Sanpete County Grilled Turkey Kabobs

Use chicken or turkey for these Grilled Turkey Kabobs flavored with soy sauce, sesame oil, horseradish, garlic, and diet lemon-lime soda! This unusual combination is really delicious and these kabobs are super low in carbs!

PIN the Turkey Kabobs to try them later!

I’m so happy to be updating this recipe for Sanpete County Grilled Turkey Kabobs! This marinade for grilled turkey (or chicken) that originated in Sanpete County is famous all over Utah, and today I’m bringing you this new-and-improved version of the famous grilled turkey kabob recipe that I’ve researched and tested thoroughly!

I consulted my sister Val who’s from Sanpete County (the turkey capital of Utah), and she’s been making this recipe for years. Val reminded me that she always uses this tasty marinade on turkey breast, and after I updated my recipe and tested it on turkey it was so good that I decided that’s the version I’d share with you! 

Kara and I tested this a couple of times to make sure the new version will be a WOW for you, and we loved these kabobs! I hope you’ll try it on boneless turkey breast if you want to switch up your grilling options! But of course you can also make this with chicken breasts if that’s what you prefer.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• boneless turkey breast (or chicken breast)
• sugar-free lemon lime soda
• soy sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link)
• Peanut Oil (affiliate link) or other vegetable oil
• sesame oil (affiliate link)
• ground horseradish (affiliate link)
• Garlic Powder (affiliate link)
• coarse ground black pepper to taste

What makes this recipe for Turkey Kabobs so unusual?

What makes this turkey or chicken marinade unusual is the addition of horseradish and sugar-free lemon-lime soda, which combines with the other ingredients to give great flavor and a slightly-spicy kick. When I was researching I found that some cooks don’t add much horseradish, but my recipe has a generous amount. I also use a little sesame oil for plenty of Asian flavor notes.

How low in carbs are the Grilled Turkey Kabobs?

These amazing turkey kabobs from Sanpete County have only 5 net carbs per serving!

What type of skewers are best for the Turkey Kabobs?

For this recipe I used the beautiful blade-type skewers I got in Turkey, and if you’re making kabobs I highly recommend using either thicker blade-type skewers (affiliate link) or double skewers (affiliate link) to prevent the meat from spinning around on the skewers. But if you don’t have any skewers like that, make sure you squeeze the pieces of chicken or turkey tightly together to hold it in place.

How to cook Turkey Kabobs without an outdoor grill:

If it’s not quite grilling weather where you live or you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can also cook this recipe for turkey kabobs on a stove-top grill pan with ridges or a George Foreman Grill with good results. (affiliate links)

Tips for making Sanpete County Grilled Turkey Kabobs:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Trim as needed and cut turkey breast or chicken breast into cubes.
2. Any diet lemon-lime soda will work (or use regular soda if you don’t care about carbs.) 
3. Whisk together ingredients to make the marinade.
4. Let turkey or chicken marinate at least 8 hours in the refrigerator. 
5. Drain turkey or chicken in a colander placed in the sink.
6. Thread the pieces onto six skewers, or make four larger kabobs. 
7. Rub grill with olive oil or spray with grill spray like Pam for Grilling (affiliate link), then preheat to medium high while skewers come to room temperature.
8. If you want grill marks turn kabobs several times, lifting to check and turning when you see marks.
9. Total cooking time will be about 15 minutes.
10. For best results I recommend an Instant Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) to cook until the poultry reaches a temperature of 165F/75C.

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

Serve the Turkey Kabobs with something like Pan-Fried Asparagus Tips, Green Bean and Tomato Salad, Cucumber Salad with Balsamic Dressing, Thai Cucumber Salad, or Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw for a low-carb meal!

More Grilled Turkey or Chicken:

• Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar
• Very Greek Grilled Chicken
• Grilled Middle Eastern Turkey Burgers

Weekend Food Prep:

Even if you’re only cooking for a few people, I’d make the full recipe of six kabobs because the leftovers from these turkey kabobs are so great added to stir-fried veggies, eaten in pita bread, or served over salad! And since leftovers are tasty from this recipe, it’s been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

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Yield: 6 kabobs

Sanpete County Grilled Turkey Kabobs

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes

These Grilled Turkey (or chicken) Kabobs are flavored with an interesting marinade, and this recipe is from Sanpete County, Utah!

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. boneless turkey breast, cut into pieces (see notes)

Marinade Ingredients:

• 6 oz. diet lemon lime soda (see notes)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce (see notes)
• 1/4 cup peanut oil (see notes)
• 2 T sesame oil
• 2 T horseradish (or more, see notes)
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• coarse ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Trim visible fat or undesirable parts from turkey or chicken breasts, then cut into pieces that are 1 1/2 - 2 inches square.
2. Whisk together diet lemon-lime soda, soy sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link), Peanut Oil (affiliate link) or other vegetable oil, sesame oil (affiliate link), ground horseradish (affiliate link), garlic powder, and coarse-ground black pepper to make the interesting marinade. (Taste before you add more horseradish if you're a horseradish fan.)
3. Put turkey or chicken pieces into Ziploc bag or a plastic container with a snap-right lid, pour in marinade, and marinate at least 8 hours in refrigerator. (You can definitely marinate this much longer. When I was testing the improved recipe, several times I marinated overnight and cooked the next afternoon.)
4. When ready to cook, drain the poultry into a colander placed in the sink.
5. Thread the turkey or chicken pieces on to skewers, pushing them together tightly, especially if you don't have double skewers (affiliate link) or blade-type Skewers (affiliate link) like mine.
6. While skewers come to room temperature, rub the grill grates with olive oil or spray with grill spray, then preheat grill to medium-high heat. (You can only hold your hand there for 2-3 seconds at that heat.)
7. If you want grill marks on your kabobs, after they've cooked for a couple of minutes check  by lifting one kabob with tongs, and turn kabobs several times as you see grill marks starting to show.
8. Total cooking time will be about 15 minutes, but actual cooking time depends on your grill temperature and how thick the pieces of chicken or turkey are. For best results I recommend using an Instant Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) and cook until the poultry reaches a temperature of 165F/75C.
9. Serve hot.
10. Leftover chicken or turkey is great to add to a stir-fry, eat in pita bread, or sprinkle over a salad.

Notes

If you prefer to use chicken, use six boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I used half a can of Diet 7-Up, but any lemon-lime soda will work. Use Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link) for the recipe if needed. I like the flavor from Peanut Oil (affiliate link) for this recipe, but other vegetable oil will also be fine. If you're a big horseradish fan like me, start with 2 T horseradish, whisk the marinade ingredients together, and taste it on a spoon before you add more horseradish.

I found a version of this recipe years ago in the Salt Lake Tribune and updated the recipe with assistance from my sister Val, who's a proud Sanpete County resident!

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 371Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 121mgSodium 1341mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 0gSugar 4gProtein 48g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
As long as it’s made with diet soda, this recipe for turkey kabobs is perfect for low-carb or Keto diets, or for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Grilling Recipes to find more recipes like this one.Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted August 2006, adapted from a recipe I originally found in The Salt Lake Tribune. The recipe was updated and improved in July 2020 and last updated with more information in 2024. (I found an error in the original version, so this new recipe has been thoroughly researched and tested, with much consulting with and advice from from my sister Val, who lives in Sanpete County!)

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