Orange Basil Chicken Kabobs
As part of my Budget Friendly Family Meal Series- Orange Basil Chicken Kabobs are simple, easy, flavorful, perfect for BBQ season and can be made for only $17!
Creator: Leslie Stokes
Budget Friendly Family Meal Series
This series is all about feeding your family on a budget!
I think we can all agree that groceries these days are breaking the budget! After starting a conversation with my online community about the rising cost of food, I knew this series was something I had to do!
Each week I will be sharing a family style meal that fits the budget, along with a “healthy Mom” option because if your family is anything like mine, I’m the only one who likes to eat healthy!
I hope you follow along with this series and please reach out if you have any questions!
Ingredients
Kabobs are one of those recipes I always forget about. They are so simple, cheap and can be customized in so many ways! This orange basil marinade is one of my favorites and I’m sure you’ll love it too!
- chicken breast- cut into cubes
- zucchini- cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds
- red bell pepper
- orange juice- I use fresh juice, just remember to zest it before you juice it!
- orange zest
- olive oil
- dijon mustard
- garlic
- crushed red pepper
- salt
- rice of choice- I uually do jasmine rice, I love the buttery flavor.
The Budget
This meal will feed 4-5 people and cost around $17 to make. This fed 4 of us and gave me enough for leftovers the next day, but I have little ones!
I bought all of these items at Walmart with the exception of the chicken, I bought that at Sams Club in bulk, like always!
**prices may vary, depending on where you shop!
chicken- $8
zucchini- $0.93
red bell pepper- $0.72
onions- $1.02
orange- $0.88
basil- $1.98
garlic- $0.64
rice- $1
total: $16.98
The Prep:
As always, I bring the flavor with fresh/clean ingredients and keep my recipes pretty simple. Things do get a little messy when you have to put the chicken on the skewer, but I reccomend doing this over a tray or cutting board.
I find it easier to use metal kabob sticks. You can use the wooden ones, just make sure you soak them first!
- In a small bowl mix together the orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, dijon, red pepper, salt, honey and garlic.
- Chop the chicken into cubes and the pour the marinade over the chicken (I like to save a little for the veggies). Let the chicken marinate for at least an hour, but no longer than 3.
- In the meantime chop the veggies, season the with whatever you want, I usually do salt, pepper, garlic and some of the marinade, if I have any leftover.
After the chicken has marinated for at least an hour, layer the chicken and veggies on the kabobs. Pour any leftover marinade over the kabobs.
Tip: don’t pack the chicken too tight, this will help it cook evenly and not burn before reaching a safe temperature.
Before starting the grill, I start cooking my rice in the instant pot, just so it’s done and I can focus on the kabobs.
- Preheat the grill to a medium high-heat and then lower the temperature to a medium-low heat when your’e ready to grill the kabobs.
- Place the kabobs on the grill, rotating every 6-8 minutes. When the chicken reaches in internal temperature of 165° the kabobs are done. Be sure to check all of the chicken, just to be safe!
- Serve this over a bed of rice and top with more orange juice and fresh basil. Enjoy!
Check out the other recipes from this series!
I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe! Please be sure to check out all of the other recipes from the Budget Friendly Family Meal Series and follow along on social media for new recipes every week!
Orange Basil Chicken Kabobs
Equipment
- kabob skewers
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breast
- 2 zucchini sliced into 1/2 inch slices
- 1 red bell pepper cut into 1 inch chunks
- ½ yellow onion chopped into 1 inch chunks
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 ½ tbsp orange zest
- ⅛ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- ⅛ tsp cruched red pepper
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 2-3 cups cooked jasmine rice or rice of choice
Let's Make It
- In a small bowl mix together the orange juice, orange zest, basil, olive oil, dijon, red pepper, salt, honey and garlic.
- Chop the chicken into cubes and the pour the marinade over the chicken (I like to save a little for the veggies). Let the chicken marinate for at least an hour, but no longer than 3.
- In the meantime chop the veggies, season the with whatever you want, I usually do salt, pepper, garlic and some of the marinade, if I have any leftover.
- After the chicken has marinated for at least an hour, layer the chicken and veggies on the kabobs. Pour any leftover marinade over the kabobs.Tip: don't pack the chicken too tight, this will help it cook evenly and not burn before reaching a safe temperature.
- Before starting the grill, I start cooking my rice in the instant pot.
- Preheat the grill to a medium high heat and then lower the temperature to a medium-low heat when your'e ready to grill the kabobs.
- Place the kabobs on the grill, rotating every 6-8 minutes. When the chicken reaches in internal temperature of 165° the kabobs are done. Be sure to check all of the chicken, just to be safe!
- Serve this over a bed of rice and top with more orange juice and fresh basil. Enjoy!
