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Whether it’s raining or you don’t have a grill, you can cook beef, chicken, or veggie kabobs in the oven without burning them. Here’s how.
Baking Kabobs in the Oven
Just like you can make frozen burgers in the oven instead of grilling, kabobs turn out perfectly when baked, too. Watch the quick video and follow these steps:
- Soak the wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.
If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes. - Marinate the meat or veggies 30 minutes and seafood for no more than 10 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Assemble the kabobs by threading the marinated meat, veggies, or seafood through the skewers. Then, place them on a baking sheet.
- Bake the kabobs for 20-25 minutes, depending on the recipe, making sure to flip them over halfway.
- Remove them from the oven and serve them with baked corn on the cob or one of these tasty kabob side dishes.
What to Put on Oven Kabobs
Food on a stick always tastes better, especially when marinated to add flavor. Use this quick chicken marinade recipe, a veggie marinade, or this steak kabob marinade.
Vegetables can be sliced or cubed. The most popular vegetables you can grill are:
- Onions
- Peppers
- Mushrooms
- Zucchini
- Cherry tomatoes
- Baby potatoes
Protein should be cut into even-sized pieces, about 1 to 1 ½″ thick for even cooking. Try:
- Chicken
- Beef (steak)
- Pork
- Shrimp
- Salmon or thick fish such as Mahi Mahi or Cod
- Meatballs
- Sausage (thick cut slices)
How Long to Cook Kabobs in the Oven
Kabobs will take between 12 and 30 minutes to cook in the oven, depending on the type and the size (thickness) of what you’re cooking.
How to Know When Baked Kabobs Are Done
Chicken should reach 165F for white meat (breasts) and 175F for dark meat (thighs), beef/pork/fish/shellfish are done at 145F, and vegetables should be fork-tender with lightly charred edges. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness as shown in the chart below.
What Temperature do you Cook Kabobs?
Bake kabobs between 375F and 400F in the oven, cooking them until they’re done by checking their internal temperature. See above.
How long to cook kabobs at 375F
Cooking kabobs at 375F in the oven is most popular because it yields great results, and you’ll avoid burning them. Place them on a sheet pan after the oven preheats, then use this chart for approximate baking times:
| Kabob | Oven Temp | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 375F | 20-25 min |
| Beef | 375F | 25-30min |
| Shrimp | 375F | 15 min |
| Fish | 375F | 15 min |
| Veggies | 375F | 20 in |
How long to cook kabobs at 400F
Cooking kabobs at 400F shortens the baking time while still keeping the meat juicy and tender. After preheating the oven, bake them on a sheet pan and use this chart for approximate cooking times:
| Kabob | Oven temp | Total time |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 400F | 15-20 min |
| Beef | 400F | 20-25 min |
| Shrimp | 400F | 10 min |
| Fish | 400F | 12 min |
| Veggies | 400F | 15 min |
Is It Safe to Put Skewers in the Oven
Yes, all skewers are safe to go in the oven. Metal ones need careful handling (they get hot!), and wooden ones need to soak in water to prevent them from burning. At higher temperatures, like 425-450F, wooden skewers burn faster.
Oven Kabobs (Beef, Chicken, Shrimp or Veggie!)
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs chicken, cut into 1-inch cubes
- Recipe for Lemon Chicken Marinade
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 8 bamboo skewers
Instructions
Prep:
- Soak the wooden skewers in water for 20 to 30 minutes. Once soaked, they're ready to be poked with kabob ingredients.
- Make the marinade in a bowl or directly in the marinade container or zip bag. Alternatively, use your favorite storebought marinade to infuse your kabobs with flavor.
- Placed the cubed chicken in the zip bag or bowl and transfer it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight. If you have a marinade tray, you can assemble the skewers and marinade them assembled.
Cook:
- Preheat the oven to 375F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper for reasy cleanup.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.
- Alternate threading the chicken, bell peppers, and onions onto each skewer, about 3 pieces each of chicken, bell pepper, and onion for each kabob.
- Place the kabobs on the baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
- Remove the kabobs from the oven and serve with your favorite sides.
Jacqueline says
I was wondering if I should set my oven on Roast instead of Bake. I’m hoping to make them more like grilled. I don’t know if the baking time needs to be adjusted.
Laura Fuentes says
If your oven has a “roast” setting, you can do that. It will circulate the hot air inside the oven for more all-around cooking. The time and temperature should not need to be adjusted, most ovens adjust this internally to match the bake setting. That said, keep an eye on the kabobs and check for doneness about 5 min sooner than the recipe time.
Maria says
Obsessed with these oven kabobs!
Ashley says
Loved these oven kabobs.
Brenda says
Great for having people over!! Such a HIT!!!
Lexi says
Loved how easy this oven kabob recipe was and my whole family loved it!
Melanie says
Incredible kabobs from the oven!
Grace says
Loved making kabobs in the oven when our bbq plans got rained out last night!
Meredith says
I love all your kabob recipes and tips. This one is definetely 5 stars!!
Janey says
Made these with shrimp and they were so good!
Katie says
Loved these!!!
Dana says
Perfection!!!
Dana says
My family loved these kabobs!
Kathy says
My kids love these kabobs!
Ellie says
Best oven kabobs ever!!!
Abby says
These oven kabobs were awesome!
Jade says
These oven kabobs turned out so great!
Beth says
So good!!!
Tara says
So so good!
Cara says
These skewers were absolutely delicious!
Janna says
Obsessed with these baked kabobs!
Lucy says
My family loved these kabobs!
Dayna says
These wer epic!
Jackie says
Excellent kabobs straight from the oven!
Jill says
Perfection!!!
Bella says
Delish!!!
Sol says
These oven kebabs made our weekend eat delicious
Jane says
These oven kabobs brought a little bit of summer to this cold day. Thanks Laura
Pam says
So easy! Enjoying kabobs in the winter for the win.
Judy says
Perfectly cooked oven kabobs! Great year round recipe!
Tara says
Made kabobs in the oven for dinner tonight. They were a HIT!
Belinda says
I made chicken kabobs for my 2 middle school boys and it was a hit! Thanks for another great dinner idea
Sarah Alleman says
I followed this to make kabobs in the oven and they turned out great!
Rhonda says
These oven kabobs came out perfectly!! So juicy and easy to make!
Ericka says
I made these kabobs in the oven and they were sooooo good!
dana says
Great post! I’ve always wondered if cooking kebabs in the oven was possible. The last time I made kebabs we had a downpour so I used my stovetop grill which I hate to do because then the whole house smells smoky. Trying this next time!
Justine says
Thanks! I don’t have a grill, but I love kabobs – this was great!
Katherine says
This is such a convenient way to make kabobs when the weather isn’t playing nice! Just as tasty.
kushi says
Thanks for the detailed instructions on cooking kabobs. Pinned.
Tayler says
It was raining last night so we made these kabobs in the oven. They turned out perfectly- I didn’t even miss the grill!
Jillian says
Had been planning to make kabobs this weekend but we got rained out. Your oven baked kabobs saved the day! These were perfect.
Joel says
Love it
TAYLER ROSS says
It’s been a little too chilly to grill, so I made these kabobs in the oven for dinner last night. They turned out perfectly! So juicy
Deb says
The kabobs in your video look absolutely nothing like the kabobs in your photos. Did you broil them in the oven to get the charred edges that are shown in the photos? There is absolutely no caramelization or browning on the kabobs in your video. Thank you!
Laura Fuentes says
Yes, we film and take photos on different days. I did broil them when we took the photos because they got cold and meat shrinks when cold. The process works the same as the video though for perfectly cooked kabobs in the oven.
P Delahoussaye says
I don’t get why people use skewers which to my mind are just to keep them from falling through the grill. Also not using them makes it easier to take things out when they are ready. In any case we shouldn’t thread them on the skewers which makes that impossible!
Laura Fuentes says
People use skewers for all sorts of reasons… one of them being that food on a stick is fun to eat!
Bob says
These kebabs in the oven worked great for me.
Helen says
I made these in the oven. They turned out perfect!
Sarah says
This recipe worked so well because I’m using this for a school project and this turned out amazing, the instructions were so well described that I had no trouble during the exam.
Laura Fuentes says
Glad you were able to cook your kabobs in the oven and pass the exam!
Sheila G says
Great recipe! Easy to make and will do it again.
Laura Fuentes says
As stated in the post and in the video, it’s important that the veggies are sliced smaller so they cook at the same time as the meat.
Jessica says
This was exactly what I needed. This method allowed me to cook all my kabobs in the oven and ejoy them hot since we got rained out last weekend and I prepped sooooo many kabobs for my husband’s family to come over and I didn’t want them to go to waste. I first thought about cooking them in a pan but i can only cook a few at a time. What were we going to do? wait forever?! this worked great!
Shelby says
Hi, this recipe is very delicious! I love learning ways to cook healthy! And new recipes! This was the first time I ever cooked them in the oven, it’s usually on the grill! Thank you so much!
Polly says
Don’t have a grill i can use right now so I’m loving this baked kabobs recipe!!