Labor Day Kabobs

Time :4 45

Yield :8 servings

Recipe Background

You know that you're officially an adult when company holidays start to bring you the same kind of joy that snow days did as a kid. That's how we always feel on Labor Day weekend... which is why we love celebrating by having all our friends over to make Labor Day Kabobs on the grill! This Greek-inspired dish, loaded with juicy flavors, is always a huge hit. Oh, and don't skip out on making that creamy parmesan-herb dip. It's what really makes this dish unforgettable! So, invite your pals over for some Labor Day Kabobs and party like you did when times were simpler!

Ingredients

For the chicken kabobs:

1/3 cup olive oil plus more, to taste, for greasing the grill grates
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 bell peppers color of your choice, sliced into 1-1/4-inch-thick chunks
2 zucchinis cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 large red onion cut into 1-1/4-inch-thick chunks
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts cut into 1-1/4-inch-thick cubes

For the parmesan-herb dip:

1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup parmesan finely grated
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons parsley minced
1 tablespoon chives chopped
1 tablespoon dill minced, plus more, to taste, for garnish
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a large bowl, add 1/3 cup of the olive oil, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the soy sauce, the balsamic vinegar, the brown sugar, the Dijon mustard, the onion powder, the garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons the salt, the basil, the oregano, the thyme, the paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, and the red pepper flakes and whisk to combine.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade in a small bowl for basting.
In a second large bowl, add 3 tablespoons of the marinade, the bell peppers, the zucchinis, and the red onions and toss to coat.
Cover the bowl and let the veggie mixture chill in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
Add the chicken cubes to the remaining marinade in the large bowl and stir to coat.
Cover the bowl and marinate the chicken cubes in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours.
While the chicken cubes and the veggie mixture are marinating, in a third large bowl, add the Greek yogurt, the parmesan cheese, the remaining lemon juice, the parsley, the chives, 1 tablespoon of the dill, the remaining salt, the cumin, and the remaining pepper and mix to combine.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the parmesan-herb dip until ready to serve.
Clean the grill, then preheat it to medium-high heat (about 425 degrees F). Generously grease the grates with the extra oil.
Using soaked wooden skewers, alternate threading the marinated chicken cubes and the marinated vegetable cubes onto the skewers.
Add the chicken kabobs to the grill, cover, and cook, rotating and basting with 1/2 of the reserved marinade halfway through, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 8-12 minutes.
Transfer the chicken kabobs to a clean plate, then evenly baste with the remaining reserved marinade.
Transfer the parmesan-herb dip from the refrigerator and evenly sprinkle with the extra dill.
Serve the chicken kabobs with the parmesan-herb dip.