Grilling season means yummy kabobs (or kebabs), grilled veggies and fun times with family! Chicken or Beef Shish Kabobs are perfect for Summer BBQ grilling, but don’t let the weather stop you from making these year round!
Plus, if you’re like me and you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can certainly use an indoor grill pan!
I always think of Summer eating as an easier way to eat healthy, especially if you’re looking to stick with your weight loss goals with the 17 Day Diet during the warmer months.
It’s easy to preheat the grill and cook up some shish kabobs for a quick dinner. Plus, think of all those extra veggies you’ll be eating, too!
This Chicken or Beef Shish Kabob recipe is actually Peruvian Anticuchos using my family’s recipe for the marinade.
Since warmer weather is here, I decided to update this post.
Plus, I modified the recipe slightly – it used to be for one serving, but most of my main dishes are for four servings, so I wanted to make it easier for you to feed your family without a ton of converting!
Traditionally, Peruvian Anticuchos are made with organ meat. I personally have tried anticuchos in New York City years ago where the restaurant used chicken hearts.
The chicken heart kabobs tasted fine. However, since I’m not a huge fan of organ meat, and since my family uses regular beef or chicken, that’s what this recipe features!
My dad grew up as a young child in Peru, so I grew up eating Peruvian food that either my parents made at home or at various Peruvian restaurants around town.
This recipe was one of those yummy dishes I grew up eating!
Choose Your Protein for Shish Kabobs
This recipe calls for either chicken breasts or beef sirloin. However, you really can choose any protein that grills up nicely.
Cycle 1 Proteins for Shish Kabobs
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Firm Tofu (you won’t see this on the Cycle 1 food list, but should be OK)
- Firm White Fish (Mahi Mahi, swordfish, halibut, etc)
Check out community members, Sandra and her husband, Tom, and their platter of kabobs below!
Cycle 2 and 3 Proteins for Shish Kabobs
- Beef Sirloin
- Shrimp
- Pork
Depending on which cycle of the 17 Day Diet you’re on, any of these options would work well with this recipe!
Vegetable Options for Shish Kabobs
Traditionally, my family will use onions, baby potatoes (the small white canned potatoes), and mushrooms.
This is where the creativity can happen! The sky’s the limit on the veggies you want to use for your shish kabobs.
Here are a few examples based on cycles:
Cycle 1 and 2 Vegetables for Shish Kabobs
- Onions
- Bell Peppers (use the colored ones!)
- Mushrooms (keep them whole)
- Cherry Tomatoes
Cycle 2 Starchy Vegetables for Shish Kabobs
- Potatoes (best to use canned baby potatoes as they’re already cooked)
- Corn on the cob (cut the cobs into 2 inch pieces)
Cycle 3 Starchy Vegetables for Shish Kabobs
- Zucchini
- Radishes (you may want to blanch these to help cook a bit before hand)
Other Chicken Kebab Recipes You Might Enjoy
If you like this recipe, you may enjoy some of my other kebab recipes:
- Grilled Pesto Chicken and Tomato Kebabs
- Tahini Chicken Skewers
- Bang Bang Chicken Kebabs
- Chimichurri Steak Kabobs
- Chicken Caesar Kebabs
- Greek Chicken Souvlaki with Yogurt Sauce
- Grilled Lemon Sriracha Shrimp
- Chicken or Beef Skewers (Peruvian Anticuchos)
Even More Low Carb Recipes for the Grill
If you’re looking for more yummy grilling recipes, consider trying out these others that are perfect for grilling weather:
If you happen to make this dish, please come back to review the recipe below.
Plus, I’d love to know which flavor combinations you used to create a custom kabob dish for you and your family!
Chicken or Beef Skewers (Shish Kabobs)
Summer grilling options are endless. With this Peruvian Anticuchos recipe, your protein and veggie combinations will make this dish a family favorite!
Ingredients
For the Marinade:
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 8oz can El Pato Tomato Sauce (or regular tomato sauce)
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoons Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Oregano
- 2 teaspoons sweetener of your choice
- Salt, Pepper to taste
- Handful of Cilantro, chopped
For the Kabobs:
- 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts or 2 pounds of Beef Sirloin, cut into bite-size pieces
- Your favorite vegetables such as onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the marinade ingredients and mix well. Reserve a bit of marinade sauce in a separate container to baste vegetables when grilling later.
- Add your cut up chicken or beef to the sauce and allow them to marinate for at least two hours.
- If using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes prior to grilling to ensure they do not burn.
- After meat is finished marinating, thread onto skewers. Discard marinade sauce used to marinate the chicken/beef as to not to contaminate other food.
- Depending on what type of vegetables you’re using, thread veggies on their own skewers separate from chicken or beef (if your veggies need the same cooking time as your chicken or beef, you may thread them on the same skewers as the chicken/beef).
- Pre-heat your grill or grill pan to medium high heat.
- When grill or grill pan is hot, add the chicken and veggie skewers to the grill/pan.
- Rotate the meat and veggie skewers every few minutes to ensure food is cooked evenly on all sides.
- Using the reserved marinade, baste the vegetables as they cook.
- When the vegetables are tender, remove them from the grill.
- Keep rotating the chicken/beef skewers until they’re finished cooking.
- Allow meat to rest a few minutes prior to serving.
Notes
Approved for all cycles (see post for protein and veggie choices for different cycles).
If you're sensitive to spicy food, use regular tomato sauce instead of the spicy El Pato sauce.
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I’ve been loving the 17 Day Diet since 2011. I love sharing my favorite healthy recipes and meal plans to keep you motivated and on the right path to success!
When I’m not hanging out here, I enjoy quick trips to the Oregon Coast, designing my jewelry line, being a proud Swiftie, and tinkering with my personal Youtube Channel!
Are you new to the 17 Day Diet? Check out my latest book, Fast Track Your Weight Loss With The 17 Day Diet on Amazon! (aff link)
I have 9 days to go to complete cycle 1. I have lost 51/2 lbs so far and feel great.
I’m not hungry and I am very satisfied with the food so far. My cravings begin around 2:00- 4:00pm, so I eat my lunch at that time so I don’t give in to cravings, so far it’s working for me. One problem I have is the hot water and lemon, it gives me heartburn, I put lemon in my drinking water, it doesn’t bother me that way. I hope that’s acceptable.
Congrats on the weight loss, Rita! That’s great! Now, the lemon water must be warm/hot in order to do its job. But if you’re experiencing heartburn, I’d say skip it. The book also tells us that our drinking water should be plain, but if you’re enjoying lemon in it, there’s probably not an issue. Good luck and keep it up!
If you do not like green tea, is there a way to make it taste better or is it ok not to drink it. I like Teavana fruit teas. Will they work as part of the necessary water for the day? Just starting.
Carolyn, you can either skip the green tea or take green tea supplements. Teavana fruit teas might depend on the sugar intake or artificial sweetener used — you’ll also want to make sure they use real green tea. Unfortunately, tea DOES NOT count towards your water intake. Only plain water counts as water intake.
Is it possible to add little sweetener in lemon water and green tea?
Hi Florence, Stevia is the sweetener of choice on the 17DD. I say go for it!
I am in Cycle 2 of the 17-DD and have lost 24 lbs. I use Truvia as my sweetener of choice, and take a pill each morning for heartburn which keeps it away. The pill is Pantoprazole, 40 mg. You might ask your doctor about it. I have made two of your recipes, Chicken Lombardy and the Green Chili Chicken Enchilada with Cauliflower. Of the two, I definitely like the Green Chili Chicken Enchilada. It was fabulous! I’ve also made the soup you recommend and chili. The Chicken Lombardy is good, but a tad too salty for my taste. I’ll just leave off some salt next time. Thanks for all you do. You are appreciated!
Hi Georgia! I’m so happy to hear you’re loving the recipes! The Green Chili Chicken Enchilada with Cauliflower is probably one of my all-time favorites and had it over the weekend! Definitely give the Chicken Lombardy another try and always season to your own liking!