Juicy BBQ Chicken Skewers with a Flavorful Secret
The Best BBQ Chicken Skewers with Bacon Paste
The Juicy Grilled Chicken Kebab Recipe You’ve Been Missing
I’ve made a lot of chicken on the grill over the years, but these BBQ chicken skewers with bacon paste are in a category of their own. Every single time I serve them, they disappear completely — there are never any leftovers! And the best part? Everyone is completely surprised when they find out the secret ingredient that makes them so unbelievably moist and flavorful.
The trick is a two-minute bacon paste that coats every piece of chicken before it hits the grill. Combined with a quick salt treatment and a dual paprika rub, these aren’t just good chicken kabobs — they’re the recipe people ask you to make again and again.
Can You Really Get Juicy Grilled Chicken Without a Long Marinade?
Yes! The bacon paste replaces a long marinade entirely. The fat from the raw bacon coats each piece of chicken, locking in moisture during grilling — so even a 30-minute salt rest is enough to produce incredibly juicy results every time.
Why You’ll Love These BBQ Chicken Skewers
- Unbelievably juicy every time — The bacon paste creates a protective fat layer around every piece of chicken, so it stays moist even over high grill heat.
- Ready in about an hour — Just a 30–60 minute salt rest, coat with the paste, and grill. No overnight marinade required.
- Proven crowd-pleaser — Hundreds of readers have rated these and the verdict is always the same: there are never any leftovers.
- Easy to customize — Swap the BBQ sauce, go spicy, add honey, or take them Hawaiian — the technique works with almost any flavor direction.
- Works on the grill or in the oven — Perfect for a summer cookout or a rainy-day broil.
Why Bacon Paste Is the Secret to Juicy Grilled Chicken Skewers
Most grilled chicken dries out because skinless chicken has no fat layer to protect it from the intense heat. The bacon paste solves this problem directly. When you process raw bacon into a smooth paste and coat the chicken with it, the bacon fat creates a thin, protective coating around each piece. As it grills, that fat slowly renders and essentially bastes the chicken from the outside in — the same way skin would, if it were still attached.
The dual paprika rub adds another layer: sweet paprika for color and mild flavor, smoked paprika for a deep, woodsy note that tastes like it came off a smoker. The small amount of sugar helps the outside caramelize beautifully without making the skewers sweet. And the initial salt treatment? That’s a quick dry brine — the salt draws moisture briefly to the surface, then the meat reabsorbs it along with the seasoning, giving you juicier, more flavorful chicken from the very first bite.
For food safety, the USDA recommends all poultry reach an internal temperature of 165°F. A quick-read meat thermometer is the best way to confirm these are perfectly done and safe to serve.
Ingredients and Supplies for BBQ Chicken Skewers with Bacon Paste
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts (thighs strongly recommended — more forgiving and juicier on the grill)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1½ tablespoons sweet paprika (regular paprika works fine if you can’t find sweet)
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 2–3 slices raw bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
Supplies
- Gas or charcoal grill
- Skewers — metal, or wooden/bamboo soaked in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling
- Food processor or high-powered blender
- Large mixing bowl
- Paper towels
- Basting brush
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Aluminum foil
- Digital meat thermometer
- Grill tongs or mitts
Flavor & Serving Variations
Flavor Variations
- Spicy Kick: Add ½ tsp cayenne or red pepper flakes to the spice rub
- Honey BBQ: Stir 1–2 tablespoons of honey into your BBQ sauce before basting
- Maple Bacon: Use maple-flavored bacon for a sweeter, extra-smoky paste
- Teriyaki Style: Replace the BBQ sauce with your favorite teriyaki sauce
- Herb-Infused: Add a teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary or thyme to the rub
- Citrus Bright: Add lemon or lime zest to the dry rub for a fresh, summery finish
Serving Variations
- Mixed chicken and veggie kabobs — thread bell peppers, zucchini, and red onion between the chicken pieces
- Hawaiian style — add pineapple chunks for a sweet contrast to the smoky glaze
- Mediterranean twist — serve with warm pita bread and tzatziki on the side
- Party appetizer — cut into smaller pieces and serve on mini skewers for easy passing
How to Make BBQ Chicken Skewers with Bacon Paste: Step-by-Step
- Salt and chill the chicken: Trim excess fat from the chicken, then cut into 1-inch cubes. Toss with kosher salt in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes. This quick dry brine seasons the meat all the way through and helps it stay moist on the grill.
- Make the bacon paste: Place the raw bacon in a food processor or blender and pulse for 30–45 seconds, scraping down the sides twice, until a completely smooth paste forms. This is the secret weapon — the bacon fat will slowly render and baste the chicken as it grills, keeping every bite incredibly juicy.
- Mix the rub: In a small bowl, combine the sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and sugar. You’ll add this spice mixture to the chicken along with the bacon paste in the next step.
- Pat dry and coat: Remove the chicken from the fridge and pat dry with paper towels — this step matters, because moisture makes the paste slide right off. Add the bacon paste and spice mixture to the bowl and mix everything together with your hands or a spatula until every piece is thoroughly coated.
- Thread the skewers: Thread the coated chicken onto metal skewers or pre-soaked wooden skewers, rolling or folding each piece to maintain roughly 1-inch cube shapes. Leave just a small amount of space between pieces so the heat can circulate and cook them evenly.
- Grill and baste: Preheat your gas grill to high for about 15 minutes. Leave the primary burner on and turn the others off. Place skewers over the primary burner, close the lid, and grill — rotating a quarter turn every 2 minutes — until the chicken is browned and slightly charred, about 8 minutes total for breasts or 10 minutes for thighs. Brush the top side with BBQ sauce, flip, and cook 1 minute. Brush the second side, flip once more, and cook until the chicken registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Rest and serve: Remove the skewers from the grill, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute so every bite stays moist. Serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side.
Tips for the Juiciest BBQ Chicken Skewers Every Time
- Choose thighs over breasts when possible. Chicken thighs have more natural fat, which means they hold up to the grill better and stay juicy even if they cook a minute or two longer than planned.
- Always pat the chicken dry before coating. Surface moisture causes the paste to slip off. Dry chicken browns better and holds more of that smoky, bacon-infused coating.
- Soak wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes. A dry bamboo skewer over high heat will char and can even catch fire. Soaked skewers stay intact for the full cook time.
- Add BBQ sauce only at the end. The sugar in most BBQ sauces will burn if it hits the grill too early. Wait until the last 1–2 minutes for a gorgeous caramelized glaze without the char.
- Don’t skip the 5-minute rest. It makes a noticeable difference. Cutting into the chicken right off the grill loses all those juices — give them a chance to settle back into the meat.
- Use a meat thermometer. The only certain way to confirm doneness is an internal temp of 165°F. It takes two seconds and removes all the guesswork.
Storage, Reheating, and Make-Ahead Tips
Storing Leftovers
Store cooked chicken skewers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remove from the skewers before storing to save space and make reheating easier.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with a small splash of water or a brush of BBQ sauce to keep the chicken moist. You can also microwave on medium power in 30-second intervals. Avoid high heat — it dries the chicken out quickly.
Freezing
These freeze beautifully. Let cooked skewers cool completely, remove from the skewers, and freeze in a zip-top freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Make Ahead
You can prep the skewers up to 8 hours in advance. Coat the chicken, thread onto skewers, cover tightly with plastic wrap on a rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerate until you’re ready to grill. Don’t apply the BBQ sauce until you’re actually at the grill.
Frequently Asked Questions About BBQ Chicken Skewers with Bacon Paste
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Yes! Chicken breasts work well — just reduce your grill time slightly and pull them at 165°F internal temperature. Thighs are the more forgiving option if you’re newer to grilling, since they’re harder to accidentally dry out.
Do I really need the bacon paste?
It’s the reason these are exceptional rather than just good. The paste adds smoky fat, helps the coating adhere, and is what produces that unbelievably juicy result. A handful of readers have skipped it and still loved them, but if you want the full effect, don’t leave it out. If you need a substitute, 2 tablespoons of olive oil will work — the flavor just won’t be the same.
Can I marinate these overnight?
Yes! Coat the chicken with the bacon-spice mixture and refrigerate for up to 8 hours before threading and grilling. The flavors actually develop even more with extra time. Just hold off on the BBQ sauce until you’re at the grill.
Can I make these without a grill?
Absolutely. Set your oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler. Line a broiler pan bottom with foil, place the slotted broiler pan top on it, and arrange your skewers across it. Broil, turning occasionally and brushing with BBQ sauce in the last couple of minutes, until the chicken is charred at the edges and reaches 165°F — about 10 minutes total.
What if I don’t have a food processor?
A high-powered blender works well. No blender? Finely mince the bacon with a sharp knife until it’s as close to a paste as you can get. The texture will be slightly chunkier, but you’ll still get great flavor and the fat will still do its job.
What BBQ sauce works best?
Use whatever sauce you love most. A smoky-sweet variety pairs beautifully with the paprika and bacon. Our homemade Pepsi BBQ Sauce is a fantastic match if you want to make it from scratch.
Can I cook these on a charcoal grill?
Yes! Light a full chimney of briquettes and spread them in an even layer over one side of the grill, leaving the other side empty. Place skewers over the hot coals and follow the same timing and turning method as the gas grill instructions. You’re aiming for around 350°F inside the grill with the lid closed.
Can I freeze the bacon paste by itself?
Yes — make a batch of bacon paste ahead of time, portion it into small zip-top bags, and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Perfect Side Dishes for BBQ Chicken Skewers
These skewers pair wonderfully with just about anything summery. Here are some favorites that come together easily alongside them:
- Grilled Zucchini with Lemon Salt — light, fresh, and cooks right on the same grill
- Honey Lime Fruit Salad — sweet and bright, a perfect contrast to the smoky chicken
- Grilled Rosemary Garlic Potatoes — hearty, flavorful, and always a hit
- Lemon Herb Potato Salad — bright and creamy, easy to make ahead
- Grilled Pineapple — caramelized and delicious right alongside the skewers
More Easy Grilling Recipes You’ll Love
- Hawaiian Grilled Chicken with Coconut Rice
- Homemade Pepsi BBQ Sauce
- Easy Grilled Pineapple
- Grilled Rosemary Garlic Potatoes
Watch This Recipe in Action:
The Best BBQ Chicken Skewers Recipe
Equipment
- Skewers
- Grill
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 2-3 slices raw bacon cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Trim chicken of excess fat, then cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the salt. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
- Turn all grill burners to high, close lid, and heat for about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on, but turn off other burners.
- Meanwhile, pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine both paprika and sugar. Place the raw bacon in a food processor or blender and pulse for about 30-45 seconds, until a smooth paste forms, scraping down the sides of the bowl twice throughout. Add the bacon paste and spice mixture to the chicken. Mix with hands or spatula until the ingredients are blended and chicken is coated. Thread the chicken onto the skewers, rolling or folding as needed to maintain 1-inch cubes.
- Grill the chicken over the primary burner with lid closed, turning one-quarter of a turn every 2 minutes or so, until browned and slightly charred (about 8 minutes total for chicken breast and 10 minutes for thighs). Brush the top of skewers with BBQ sauce; flip and cook until sauce is browned in spots, about 1 minute. Brush second side with sauce; flip and cook for another minute or so, until cooked through.
- Remove skewers from grill, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve, passing remaining BBQ sauce separately, if desired.
Nutrition
Final Thoughts
These BBQ chicken skewers with bacon paste have been my most-requested grill recipe for years — and I still love watching people’s faces when I tell them what the secret is. Nobody expects the answer to be bacon paste, but the moment they hear it, they immediately get it! The extra steps take maybe five minutes of additional effort and pay off with deeply flavorful, perfectly juicy chicken that disappears before you can even get one for yourself.
Whether you’re firing up the grill for Memorial Day, the 4th of July, or just a weeknight dinner, this recipe delivers every single time. Give it a try and let the empty plate speak for itself!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Please leave a comment and a star rating below — your reviews help other readers find recipes worth making, and they mean the world to a small business like ours. ❤️
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These were wonderful, the whole family enjoy it! Served with some grilled vegetables and it was perfect.
Hooray! So glad you like them!
I can’t seem to find sweet paprika anywhere. Can I use regular?
Chrissy, I was unable to find sweet paprika also so just used regular. There wasn’t any left so I figure it’s all good. 🙂
Awesome thank u! Making these tonight 🙂
Yes, I actually also used just paprika for the sweet paprika.
Do you use white sugar or brown sugar?
I use white granulated sugar.
could coconut sugar be substituted for the white sugar? We try to eat paleo as much as possible and that includes not using refined white sugar.
Good question. I know the granulated sugar often helps with browning in grilling recipes, but I don’t know if coconut sugar does the same. I would probably go for it though! Let us know how it goes!
i just added bacon fat to the bbq sauce at the end. very good
Did you marinate them in the bacon paste and the paprika? In the recipe it only says to marinate with the salt. 🙂 Just needing some clarification! Thanks so much! 🙂
Yep, I only marinate the chicken in the salt. Then coat the chicken with the paprika mixture right before cooking. Hope you try it out and love it!
Are these 🥵
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Note on the wooden skewers, what I do is get a 9 x13 pan and put an entire bag of the wooden skewers in it, then fill up with water. Let soak for several hours and what I don’t use I put in a zip lock freezer bag and put in the freezer, next time I want to use them I just pull out what I need from the freezer. Works great and they don’t burn.
That is an awesome tip on the wood skewers! Thanks, Colleen!
I actually use chop sticks and a clean pencil sharpener they are shorter eased to soak, less likely to burn and are great for portion control.
Great idea. I am going to use this idea for sure. Thank you.
Wonderful, made them for Memorial Day they were the hit of the party. They are great will definitely fix them again.
Wonderful! Thank you for your comment, Marsha!
I made these for a party this past weekend (I skewered whole chicken tenders to save time) and they were so popular that they were all gone before I even had a chance to taste one. Guess I’ll be making them again this week so I can see what all the rave reviews were about!
Ha ha. Love it. You’ll have to double it next time!
Great idea, I am glad I read the comments before making this !!
Found these on Pinterest, made them for dinner tonight. Very tasty!
Glad you liked them!
Oh YuMmY!!! I can’t wait to give these a try!!
Blessings ♥
Betsy
Enjoy!
I’m hoping to make these tomorrow for the 4th….but I have a TON of other dishes to make. Can I marinate and skewer them tonight? Then just BBQ tomorrow? Has anyone prepared them the night before?
You can definitely do that, I just placed them on cookie sheets with sides, and cover them securely with plastic wrap.
Sounds like it should work great! Thanks for sharing.
These kabobs are delicious, as a mater of fact I’m making them tonight for the 3rd time…..Kudos!! Thanks for sharing!
Awesome! Thanks for your comment.
These are AMAZING! Just finishing my last bite and I had to come tell you. I forgot to buy bacon, so I added a squirt or two of liquid smoke. While it was marinating it smelled divine. Then cooking I just drizzled a little bit of bbq sauce on, and ooooh yum. I served it with baked potatoes and grilled pineapple.
Great idea to use liquid smoke as a sub for the bacon in a pinch, Jackie. Sounds like you made a very delicious meal!
This recipe is just what I’ve been looking for. BBQing chicken with plain old BBQ sauce gets kinda same old after a while. Adding this to my Evernote Recipes notebook. Thanks!
You’re welcome! I hope you try it out soon and love it!
We live in a Sr. Citizens community where grills are not allowed; can these be baked in the oven? Do you use metal skewers or wooden ones? Wooden ones would need to be soaked at least 30 min. prior to cooking to keep them from burning. If I cooked them in a oven, do you bake them uncovered or cover with foil ? I have a small Oskar food processor that I use to chop nuts, cabbage, carrotts, tuna fish or chicken salad that I buy from the deli that is in too big of chunks. I also use it for slicing and dicing onions, celery and bell pepper..I can’t image putting raw bacon in it, I don’t think it would do nothing but toss it around, not cut it up..Maybe I should try it and see what happens.. Why not save your bacon grease in a jar or can and dip the chicken in that first? Would it accomplish the same results?
Hi, Betty!
I think you could definitely broil these kebabs. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line broiler pan bottom with foil and top with slotted broiler pan top. Arrange skewers on prepared pan. Broil, turning occasionally and brushing on sauce (as in the recipe), until chicken is charred around edges and registers 160 degrees, about 10 minutes.
Wooden or metal skewers will work great, whether it is in the oven or on the grill.
It might take a few minutes, but the raw bacon will turn into a paste. I think the bacon paste will have much more of an impact than bacon grease.
Give it a try! I hope you like it!
I took these to a friend’s cookout on Sunday and they were the biggest hit of all the dishes!!! Everybody loved them and I practically had to haul the kids off of them so everyone could have some! This is how I will prepare all BBQ chicken in the future regardless of its form, breast, leg, kebab, whatever:)) Thanks for a fabulously delicious recipe! The only change I made was I added 2 cloves of garlic to the bacon and then pureed it.
Awesome! Thanks, Melissa!
Hi there, i want to make these for dinner but i do not have a food processor to do the bacon…..help please!!
A high-powered blender would probably also work, or you could just chop the bacon into really fine pieces until it is as close to a paste as you can get! It might also work if you chop the bacon into small pieces then try using a potato ricer or pressing the bacon through a mesh colander to get the paste.
Can use meat pounder or meat tenderizer mallet(same tool just different names lol) to beat the heck out of the bacon until you happy with it lol
Made these for supper tonight. Oh. My. God. They were fantastic! Will definitely be adding these to the meal rotation!
Yay! Thanks for commenting.
These are amazingly delicious, made these for a dinner party for 16 people and everyone raved about this recipe. Love the smokey flavor from the bacon. Definitely a keeper!!
Love to hear it! Thanks for your comment, Rochelle.
These look great. Can’t wait to try them. Thanks
Let me know how it goes!
tried these last weekend. Couldn’t mix the bacon in properly but OMG they were awesome! So your recipe is now a big hit in the Netherlands as well!
Woohoo! That is awesome. Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Sound very delicious. ………
I recommend two table of yogurt except bacon
Hi, I want to make these. But I don’t seem to find sweet paprika?
Should I use all regular paprika?
I don’t want it to be too spicy. Please advice
Yes, using regular paprika will work if you can’t find the sweet variety.
Thanks!
You’re welcome!
Penzeys Spices has a smoked paprika. If you don’t have one where you live, order it from the web. LaDonna
If you want awesome sweet BBQ sauce try Montgomery Inn. It’s mainly sold in the Ohio/KY/IN area because it’s based on Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati. Every time I go home I load up.
I am on my second smart stick. And I’ve convinced two employers to buy them. Love them. Smoked paprika is amazing. I need to try this.
I forgot to add bacon & the kabobs tasted delicious! This was a test run for the 4th, guess one ingredient l won’t be leaving out? Great recipe 🙂
Well, I guess that’s good to know – that they still taste awesome even without the bacon! They will be perfect for the 4th! Thanks for commenting and I hope you have a great holiday. 🙂
I am so trying these on a BBQ we are having this weekend! Thanks for the recipe
Can I replace the bacon with something else? since we don’t eat bacon
Hi, Salwa! Someone else commented that they didn’t use bacon at all and it was still delicious. So I would probably just omit the bacon if I were you. Hope they turn out awesome for you!
Do you have to use the bacon paste. Was thinking this might be a great discounts when camping. Please advise as we have 2 trips back-to-back. Thanks in advance.
I haven’t tried leaving out the bacon paste, but some other readers have left comments about the chicken still being good without it. So, you can give it a try!
Hello I have a charcoal grill so what temp and for how long to cook thanks.
Hi, Ed! I have not used a charcoal grill before, so I haven’t done this myself. But from what I read, it sounds like this would might be a good method…
Open the bottom grill vents completely and place the roasting pan on one side of the grill. Light a large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes. When the coals are hot, pour them in an even layer over half the grill, opposite the roasting pan. Set the cooking grate in place, cover, and open the lid vents completely. Heat the grill until hot, about 5 minutes. Cook the chicken on the hotter part of the grill, following the timing and directions from the recipe. (I would guess the temp to be 350.)
Can you make these she a d of time and freeze them for later and just reheat them?
I haven’t tried freezing this before, so I can’t say for sure. Seems like it would work, but freezing it could dry it out too. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
I followed the recipe as directed, but brined my chicken breast for an hour and used maple bacon. These barbecue kabobs were outstanding! My family loved them! We’ll be making them again!
Awesome! Sounds delicious!
So delicious and worth the minimal extra effort! Rave reviews every time!
I don’t see the cooking time, just the 5 minutes to rest?
Oh shoot. We changed to a different recipe format and must have lost the rest of the instructions! I’ll try to fix it asap!
Trim chicken of excess fat, then cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the salt. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Turn all grill burners to high, close lid, and heat for about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on, but turn off other burners.
Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine the paprikas and sugar. Place the raw bacon in a food processor and pulse for about 30-45 seconds, until a smooth paste forms, scraping down the sides of the bowl twice throughout. Add the bacon paste and spice mixture to the chicken. Mix with hands or spatula until the ingredients are blended and chicken is coated. Thread the chicken onto the skewers, rolling or folding as needed to maintain 1-inch cubes.
Grill the chicken over the primary burner with lid closed, turning one-quarter of a turn every 2 minutes or so, until browned and slightly charred (about 8 minutes total for chicken breast and 10 minutes for thighs). Brush the top of kebabs with BBQ sauce; flip and cook until sauce is browned in spots, about 1 minute. Brush second side with sauce; flip and cook for another minute or so, until cooked through.
Remove kebabs from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve, passing remaining BBQ sauce separately, if desired.
I recently found this recipe via a blogger I follow, who posted some of her recent favorite recipes. Oh boy oh boy am I glad that I tried this one! It is delicious. Thank you so much– I am excited for it to go into our regular summer grilling rotation!
Oh you will love it!
this was a disaster for me. The bacon paste clumped and wouldn’t stick to the chicken, just slid right off into clumps.
So sorry to hear that, Marie! Patting the chicken dry usually helps a lot with a problem like that. Let me know if I can answer any questions or help in some way. 🙂
Have you tried putting them in the oven? It is raining really hard today…
I personally have not, but I know you can! Here are some instructions for what I would do to cook them in the oven: Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line broiler pan bottom with foil and top with slotted broiler pan top. Arrange skewers on prepared pan. Broil, turning occasionally and brushing on sauce (as in the recipe), until chicken is charred around edges and registers 160 degrees, about 10 minutes.
I’m looking at the nutrition facts and geez, 445% of Potassium.. is that for a bunch of the kebabs, is it an error, or is it legitimately that much?
That must be an error! I’m not sure why it says that. When I enter the ingredients on a nutrition info site, it shows 7% potassium. Sorry about that!
I live in a small apartment without a grill and the broiler in my oven is questionable…do you think I could simply just bake these in the oven at 350 for half an hour or so? I know I wouldn’t get any crispy bits, but what do u think?
Well, it is probably worth a try! You’re right that it won’t quite be the same. There’s a chance that the chicken could dry out too. I would try baking it at 375 or 425 degrees F, but I really don’t know how it will turn out since I haven’t tried it myself! The safe internal temperature for cooked chicken is 165 degrees F, so I’d make sure it cooks for long enough to reach that. Let us know how it goes!
You’ll find sweet paprika in a European deli. Hungarian sweet paprika is delicious!
Thanks, Louie!
This was great! I only have a little chopper that is food processor style and I ground up my bacon still slightly frozen – worked like a charm. Don’t be too concerned with finding sweet paprika, I’ve made it with a bit of spicy paprika when I’ve been short on one variety and it still tastes great (if not better, depending on your preference of course). I’ve also mixed all the ingredients in a large Ziploc and added my chicken chunks dry rub style to marinate the flavors overnight, then skewer them when you get home from work, it makes for a quick and super easy meal!
Real talk – my husband can be super picky and he loves these, especially when I stick a chunk of sweet pepper between each chicken chunk.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your review and great ideas, Chantal. I’m glad he loved them!
My family does not like spicy are these good for my family
These BBQ chicken kebabs are not very spicy at all! Of course, it does depend on the BBQ sauce that you use. Give the recipe a try! I hope you and your family will love it!
This recipe never fails to disappoint. Easy and yummy all at the same time. My kind of go-to when it’s this hot (90 in Vermont!)….
I agree 100%! Thank you for your comment, Lisa. Enjoy that hot weather! 😉
Have made these several times for guests- always gets rave reviews!..unlike other kabobs that can turn out dry these are moist & yum done on our traeger. Thanks for recipe!!
I’m so glad! Thank you for your review and comment, Areu!
Just found this recipe and would love to try it but was wondering if you have tried these in a rotisserie air fryer. That’s my preferred way of cooking and our grill is currently broke so until we get a new one I can’t try these grilled☹️.
This recipe truly deserves the 5 Star rating. My first time rating any recipes on line, this recipe is really easy, amazing Just enough flavor and the chicken couldn’t be any tender, I can not say enough about this recipe. A must try, you will not be disappointed. Also prepared for guest at my home and got the same amazing comments!
Cheryl, we are SO HAPPY to hear that you loved this so much you rated us 5-stars. Thank you!
Have made these many times now and they never disappoint. In Australia I use Hoyts Hungarian (sweet) paprika if that helps anyone.
Angie we are so glad! Thanks for the tip on the sweet paprika.
Hosted my first book club and I wanted that “Wow” factor meal. And man, did these deliver!! So moist, the bacon paste gave off the best smokey flavor. Amazing!! Thank you for this recipe 👏
We are so stoked you loved the recipe! I agree that they are fantastic!