BBQ Chicken Kabobs
Course: Grilling u0026amp; BBQ, Main DishesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings
4
servingsPrep time
20
minutesCooking time
15
minutesCalories
453
kcalTotal Carbs
15
gramsNet carbs
4
gramsFat
16
gramsProtein
66
gramsThese chicken bites are so tender and flavorful, you won’t even think about putting more sauce on them. The secret to this recipe is something I stole from America’s Test Kitchen — making a paste of bacon to rub on the chicken. I can see using that hack on a lot of future grilling recipes. See notes below for air fryer instructions.
Ingredients
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see note)
3 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 TB keto BBQ sauce (divided – 2TB + 6TB)
1/2 cup keto BBQ rub
Directions
- Remove any large bits of fat from the chicken thighs (this can be saved to make schmaltz, if you want), then cut the thighs into kabob size pieces (1-1.5 inches). Longer, thinner pieces can also be used by folding them in half when skewering. I find that I need to start with about 3 lbs of thigh meat to yield a bit over 2 lbs of good chicken pieces, with the rest either being fat or scraps for other use (grinding, stir fry, etc.).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken pieces and 1/2 cup of my keto BBQ rub, massaging until completely coated.
- In a food processor, process the bacon until it starts to form a ball that spins around the blade. Add 2 TB of BBQ sauce and continue to process until the bacon has formed a paste.
- Add the bacon paste to the chicken and massage until well combined. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
- Preheat your grill to high (mine was reading around 425F when I added the kabobs). *see note
- While your grill preheats, assemble your skewers. It will likely be necessary to fold over some pieces of chicken as you skewer them. You do not want the pieces too tight — leave a little room between them for the heat to flow through. You should wind up with 4 skewers. If you have any bacon paste left in the bowl, rub it on top of the kabobs.
- Place the kabobs on the grill, bacon paste side up. Brush half of the remaining BBQ sauce on the kabobs. Close the grill lid and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Flip the kabobs over and apply the remaining BBQ sauce to the other side. Again, close the lid and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Turn the kabobs to cook the other two sides, given them each about 3 minutes. The kabobs are done when the fattest piece of thigh registers 175F on a thermometer.
- Remove from skewers and serve.
Recipe Video
Notes
- If you want to do these in an air fryer, cut the recipe in half (or do two batches). I find that 360F is a good temperature. Air fry on one side for 6 minutes, then flip them, apply more sauce and cook for another 6 minutes (for a total of 12 minutes cooking time). As with the grilling method, check to ensure that the temperature of the chicken has hit 175F
- If you are using a pellet grill, I recommend preheating to at least 450F.
Fun fact: English-speaking international viewers (and I know Steve has MANY) would normally refer to kabobs as “kebabs”, or more specifically as a “shish kebabs” to distinguish them from the more recent fast food “doner kebabs” (what Americans call “gyros”). “Shish” appears to be derived from the Turkish word “şiş”, meaning sword or skewer. I thought I’d mention this in case any international keto folks are looking for recipes.
Thanks for that, Simon. I updated the search tags on my video to include “kebab”.
Hi Steve, thanks for all you do for us ketoers! I was wondering if I can use strictly “swerve brown sugars substitute” in your BBQ rub instead of half swerve and the other half surkin gold? I’m in Canada and of course, (urggg) can only buy it on amazon.ca and it’s 34 canadian dollars for a 500gr bag. It sure is “GOLD” lol. Just wondering if it will make a huge difference in the outcome of the recipe, tx
Absolutely. I though I mentioned that in the video, but maybe I just thought it.
Wonderful recipe. This is my new go-to for chicken on the grill. Glad I made a double batch of the bacon paste.
I made these a few weeks ago and they were a hit! My non keto family all enjoyed them! The bacon trick is awesome! Thanks Steve!