Julie Clark
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BBQ Chicken Skewers (No Marinade Needed)
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These BBQ chicken skewers are dry-rubbed, nut marinated, so they go from bowl to grill in about 15 minutes. The chicken is coated in a homemade spice rub and skewered with peppers and onions.
On a hot, 400ºF grill, these bbq chicken skewers take just 10-15 minutes to cook for an easy dinner option. And it’s the same chicken rub we use on our baked bbq chicken. You’ll love our lemon garlic shrimp skewers and Christmas kebabs, too.
BBQ Chicken Skewers or Kebabs?
I had a hard time naming this recipe. Are they kebabs? Are they bbq chicken skewers? Either works. Skewers are the wooden sticks that the meat and veggies are threaded on so that they cook.
We’ll call them both names as we talk about this recipe.
What is the best chicken for kebabs?
We like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs. They have great flavor and are tender even after grilling.
How long do you soak wooden skewers before grilling?
The wooden skewers will take a minimum of 30 minutes to soak, but you can also soak them for longer, up to overnight. This is the first step to making skewers. If you have metal skewers, you can use them too.
Need to buy skewers? We love these!
Do you need to marinate chicken skewers?
No, you don’t have to! This recipe is for a dry rub, which gives you bold flavor and juicy chicken. If you’d like you can brush your favorite BBQ sauce on the chicken during the last 2 minutes of grilling.
How long do you cook chicken skewer on the BBQ?
Grill chicken skewers for 10-15 minutes over medium-high heat (about 400ºF). Turn every few minutes until chicken reaches 165ºF (74ºC).
Small cubes take about 10 minutes, but larger chicken pieces will take closer to 15 minutes. Always go by internal temperature, not the clock.
What vegetables go on chicken skewers?
We kept this a low-carb recipe and only used peppers and onions. If you’d like, add mushrooms, potatoes or even zucchini to the bbq chicken skewers. Get creative with the veggies you add!
How to Make Grilled Chicken Kebabs
The first step to making bbq chicken skewers is to mix up the dry rub. Please note…this is a spicy rub as written. Reduce the pepper if you’d like.
Season chicken with BBQ seasonings. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes while you chop up the veggies.
To a skewer, rotate adding in chicken, peppers, and onions, repeat until the skewers have been filled about ½ way (about 3-4 pieces of each). We end up with about 10 skewers, depending on how big the chicken breasts are.
Preheat a grill to 400º Fahrenheit. When you make the grill this hot before placing the skewers on, they won’t stick as much.
Add skewers to the grill and cook for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally and brushing with olive oil. Cook until chicken temperature reaches 165ºF internally.
Can you prepare kebabs ahead of time?
Yes! This is a great make-ahead recipe. Make the skewers the night before or even the morning of grilling. Then cover them and refrigerate. Remove them from the refrigerate about 30 minutes before you put them on the grill. This will help the skewers cook more evenly.
What to Make with Chicken Skewers
Wondering what to serve with chicken skewers? Try our famous baked potatoes, grilled pineapple, and baked beans.
Try our bacon wrapped bbq chicken and bbq chicken soup next!
BBQ Chicken Skewers
If you're looking to spice up your next grilled skewers, try these dry rub BBQ Chicken Skewers with peppers and onions. An easy recipe ready in about 40 minutes.
Servings 8
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rest Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Ingredients
BBQ Chicken Seasoning:
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less for a milder flavor)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar **
- 2 boneless chicken breasts (cut into cubes)
For the skewers:
- 3 green peppers (cut into thick pieces)
- 3 red peppers (cut into thick pieces)
- 1 large onion (cut into thick pieces)
- 10-12 skewers (soaked for at least 30 minutes)
For grilling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- If you are using wooden skewers, it is important to soak them first. You can soak them overnight or at least 30 minutes before making the kebabs.
- In a small bowl mix together BBQ seasonings. Season chicken with BBQ seasonings. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
- To a skewer, rotate adding in chicken, peppers, and onions, repeat until the skewers have been filled about ½ way (about 3-4 pieces of each).
- Preheat a grill to 400º Fahrenheit.
- Add skewers to the grill and cook for 10-15 minutes, brushing with olive oil several times during grilling. Turn the skewers occasionally. Grill to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Serve warm.
Notes
**We’ve used coconut sugar and also just left the sugar out. These are two options if you want to watch your sugar intake.
Makes about 10 skewers (serves 8).
Nutrition
Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 605mg | Potassium: 293mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2120IU | Vitamin C: 94.1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1.1mg
I was excited to make this. As I mixed the seasoning spices I was thinking 1/4 c chili was a LOT so I added a little less.
Post cooking – I am sure we were right. I like spice but these were so hot we couldn’t eat them. Can you please advise what is the right proportions and if it’s 1/4c then what kind of chili you mean. Bummer that we colluding eat dinner. Thanks.
My mouth is watering, just by looking at these pictures! These are looking absolutely DELICIOUS! We have yet to make skewers this summer.