Most of us are familiar with the infamous crispy shrimp appetizer. We decided to shake thinks up and make it into a healthier main course meal with these grilled bang bang chicken kabobs. We swapped out the seafood, and served it on a stick instead with freshly grilled chunks of juicy chicken slathered in a creamy, sweet & spicy Asian cream sauce.
It’ll leave you lickin’ fingers, plates, and definitely beggin’ for more.
Bonefish Grill makes the world’s best crispy fried shrimp, tossed in an iconic creamy sauce that features both heat & sweet.
It’s one of our favorite treats, both to commemorate special occasions and even just when we need some Mommy & Daddy time.
A basket of those bad boys shared over a drink, and we’re recharged and reconnected from date night.
When we can’t get out, no worries– the sauce is easy enough to recreate at home.
And then there was that one day that I made a double batch of sauce, but after digging through our gargantuan chest freezer discovered that there wasn’t actually a second bag of shrimp lurking at the bottom.
I made our regular batch, but what to do with all that extra sauce? Also, we had company coming and one batch wasn’t going to be enough to feed us all.
Then I remembered the chicken breasts I had thawing the the refrigerator, and my eyes slowly slid back to that extra bowl of bang bang sauce.
I’m always on the lookout for anything new to do with chicken– so mixing the two was one idea I had to try. Like yesterday.
I threaded thick chunks of marinaded chicken onto skewers and grilled them until they were cooked through with a nice char on the outside and moist and juicy inside.
We served them fresh off the grill, dripping with extra sweet and spicy bang bang sauce.
A fresh garden salad was the perfect way to round it out and turn it into a filling Summer meal.
Grilling Isn’t An Option- Can These Chicken Kabobs Be Baked?
While I love grilled foods, and grilling in general- I do realize that it’s not always a viable option for everyone.
You may not have, or be able to have, a grill. Or it could be colder than a frog’s tail outside (which is really saying something here in the South), and don’t want to freeze bundled up like an Eskimo all in the name of fixing supper.
Luckily, these healthy chicken kabobs can be baked in the oven as an easy, just as yummy alternative.
Prepare the kabobs as instructed (marinating & threading), then transfer them to an oven safe baking dish or a rimmed baking sheet. Make sure whichever you use, you lightly spray them with non stick cooking spray beforehand.
Bake the skewers at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through but still juicy.
Switch the oven to broil, and watching closely because broiling can burn quickly, continue cooking just until the kabobs have a little bit of that crispy charred look around the edges that a grill would give. This shouldn’t take more than 1 – 2 minutes tops.
Spread them with additional bang bang sauce, and serve- because with or without a grill everyone deserves to have these bang bang chicken kabobs in their life.
Making Kabobs, A Note About Using Wooden Skewers
When making kabobs, make sure you take a minute or two to think about what ingredients you’re working with and what kind of skewer will work best for this recipe.
I like using metal skewers, mostly because there’s no soaking/prep work involved, they’re reusable, and I never have to worry about splintering. I have kids, crazier things have happened here!
Flat metal skewers work better at holding kababs in place which can be helpful if your recipe requires turning or flipping.
Rope skewers are convenient when trying to make pretty presentations, but will allow food to spin around and can be a hassle to rearrange on the grill once hot from cooking.
The Hubs on the other hand, swears by wooden skewers.
If using wooden skewers you need to plan ahead so that you have time to properly prep them.
I’ve seen some people argue that soaking skewers before grilling isn’t necessary, but I’d be madder than a wet hen if my dinner burnt up because of something so simply preventable.
Soak your wooden skewers for 15 minutes minimum, and up to 30 minutes before using them in your recipe. They will dry out during baking/grilling, without getting burnt or catching on fire.
A little prep work, and your skewers will be safe even when the heat is on!
Need Some Other Grilling Inspiration? Check out these other great Kebab ideas
If you’ve tried these BANG BANG CHICKEN KABOBS, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Bang Bang Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
For The Chicken
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
- olive oil
For The Sauce
- 2 tbsp mayo
- 4 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1/2 tsp sriracha
- 1 tsp honey
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together all the ingredients for the bang bang sauce until evenly incorporated and smooth.
- Put the chopped chick into a large zip-locking bag or a tupperware dish. Add in half of the bang bang sauce, and seal the bag or dish. Give everything a good swish around to coat and then refrigerate the marinaded chicken for at least 15 minutes.
- Preheat the grill and lightly brush the hot grill with olive oil. Thread the chicken pieces onto your skewers (if using wooden ones make sure you pre-soaked them to prevent burning).
- Transfer the chicken to the hot grill and cook about 4-5 minutes before flipping the skewers and cooking an additional 4-5 minutes. When the chicken is cooked through and the outside has begun to char, remove it from the grill and transfer it to a serving platter. Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken skewers and serve immediately.
This looks yummy and will be tried out this weekend!
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
Fantastic kebab, you can actually see how loaded with flavor they are. Thank you so much for bringing this to Fiesta Friday.
Thanks, Suzanne. You always eat with your eyes first, right??
This looks so good! I love anything sriracha on it. 😀
I have made this recipe 3 times now it’s very good but needed salt and garlic you cant marinade for 15 min either or it has no flavor. That being said with the modifications and at least 2 hours marinade time it’s really good.
I’m always looking for something new to do with chicken – I’ll try this over the week-end when we plan to grill.
I’d marinate for at least an hour and add lots more garlic and siracha !
A longer marinade time will really allow the flavors to permeate the meat 🙂 You can never go wrong with more garlic, but with feeding younger kids I do have to watch how spicy I make things, especially when I use sriracha as I can be a bit heavy handed with it.
Pretty good!! Would definetly make it again..
Is it possible to bake this in the oven? If so, what temperature and for how long? Grill not allowed at apartment.
These can absolutely be made in the oven, whether bc grilling isn’t an option or if weather doesn’t permit. Marinate and prepare them as instructed, place them in a baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet (sprayed with foil to prevent sticking), and bake them at 450 degrees for roughly 15 minutes. To get the crispy grilled effects, you can then switch the oven to broil. Cook them carefully, watching closely so they don’t burn until they look crisp enough to you. Shouldn’t take more than 1-2 minutes.
Made this a couple weeks ago and my whole family loved it. I did add salt and garlic and just did the chunks on the grill without the skewers. I’m making them again tonight and topping the chicken and sauce on fried rice. Yum!!
Love the idea of skipping the skewers- will definitely give that a try. Thanks for sharing, Michelle!
Yum!!! Wanting to try this tonight but don’t have skewers. Could this work just using whole chicken breasts instead of making them into skewers?
Yes, absolutely! They will just take a tad bit longer to cook 🙂
This was SO good!
Grilled the chicken and then mixed in with Japanese zucchini and onions. WOW! Better than Japanese Steakhouse meal!
Can I cut out or replace the honey so it’s keto???
You can, it will just be tangier without the extra hint of sweetness.
Is there a replacement for the mayo?
You could use extra sour cream if mayo’s an issue.
I marinated the chicken a few hours then cooked it in a wok with peppers and onions stir fried and had it over a salad….SO GOOD! Even my dad who is super picky really liked it.
Tripled the sauce ingredients. Seems a little on the thick side not liquidy like shown in your first picture.
The liquid-y look is from being re-basted while still hot off the grill after cooking.
I made this sauce just as stated. Put it on cubed pieces of pork. Marinated about 5 hours. Had the hubby throw it on a grill mat on the grill. ABSOLUTELY delicious! Mmm! We didn’t use the other half of the sauce, so we will have to have this again. SO good!
Very tasty, but needed salt!
Delicious! Next time will make extra sauce for dipping!
What is a good side dish to have with this other than salad?
I like pairing it with steamed broccoli. A medley of broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower would also be very good. Since you’re grilling, corn on the cob is also a great seasonal option.
Can you sub plain Greek yogurt for mayo?
You can 🙂
This is a favorite at our house. So good!