Bang bang chicken skewers on the BBQ
- Preparation 15 min
- Refrigeration 1 h
- Cooking 12 min
- Servings 4
- Freezing Absolutely
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🍗 The winning combo: chicken thighs + bang bang sauce on the grill
For real, I had this for dinner and it was completely insane. I love chicken thighs, I love making my chicken on the BBQ, and I fell in love with my new homemade bang bang sauce with fresh ginger, soy and rice vinegar. So creating grilled chicken thigh skewers on the BBQ with my homemade bang bang sauce just made sense. The result? Juicy, golden skewers, coated in a creamy-spicy-sweet sauce that makes you want to eat it every night.
🔥 Chicken thighs, the secret to ultimate juiciness
Chicken thighs instead of breasts, that’s my signature for this recipe. When you unroll boneless chicken thighs and cut them in half lengthwise, it gives you perfect long strips to zigzag onto the skewer. It cooks really well and stays juicy as hell. With just salt and pepper on top, you’ll really want to eat this every night. Chicken breast cubes (that everyone else uses) dry out way too fast on the BBQ and give you a dry and bland result. Chicken thighs are life.
🌶️ No marinade, just dry spices and sauce that caramelizes
That’s the genius of this recipe: zero marinade needed. I just mix my dry spices (smoked paprika + garlic powder + salt + pepper) with olive oil directly on the chicken, thread onto skewers, and grill at maximum heat on the BBQ while basting with my bang bang sauce during cooking. At the end, I coat with fresh sauce to push the creamy-spicy side. It’s exactly the kind of Saturday night main dish with friends that takes 15 minutes to prep and makes everyone ask you for the recipe. Serve it with grilled vegetables, my sugar snap pea salad or any summer BBQ side dish.
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🍗 Chicken thighs, never breasts
That’s my signature secret for this recipe. Boneless skinless chicken thighs have more natural fat than breast, so they stay juicy even at maximum heat on the BBQ. Breast cubes dry out in two seconds and you lose all the point. You can make the recipe with breasts if you have no choice, but I strongly suggest thighs. It’s life.
🪡 Cut in half lengthwise, not in cubes
When you unroll your boneless chicken thighs and cut them in half lengthwise, it gives you perfect long strips to zigzag onto the skewer. It cooks really well, stays juicier than small cubes, and is much more beautiful visually.
🪢 Flat and wide metal skewers
For this recipe, I like using flat and wide metal skewers (kefta skewer style). It prevents the chicken from spinning on itself when you flip the skewer. If you don’t have metal skewers, use wooden skewers soaked 30 minutes in water so they don’t burn.
🌬️ Not too compact, airy for even cooking
When you thread the chicken strips, don’t pack everything tight. Leave a bit of air between pieces so the BBQ heat circulates and everything grills evenly. Too compact = steamed chicken in the center, burned on the edges.
🌡️ MAXIMUM heat, 6-8 min per side
Cook at max heat all the way through, no nuance. 6 to 8 minutes per side (12-16 minutes total) so the chicken caramelizes quickly on the outside and stays juicy inside. It’s spot on. I found it completely insane the first time.
🥄 Bang bang sauce: rest 1h in fridge before serving
It’s important to let your sauce rest in the fridge at least 1 hour before serving so the flavors (ginger, soy, Sriracha) develop and blend. You can even prepare it 2-3 days ahead. It just gets better with time.
🚫 NEVER reuse sauce that touched raw chicken
Divide the sauce in 2 from the start: half for basting during cooking, the other half reserved in the fridge in a separate bowl to serve at the end. The sauce that touched raw chicken during basting contains bacteria that aren’t neutralized by the quick heat.
🔥 Mistake #1: cooking too long
Overcooked chicken is dry and bland. You lose all the point. Aim for 74°C (165°F) at the thickest part, no more. Take it off the BBQ as soon as you reach temperature, resting will finish the light cooking while you coat with sauce.
🍱 Excellent for meal prep and leftovers
This recipe is unbeatable for meal prep. Cooked chicken keeps 3-4 days in the fridge. Leftovers are excellent in a wrap, on a salad bowl, in a poke bowl with rice, or even reheated for a quick lunch.
✅ What to serve with my bang bang chicken skewers on the BBQ?
These skewers are a main dish that pairs with pretty much everything. Serve them with my sugar snap pea salad for a perfect summer BBQ combo, my grilled corn on the barbecue with bacon and cheddar to stay on the grill, my Air fryer sweet potatoes to amplify the sweet-salty, or my Creamy brocoli salad for a fresh and crunchy side.
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Skewers
- Flat and wide metal skewers (kefta skewer style), or wooden skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes
- 1 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, unrolled and cut in half lengthwise
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) garlic powder
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Homemade bang bang sauce
- ½ cup (125 ml) mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) sweet chili sauce (Thai Kitchen)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Sriracha sauce
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) rice vinegar
- 1 tsp (5 ml) garlic powder
- 2 tbsp (25 g) white sugar
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh grated ginger
To serve
- A small handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
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Preparation
- Prepare the homemade bang bang sauce: in a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, lime juice, rice vinegar, garlic powder, white sugar, soy sauce and ginger. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to let the flavors develop.
- In a large bowl, toss chicken thighs with olive oil, smoked paprika and garlic powder. Season generously with salt and pepper and coat each piece evenly.
- Thread chicken strips onto skewers in a zigzag pattern, not too tightly packed to allow air between pieces and ensure even cooking all around.
- Divide bang bang sauce in half: pour half into a separate bowl for basting during cooking. Reserve the other half in the fridge to serve after cooking.
- Preheat BBQ to maximum heat. Oil the grates.
- Place skewers on grill and cook 6 to 8 minutes per side (12 to 16 minutes total) at maximum heat, basting generously with the reserved bang bang sauce for basting during cooking. Chicken is done when internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F) at the thickest part.
- Transfer skewers to a serving plate and coat generously with the fresh reserved bang bang sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Chicken thighs have more natural fat and stay juicy even at maximum heat on the BBQ. Chicken breast cubes (that everyone uses for this recipe) dry out way too fast on the grill and give a bland result. Boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in half lengthwise, that’s my signature secret. It’s life.
Absolutely. This recipe was designed for the BBQ (superior caramelization), but you can make it in the air fryer at 400°F for about 10-12 minutes or in the oven under the broiler 6 inches (15 cm) from the element for 10-12 minutes turning halfway through. The result will be excellent, just without the characteristic grill smoke.
In an airtight container in the fridge, my homemade bang bang sauce easily keeps 5 to 7 days. It even gains flavor the first 3-4 days. The ginger, soy and Sriracha aromas blend and intensify. You can prepare it 2-3 days ahead no problem.
Bang bang chicken is unbeatable as leftovers. You can put it in a wrap, on a salad bowl, in a poke bowl with rice, or even reheat it gently for a quick lunch. It’s also excellent for meal prep. Make a big batch on Sunday for your week.
It’s a summer main dish that pairs with pretty much everything. Serve them with my sugar snap pea salad for a classic BBQ, my grilled corn on the barbecue with bacon and cheddar to stay on the grill, my air fryer sweet potatoes to amplify the sweet-salty, or my creamy brocoli salad for a fresh and crunchy side. You can also serve them as finger food by making mini skewers with just one or two strips.
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