Juicy BBQ Chicken Skewers with a Flavorful Secret
BBQ Chicken Skewers with a Secret Ingredient
The Best BBQ Chicken Skewers Recipe (You’ll Want Seconds!)
These aren’t your ordinary BBQ chicken skewers – a few simple but unexpected ingredients create juicy, flavor-packed skewers that will be the star of your next cookout. This easy grilled recipe uses a secret ingredient to elevate classic chicken kebabs into a mouthwatering meal everyone will request again and again.
Table of Contents for BBQ Chicken Skewers Recipe
- Ingredients and Supplies
- Flavor & Serving Variations
- What Makes These Skewers Special?
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Perfect Side Dishes
- Final Thoughts
Ingredients and Supplies to Make BBQ Chicken Kebabs
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- Kosher salt
- Sweet paprika (or regular paprika)
- Smoked paprika
- Sugar
- Raw bacon
- Your favorite BBQ sauce
- Grill
- Skewers (metal or wooden)
- Food processor or blender
- Large mixing bowl
- Paper towels
- Basting brush
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Aluminum foil
- Grill mitts or tongs
Flavor & Serving Variations
Flavor Variations
- Spicy Kick: Add 1/2 tsp cayenne or red pepper flakes
- Honey BBQ: Mix 1-2 tbsp honey into your BBQ sauce
- Teriyaki Style: Swap in teriyaki sauce
- Herb-Infused: Add chopped rosemary or thyme
- Citrus Bright: Add lemon or lime zest to the rub
Serving Variations
- Vegetable-only skewers
- Mixed chicken and veggie kebabs
- Hawaiian style with pineapple chunks
- Serve with pita and tzatziki for a Mediterranean twist
What Makes These BBQ Chicken Skewers Special?
- Salt Treatment: Brief dry brine locks in moisture
- Bacon Paste: Adds subtle smokiness and depth
- Dual Paprika Rub: Sweet and smoky layers of flavor
- Two-Stage Saucing: Caramelized glaze without burning
How to Make the Best BBQ Chicken Skewers Step-by-Step
- Cube and salt the chicken: Cut your chicken into bite-sized chunks and season with kosher salt. Place in the fridge for 30–60 minutes. This quick dry brine helps the chicken retain moisture during grilling.
- Make the bacon paste: Add raw bacon to a food processor or blender and pulse until a smooth paste forms. This unique ingredient adds smoky flavor and fat, which helps the chicken brown beautifully on the grill.
- Mix the rub: In a bowl, combine the bacon paste with sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and sugar. Stir well to form a thick, flavorful mixture.
- Coat the chicken: Use your hands or a spoon to fully coat the chicken pieces with the bacon-spice mixture. Make sure each piece is evenly covered for maximum flavor.
- Skewer the chicken: Thread the seasoned chicken onto metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers, leaving a bit of space between each piece so they cook evenly.
- Grill and baste: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for about 10–15 minutes, turning occasionally. Baste generously with your favorite BBQ sauce during the last few minutes of cooking, allowing it to caramelize without burning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Yes! Chicken breasts cook a little faster than thighs, so reduce your grill time slightly and keep a close eye to avoid overcooking.
Do I really need to use bacon paste?
It’s highly recommended—it adds fat, helps the seasoning stick, and enhances the browning. However, you can substitute with a touch of olive oil or skip if needed.
Can I make these skewers ahead of time?
Yes! You can prep the skewers up to 8 hours in advance and refrigerate until you’re ready to grill. Don’t sauce them until cooking time for best results.
What if I don’t have a food processor?
No problem! Finely mince the bacon with a sharp knife or use a blender. The texture might be a bit chunkier, but it’ll still work.
What BBQ sauce should I use?
Use any BBQ sauce you love! A smoky, sweet variety complements the paprika and bacon flavors well. Homemade or store-bought both work.
Can I make these without a grill?
Yes! Bake the skewers on a rimmed baking sheet at 425°F until nearly cooked through, then broil for a few minutes with BBQ sauce to caramelize.
Perfect Side Dishes for BBQ Chicken Skewers
- Grilled Zucchini
- Honey Lime Fruit Salad
- Grilled Rosemary Potatoes
- Lemon Herb Potato Salad
- Grilled Pineapple
Final Thoughts
These BBQ chicken skewers have earned their place as a standout recipe in my grilling repertoire. The extra steps might seem fussy at first glance, but they take minimal extra effort and deliver maximum flavor payoff. The salt treatment ensures juicy meat, while the ingenious bacon paste and dual paprika rub create layers of flavor that make these kebabs truly exceptional. Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue or just looking for a delicious weeknight dinner, these skewers are sure to impress!
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.
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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!