Grilled Chipotle BBQ Chicken Skewers

Grilled Chipotle BBQ Chicken Skewers are savory, spicy, and smoky! The chicken is skewered up with veggies and bacon, then basted until cooked to tasty perfection. With a 3-ingredient chipotle BBQ sauce, these grilled bbq chicken kabobs are gonna rock your grilling world.

It’s summer grilling season! Grilling just wouldn’t be grilling without throwing some kebabs on the grill. You can put almost everything on a stick and throw it on the grill without much effort. 

That’s exactly what this recipe is – low effort. It’s simple and straightforward but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in flavor AT ALL. The smoky spice comes through in every savory bite, and when you get a bite of bacon with those chicken and veggies… oh man. 

These kabobs are so easy to whip up, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been making them all along. They’re perfect for those lazy summer evenings when you want to get dinner on the table quickly or impress your friends without breaking a sweat (well, maybe just a little from the grill heat).

Did I mention it is WAY too hot here in Denver this week? WAY too hot.

The secret weapon here is our super simple chipotle BBQ sauce. It’s got just enough kick to make things spicy, but not so much that it’ll scare off your spice-shy pals. Plus, it caramelizes on the grill, giving your chicken that irresistible sticky-sweet glaze.

These juicy and tender grilled barbecue chicken kabobs are about to become your new go-to for everything from family dinners to block parties. Trust me, once you try them, there’s no going back to plain old grilled chicken!

Pair these skewers with a summery mojito pitcher recipe to serve for a crowd!

Note: This is an updated version of the original posted on July 4, 2019 with new tips and more information about the recipe.

ingredients

bbq sauce. Pick your favorite BBQ sauce brand, or use homemade if you make it yourself for these bbq chicken skewers.

chipotle peppers. Spicy chipotle peppers amp up the BBQ sauce. You will need both the peppers and the adobo sauce they come in for the recipe.

chicken. Boneless skinless chicken breasts are best for these skewers. You could also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.

bacon. Use thick cut bacon for this recipe! It will give you the best flavor without crisping up and burning on the grill before everything else cooks.

bell peppers. We like to use green bell peppers, but you could also use yellow, orange, or red bell pepper.

red onion. Red onion is ideal, but you could really use any type of onion you like.

this recipe’s must-haves

Make sure you break out your favorite chef’s knife and a good cutting board to get all your protein and vegetables the same size for these grilled bbq chicken kabobs.

I personally love a good wood pellet grill like my Traeger grill, but you can use any grill to whip up theses kebabs. 

Don’t forget the Traeger grill tongs and Traeger brush for all the turning and basting that you’ll need to do!

More grilled chicken recipes: Grilled Avocado Caprese Chicken / Charred Cilantro Lime Corn Chicken Tacos / Beer Brined Beer Can Chicken / Grilled Beer Marinated Chicken Wings

how to make grilled chipotle bbq chicken skewers

soak the skewers

Be sure to soak the wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour in water in a shallow pan. This will prevent them from burning too much on the grill. If you are using metal skewers, you can obviously skip this step!

assemble the bbq chicken skewers

Add the chicken, pepper, onion, and bacon pieces, alternating as you go in whatever order you like. Repeat until you run out of ingredients. Season everything with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

make the sauce

This is the easiest part – just throw everything in the blender! Blend until smooth and voila – a spicy sauce of perfection.

grill and baste

Once the grill is nice and hot, add the skewers and start to cook. At first you’ll be turning them every few minutes for about 10 minutes total.

Then you start to baste and turn every minute. This helps get the flavor into the skewers and everything gets nice and smoky. The skewers are done after another few minutes!

tips for success

marinade the chicken. By marinating the chicken ahead of time, you will get even MORE flavor out of these skewers! This Mexican chicken marinade is one of our favorites for this particular recipe. You can also try out this honey soy marinade!

change up the barbecue sauce. Play with BBQ sauce flavors! Spicy, honey, and more work really well in this recipe.

how to grill chicken kabobs in the oven

No grill? No problem! All you have to do is preheat your oven to 450˚F. Thread the skewers and make the sauce as the directions state.

Foil line a rimmed baking sheet and lay the skewers in an even layer on the baking sheet. Brush the skewers with BBQ sauce generously, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken and bacon are cooked through.

Note that you can also cook these on a grill pan, if desired.

how long to grill the best chicken skewers

The total cook time for these skewers for me was 15 minutes over high heat on the grill. Depending on the thickness of your chicken and bacon it could take a few minutes more or less. 

My advice is to test your chicken with a thermometer to make sure it hits 165˚F or cut into one of the cubes and make sure there’s no pink inside.

what to serve with grilled bbq chicken kabobs

These skewers go with SO many things, but my personal fave is this bacon cilantro lime grilled corn salad! You can also serve up some spicy-sweet roasted broccolini, spicy garlic cilantro fries, or smashed potatoes with fresh herbs and blue cheese with them. Other tasty sides include potato salad, summer pasta salad, and more.

how do I store leftovers?

Any leftovers can be cooled and placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. I usually remove everything from the skewers and add to the container. You can turn the leftovers into a BBQ chicken bowl, chicken wraps, and more!

Finally, if you make this grilled bbq chicken kebabs recipe, please be sure to give this recipe a star recipe rating on the recipe card and/or leave a comment! I love to hear when you all make recipes, and I do take the time to respond to every single comment.

Feel free to drop questions below too, if you have them!

Oh and be sure to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make the recipe! I love being able to see these recipes come to life in your homes – it’s my favorite thing to look through those photos. It really means the world to me!

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