Bacon Bourbon Barbecued Chicken Skewers

What Are Bacon Bourbon Chicken Skewers?

Bacon Bourbon Barbecued Chicken Skewers alternate spice-rubbed chicken, smoky bacon, and red onion, then finish over the grill at home with a bourbon barbecue sauce. The bacon bastes nearby chicken as it cooks, while the sauce caramelizes during the final turns.

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The recipe uses one-inch pieces so the components can cook together. Chicken is coated with olive oil and a dry rub before threading. Bacon starts and ends each skewer, and the barbecue-bourbon mixture is brushed on only after the chicken has already browned.

Grill timing varies with heat, skewer density, and whether breast or thigh meat is used. A thermometer is the final safety check: every chicken piece should reach at least 165°F.

Bacon Bourbon Chicken Skewer Ingredients

• 6 slices thick-cut smoky bacon, cut into 1-inch squares
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Choose a barbecue sauce you already enjoy because it supplies most of the finishing sauce’s flavor. The bourbon can be omitted, as specifically allowed by the source. Soy sauce remains part of the nonalcoholic sauce variation.

How to Make Bacon Bourbon Chicken Skewers

1. Preheat the Grill

Heat a gas grill to medium-high. Clean the grate, then apply grill spray safely before placing food. Set up a clean platter and clean tongs for the finished skewers before raw chicken reaches the work area.

2. Mix the Dry Rub

Combine the sugar, smoked paprika, garlic salt, onion powder, cumin, and coriander in a small bowl. Stir until no concentrated pockets of spice remain. This dry mixture can be made ahead and kept in a tightly closed container.

3. Prepare the Bourbon Sauce

Stir together the 1 cup barbecue sauce, bourbon, and soy sauce in another small bowl. Keep this sauce and its brush away from raw poultry. If omitting bourbon, simply leave it out rather than inventing a replacement.

4. Season the Chicken

Cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks and transfer it to a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and stir until coated, then sprinkle on the rub and toss thoroughly. Keep raw chicken refrigerated if grilling is delayed.

5. Thread the Skewers

Thread bacon, chicken, and red onion in a repeating pattern, starting and ending with bacon. Do not compress the ingredients into an impenetrable bundle, since the inner bacon edges and chicken surfaces need access to heat.

Keep the one-inch pieces consistent and support each item securely on the skewer. Wash hands and clean the work surface after assembly. The platter used for raw skewers must not receive the cooked food unless it has been washed and sanitized.

6. Brown the Skewers

Place the skewers on the prepared medium-high grill. Cook for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, rotating every couple of minutes, until lightly browned. Use long tongs and avoid touching hot skewer handles directly.

7. Brush and Finish

Brush with the prepared barbecue sauce and grill for another 5 to 7 minutes, rotating every few minutes. Continue until bacon edges are crisp and lightly charred and every chicken piece reaches 165°F.

Move the skewers to a clean platter, tent with foil, and rest for 5 minutes. Pass any sauce that remained clean and uncontaminated; never serve sauce or a brush that touched raw chicken.

Tips, Variations, Serving, and Storage

Make Ahead

Prepare the rub in advance, or assemble the skewers through the threading step and refrigerate them tightly covered until grilling. Keep raw skewers on a lower refrigerator shelf and away from ready-to-eat foods.

Oven Method

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Arrange skewers in one layer on a foil-lined, lightly sprayed sheet pan. Bake for 10 minutes, turning halfway, then brush with sauce and bake another 10 to 15 minutes until bacon is crisp and chicken reaches 165°F.

Reheat Cooked Skewers

Place cooked skewers on a foil-lined pan, cool briefly, cover, and refrigerate. To serve, warm covered at 350°F for 10 minutes. Uncover, flip, brush with more sauce, and bake 5 minutes more, or broil for 2 to 3 minutes for char. Confirm the chicken reheats to 165°F.

Alcohol and Bacon Notes

Leaving out bourbon is the source-approved alcohol-free choice. Do not assume cooking removes all alcohol. Also confirm the bacon is fully cooked, especially where pieces overlap, since crisp exterior edges do not guarantee the inner folds are done.

Serve with corn, salad, grilled vegetables, or potatoes. For a different sauce profile, try this chimichurri grilled chicken bowl.

Frequently Asked Questions