Have your favorite BBQ chicken in 30 minutes with this never-fail easy kabob recipe. Coat with the BBQ sauce you love, then optionally add in some bell pepper, red onion, or even pineapple for a complete dinner. The whole family will love these simple chicken skewers.
Introduction
If you're an experienced griller, you might what to move on. You can do this. BUT if your grilling skills need a buff up, then read on.
We will start by turning on your gas grill to preheat. It will be ready in the 10 minutes it will take to fix the kabobs. Next, we will trim and cut your normal skinless boneless chicken breasts into some 1-inch chunks. Coat with oil and a little salt and pepper and place on skews.
Now careful grilling and a generous coat of your favorite BBQ sauce near the end. Done in 30 minutes.
My Rating
A nice solid 4 in only 30 minutes.
🐓Ingredients
Chicken
Generally trimmed and cut up skinless boneless chicken breasts. Cut them into 1-inch cubes approximately.
Skinless thighs can also be used but cook to a bit higher internal temperature of a final internal temperature of 175°-180°.
Vegetables or Pineapple
Yes, most commonly, red or green peppers or red onions are cut into chunks. They will cook at about the same rate. Be sure to give them a good coat of oil.
If cooked on separate kabobs, the standard onion and bell peppers will cook a bit faster than the chicken.
Root vegetables like potatoes or carrots will not cook in the same time frame.
BBQ Sauce
I love my Memphis BBQ Sauce, but it takes a while to make. If you already have some made up, use it. But generally, just use the sauce you love.
It is best to give the chicken a medium coat of your sauce near the end of cooking so the sugars in it do not burn.
👨🍳How to Cook BBQ Chicken Kabobs
- Preheat grill with a surface temperature of 450°.
- Trim and cut two chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.
- If using vegetables or pineapple, trim and cut into chunks.
- Tread onto metal skews.
- Coat the chicken with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just oil on the vegetables and pineapple.
- Grill over direct heat, rotate every 5 minutes until 155°.
- Brush with BBQ sauce. Continue to grill until 165°. About 20 minutes total grill time.
FAQs
Use metal skewers, especially for chicken, where some heat transfer along the metal will help the cooking. You can use wooden skewers if soaked first to prevent them from burning.
A grill surface temperature of about 450° is suggested for this and most chicken cooking. Higher temperatures will tend to overcook and dry the outside before the center reaches the desired final internal temperature.
On most gas grills, this will be a bit above medium. On charcoal grills, you will need to be careful with the number of coals and the vent settings.
Please use a grill surface thermometer to get the right temperature. For more information on grill temperature, please see A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill.
The minimum safe internal temperature for chicken is 165°. While thigh meat is safe at 165°, it will not be tender. Generally, chicken dark meat has a better texture at about 180°.
Yes, you can use a 450° oven for about 20 minutes. As always, you are cooking to a final internal temperature and not by time alone. Time varies by the oven, the tray, and the size of the chicken chunks.
📖Kabob Recipes
Buttermilk Ranch Chicken Kabobs
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Start by preheating your gas grill to medium-high for most grills. You want your surface temperature of about 450°. Of course, clean and oil the grill.
Trim 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts. Cut into 1-inch cubes or a little bigger.
Mix with two teaspoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon coarse salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Thread on to skews. I like metal, but wood will do, but you should soak them first.
If using vegetables or pineapple, trim and cut into chunks. Add between the chicken and brush with oil.
Place over direct heat and grill each side for 5-6 minutes before turning. Continue until internal temp of 155° or so. 13-15 minutes total here. Now brush all sides with your favorite BBQ sauce. Cook another 2 minutes per side (4 minutes total) until nice color and an internal temperature of 165°.
Recipe
BBQ Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
Optional added ingredients
- Green or red bell peppers
- Red onion in chunks
- Pineapple
Instructions
- Start by preheating your gas grill to medium-high for most grills. You want your surface temperature about 450°.
- Trim 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts. Cut into 1-inch cubes or a little bigger.
- Mix with 2 teaspoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon coarse salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- If using vegetables or pineapple, trim and cut into chunks. Add between the chicken chunks and brush with oil.
- Thread on to skews. I like metal, but wood will do, but you should soak them first.
- Place over direct heat and grill each side for 5-6 minutes before turning. Continue until internal temp of 155° or so. 13-15 minutes total here.
- Brush all sides with your favorite BBQ sauce. Cook another 2 minutes per side (4 minutes total) until a nice color and an internal temperature of 165°.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- You can use chicken thigh meat for these kabobs but you should cook to an internal temperature of about 180°.
- The main trouble most people will have relates to too high of grill temperature causing the surface to burn before the inside is done.
- You can put a very light coat of sauce on the chicken at the start of cooking but not really needed and may burn if you are not careful.
- You can add green pepper and red onion chunks between the chicken and cook with the chicken. If you make separate vegetable kabobs, they will cook about 5 minutes faster.
- You can do this on a charcoal grill but not over hot coals. Make a cooler area for the chicken and check frequently.
- I usually cook these with a closed grill hood but you can do this open.
- You can also do this in an oven at 450° for about 20 minutes.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editors Note: Originally Published June 25, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Greg
Hi Dr. Dan,
LOVE your recipes!
I plan on making these on a rotisserie kebab wheel. What do you think the surface temperature should be (even though they wint be resting / cooking on the grill grate)?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Greg,
Keep it in the 450° range. There are currents of heat around the inside of a grill. While I always say 450° really a range of 400-500 is good. So get around the middle of the range, close the lid, and watch the final temp.
Dan