
Preparation time
It takes around 15 minutes to prepare and cut the chicken and the veggies. I include the skewering time here too, it’s no longer than 1 minute per skewer.
I am being generous here, because I know myself (not always super organised 😉).
Marinating time
Allow the chicken to marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Cooking time
On the griddle pan, the cooking is fast, it only takes 4-5 minutes on each side.
Total time
This means in 25 minute max, you will have the most delicious juicy chicken and crispy squidgy halloumi bites, jeweled with caramelized lemon and red onion crunch.
Nutritional benefits
Of course the lean chicken, olive oil and added protein (from the halloumi cheese) makes this dish such a wholesome nourishing option. But for me, the hero here are those bits of lemon, onions, herb toppings, not forgetting the refreshing yogurt and cucumbers dip! Feed those friendly gut bacteria happy!
Servings
This recipe yields 6 skewers, enough for a small family.
What to serve with chicken and halloumi skewers
- Tzatziki Dip: I served them with my cool and refreshing tzatziki, this is an absolute Greek affair (shout-out to my ancestors 🏺🏺🏺)!
- Flatbread: Warm some flatbread or pita bread to scoop up the dip. Hummus would also work great!
- Pomegranate molasses: if you never had them, what were you thinking? LOL 😝 Drizzle them lightly as you add them on the plate. They add a touch of sweetness that balances the sharpness and savoriness in this dish.
- Leftovers: can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you have any (we had one skewer left ), let it cool down, pull the pieces off and add them to shredded gem lettuce, scatter fresh herbs and a good squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of EVOO. It was perfect for my next day’s work lunch!
- Pair these skewers with a green salad, oven chips or wedges or more roasted vegetables for a complete meal.
variations and substitutions
- Chicken: Swap the chicken breast for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You get FLAVOR, FLAVOR, FLAVOR and juiciness galore!
- Vegetables: Add bell peppers, zucchini, or cherry tomatoes to the skewers.
- Cheese: I haven’t tried this option, but you can try using paneer cheese instead of halloumi.
- Marinade: I use a Greek inspired marinade. Swap the herbs and spices for a different vibe or cuisine ( or add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a touch of heat).
- VEGAN: For a vegan option, replace the chicken and cheese with plant based alternatives like tofu or tempeh.
- For other skewers ideas, I have another easy and absolutely mind blowingly delicious recipe if you love lamb: my lamb koftas!
If you like me love uncomplicated recipes, my chicken and halloumi skewers recipe delivers on this promise! You get maximum flavor for a moment’s effort! These Greek inspired flavors are so close to my heart, I am certain you will love this combo too and learn to cook it by heart every time is BBQ season 😍!
- If you make my recipe, take a snapshot for your Instagram
- Post and tag me @candyflosie😉🤗!
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recipe FAQ
I totally think you can! Just remember to brush or spray the skewers lightly with a little olive oil and follow the air fryer instructions.
You can of course cook the skewers directly on the BBQ, but they are more likely to dry or stick, so you need to keep a close eye on them and adjust the time.
Depends on your marinade. With the one I suggest, cover the bowl and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours. If you don’t have a lot of time, leave the bowl out for half an hour before skewering.
Honestly, I doubt it. The halloumi is meant to be grilled or fried really! But if you do try, please leave me a comment about how it went 😜.
Both work great if you marinate them well: the breast is better for uniform shape and the thighs are much more forgiving, because they keep the juiciness better when grilling. I tried both for this recipe and they turned out amazingly delicious.
Chicken and Halloumi Skewers Recipe
Equipment
- 6 skewers bamboo (soak them!) or metal
- 1 griddle pan and or grill
- 1 medium to large bowl to marinade the chicken
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken breast diced in thick cubes
- 225 g halloumi or a pack, diced in thick cubes
- 1 red onion
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp Olive oil (and a little more to brush the skewers during grilling)
- 1 large Garlic clove
- 1 tsp Oregano dried
- 1 tsp Mint dried
- 1 tbsp White wine vinegar
- ¾ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Pomegranate molasses optional, to drizzle over the grilled skewers
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken:
- Cut the chicken breast in cubes of approximately 1 inch. Add the chicken to a large bowl, then the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, mint, salt, and pepper. Use a spoon to coat.
- Cover the bowl and allow to marinade in the fridge for 2 hours, or for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Prepare the Vegetables and Skewers:
- While the chicken marinates, peel and slice the red onion and lemon wedges. Cut the onion in 8, opening each piece up in layers, allow 2 or 3 layers to pierce through each piece. Slice the lemon in thick slices and each slice in 4, so you can skewer them easily.
- Soak wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes, or use metal skewers.
Assemble the Skewers:
- Thread the chicken cubes, halloumi cubes ,onion wedges, and lemon wedges onto the skewers, alternating ingredients. Aim for 4 pieces of chicken and 3 pieces of the other components per skewer.
Grill the Skewers:
- Heat a cast iron griddle pan or preheat the grill/barbecue over medium heat. Brush with olive oil and add the skewers in batches depending on the size of your grill pan.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes, turn and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Check to make sure they are fully cooked, you can turn them all over for a quick minute to make sure the chicken is cooked through and the halloumi is golden brown.
Serve and Enjoy!
- Serve the hot skewers with a refreshing yogurt and cucumber tzatziki dip and tear warm flatbread.
- Drizzle with pomegranate molasses for a touch of sweetness, and squeeze fresh lemon juice for extra zing.
Video
Notes
- 24 cubes of chicken (4 per skewer)
- 18 cubes or pieces of each of the other ingredients (3 per skewer)
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