BBQ chicken kebabs. I am sure that your first reaction was the same as mine when you first laid eyes them. Is finger-licking amazing the phrase you were looking for?
Well, these BBQ chicken kebabs really do this phrase justice. The chicken skewers coated with a rich BBQ sauce make the perfect starter or canapé. Especially, if you want to cook to impress while having guests over for dinner or a garden grill party.
Give the chicken an alluring char and top them off with some fresh herbs. The kebabs go hand-in-hand with an ice cold beer and other BBQ recipes such as oven-baked barbecue chicken or BBQ meatballs. With this recipe, you'll easily gain a reputation for hosting the best barbecue in town.
And paired with grilled sweetcorn with feta and chilli will keep you trendy.
A barbecue for everyone
First of all, chicken mini-fillets work especially well for kebabs. There’s no need to cut them but instead simply thread them on.
However, who said that the only thing that you should put on a barbecue are pieces of meat? Whenever I have guests over, I like to give as many options as possible. So, why don't you also try serving a piece of fish, such as hot smoked salmon?
It can be served as a lighter version for those who wish to get into shape before the summer. Otherwise, you can also inspire yourself with delicious jerk prawns.
Also, you can throw some vegetables on the grill such as bells peppers, onions, or you can also make simple roasted asparagus. It goes with the BBQ chicken skewers as well as a the smoked fish or jerk prawns.
If you are accommodating vegans, stick to the vegetables on the grill, just in case, and make sure you make enough. You can also add roasted carrots. A protein alternative is to toss some tofu on the grill and give it a good sear on each side.
Types of skewers
Here is some food for thought. Ever thought of using metal skewers instead of the wooden ones? I didn't have any at home, but the reason why metal works better for the BBQ chicken kebabs is because the wood can absorb the moisture.
All those delicious juices released during the cooking process can get absorbed straight into the wood. That's why professional kitchens tend to go for the metal alternative. Also, you reduce the risk of the meat catching an unpleasant aroma from burned wood.
If using wooden skewers, soak them 10 minutes in water before they hit the barbecue. This will keep them from burning.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Use your oven
Just when you thought that you are doomed without a professional smoker or a grill, no need to panic. You can easily make delicious BBQ chicken kebabs using your kitchen oven too. Similarly, I used the oven for my oven-baked barbecue chicken and the result was definitely restaurant worthy.
If you love BBQ sauce and adore chicken, then please take a look at this recipe, I have a feeling that it might become one of your favourites this year. For a charring effect, use the grill function in your oven. Again, not every single oven has it, but there are ways to go about.
BBQ sauce
The BBQ sauce has considerable sugar content, so be careful when cooking the chicken skewers. If you place them on too high heat they will burn quickly and won’t be cooked through before you have to remove them from the barbecue.
Moreover, the barbecue sauce ingredients listed are enough to baste the kebabs with. Double up if you want to reserve some for dipping. Split the sauce between two bowls because you don’t want to poison yourself by dipping cooked food into raw chicken juices, i.e. the bowl you basted the raw chicken with!
Complementary BBQ dishes
For a successful BBQ events, naturally you'll need more BBQ dishes. I can tell you for a fact that if you make these spicy smoked ribs or these honey glazed smoked ribs in addition to the BBQ chicken kebabs, you'll be the king or queen of Barbecue Land. You can prepare these rib recipes easily, all you need is the right rub or marinade. You'll need to keep a eye on these when you put them on the grill though.
If you feel like creating something that you don't necessarily have to monitor every minute, then the whole smoked turkey is for you! Of course, for this recipe, you'll need a barbecue that has a smoking function.
Serve with sides
Traditionally, BBQ recipes can be quite heavy, therefore I recommend serving lighter dishes on the side. For example, you can try my creamy apple salad or a cucumber salad. In any case, I hope you enjoy making these BBQ chicken kebabs!
What is your favourite BBQ recipe?
Print📖 Recipe
BBQ Chicken Kebabs
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 1kg (2lbs) chicken breasts, skin removed and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 15ml (1 tbsp) onion powder
- 5ml (1 tsp) garlic granules
- 15ml (1 tbsp) smoked paprika
- 5ml (1 tsp) salt
- 30ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil
- 150g (5 oz) ketchup
- 30ml (2 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce
- 15ml (1 tbsp) peanut oil
- 15ml (1 tbsp) mild mustard
- 30ml (2 tbsp) brown sugar
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a large bowl and mix in the onion powder, garlic, paprika, salt and vegetable oil.
- When everything is evenly coated, cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour to marinate. Ideally, leave it overnight in the fridge for extra flavour.
- Place the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, peanut oil, mild mustard and brown sugar in a small saucepan.
- Heat the sauce on a low heat until well blended and the sugar has dissolved.
- Thread the chicken pieces on wooden skewers.
- Place the chicken skewers on medium heat on the Gas2Coal barbecue.
- Cook for around 71/2 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve with potato salad and your favourite BBQ side dishes.
Notes
- Chicken mini-fillets work especially well for kebabs and there’s no need to cut them but instead simply threading them on. In the photos I used them.
- The BBQ sauce has sugar content, so be careful when cooking the chicken skewers. If you place them on too high heat they will burn quickly and won’t be cooked through before you have to remove them from the barbecue.
- If using wooden skewers, soak them 10 minutes in water before they hit the barbecue. This will keep them from burning.
- These kebabs are ideally cooked on the grill. Alternatively, you can oven-bake them 20 minutes on each side.
- The barbecue sauce ingredients listed are enough to baste the kebabs with. Double up if you want to reserve some for dipping. Split the sauce between two bowls because you don’t want to poison yourself by dipping into raw chicken juices, i.e. the bowl you basted the raw chicken with!
- If you can't get hold of peanut oil, check out these peanut oil substitutes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 431
- Sugar: 10.2 g
- Sodium: 689 mg
- Fat: 19.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.9 g
- Protein: 49 g
- Cholesterol: 148 mg
save the recipe to your pinterest board
sharon martin
i like minted lamb burgers the most
Jackie Allum
Prawns. Or home made burgers which little pieces of feta hidden.
michelle
I adore feta!!!!!!
Dean T
I love texan syle barbecue food, brisket and ribs cooked as slow as possible
michelle
briskeeeet <3
Frances Sunshine Hopkins
I love trout on the bbq
michelle
haven't had something like this in ages!
Liam Bishop
Love halloumi! ALways chuck it on at the end so it picks up the other flavours as well.
michelle
me too! I love to grill it!
cheryl hadfield
marinated kebabs
michelle
yum, in what sauce? 🙂
cheryl hadfield
at the minute am really liking piri piri marinade
Kim Styles
mushroom ,red pepper and whole shallot kebabs with hickory BBQ sauce
michelle
sounds delish!
Suzanne
Love kebabs!
michelle
me too!
melanie stirling
Barbecued sausages are my favourite with plenty of onions.
michelle
I love onions on a BBQ
Sam R
BBQ Steak is pretty amazing!
michelle
agreed!
sam macaree
i'm a plain old throw all the meats on and let them sizzle sort of girl
michelle
hhaha cool
Kim Neville
My favourite is Char siu BBQ pork
michelle
sounds lovely!
Leila Benhamida
I enjoy barbecuing sardines with lemon, garlic and paprika. Especially on a warm weather.
michelle
sounds nice
Solange
Marinade. Leave for a few hours, ideally over night to make sure the flavours aren’t overridden by the addition of the smoke and then brush your meat or fish with the marinade every 10 minutes as it cooks. That way it will add moisture, trap the smoke flavour and caramelise gently as it goes.
michelle
like a pro 🙂
Tracy Nixon
I love bbqs and prefer a charcoal bbqs to gas! I especially love marinated tuna steaks cooked on the bbq grill!
michelle
tuna steaks are top!