These Bourbon Bacon BBQ Chicken Skewers will be the hit of your barbecue this summer, because who can resist bourbon and bacon?
If you’ve ever tried our popular smoky bourbon BBQ sauce, you know that it’s impossible not to create more opportunities to eat it. I can’t even explain how tasty this BBQ sauce is, but it’s generally frowned upon to just scoop sauce into your mouth with a spoon. So we’ve created yet another excuse to enjoy it.
These chicken skewers are dangerously good all on their own. They actually have a bacon puree rubbed directly onto them to maximize the bacon flavor in each bite. But when you add the deliciousness that is Bourbon BBQ sauce and grill them – well, it’s just a whole new game.
If you’re wondering what else to put the BBQ sauce on, try these BBQ Chicken Wings and our no-fail Baked BBQ Ribs.
I’ll admit that bacon puree sounds a bit strange, but everyone I’ve served these skewers to has loved it. In fact, once it’s cooked, you’ll never even know the puree was there. You’ll just be amazed that chicken could taste so good.
I use skinless, boneless chicken thighs in this recipe because it has more flavor and becomes less dry when grilled, but you can use chicken breast if that’s all you have.
How to Make Bourbon Bacon Chicken Skewers
There are three separate components of this dish: the Bourbon BBQ Sauce, the bacon puree, and the chicken skewers.
Start by mixing up the BBQ sauce. You can find the complete recipe and instructions in this post. Once you’ve made the sauce, you can blend the bacon puree.
You’ll need a food processor or stick blender chopper attachment to make the puree. I always use the chopper attachment because it’s so easy to get out and the cup is much smaller than my food processor. Unless you’re making a huge batch of these skewers, you don’t need the full 7 or 10-cup food processor.
Put the bacon plus 2 tbsp of the BBQ sauce into the chopper. Puree it for just 10 seconds. It should be thoroughly chopped and resemble ground beef. If it’s not yet looking like a meat paste, blend it a bit more.
Add the chicken pieces and the bacon puree to a bowl and mix it all together. Make sure to coat each of the pieces of chicken. The puree will hold onto the chicken because of the sticky bbq sauce.
Next you’ll want to thread the chicken onto the skewers. You can use metal skewers or wooden ones. Just remember to soak the wooden skewers in water for 5 minutes beforehand, so they don’t burn on the grill.
If you have leftover bacon puree in the bowl, you can spread it onto the chicken skewers with a basting brush.
Grilling Chicken Skewers
The key to making sure the bacon puree doesn’t come off and stick to the grill instead of the chicken is to clean the grill, then brush it with olive oil as soon as it’s hot. This should prevent sticking.
When the chicken is almost done, baste the skewers with bbq sauce twice on both sides, allowing it to cook a bit in between bastings.
What to Serve BBQ Chicken Skewers With
One of our favorite side dishes to serve with BBQ foods is this irresistible Broccoli Salad. You might not think you’ll like broccoli salad, but trust me, you will.
Another great side dish is Hummus with Grilled Broccoli. It’s divine.
Here are a few summer salads you might like:
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Bourbon Bacon Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup Bourbon BBQ Sauce divided
- 1 lb cubed chicken thighs skinless, boneless
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If using wooden skewers, set them in a bowl of water to soak for 5-10 minutes as you prepare the other ingredients.
- To make homemade bourbon bbq sauce, follow the recipe link in the ingredients list.
- Roughly chop the bacon. Add it to a food processor or stick blender chopping attachment. Add 2 tbsp bourbon bbq sauce. Puree.
- Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces or strips.
- Mix the bacon puree and the chicken pieces in a bowl until thoroughly mixed together. Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers. Baste with any leftover bacon puree.
- Grill the chicken skewers on a gas or charcoal grill for 5 minutes per side. Baste with additional bbq sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes more per side.
Equipment Needed
Nutrition
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Laura is a home cook who loves making new recipes and finding new favorite things to eat, whether at home or abroad. She also runs a popular travel blog and spends a lot of her time traveling for food.
I love using chicken thighs for skewers as they have so much flavor. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try.
How yummy! I can’t wait to fire up the grill with these skewers!!! Yummy!
This made my mouth water! These are perfect for the season
So perfect for our next grilling! This is so good!
You really can’t go wrong with chicken skewers. As you mentioned, perfect for grilling season. Yum!
I agree. It’s the perfect BBQ food.