Sweet Maple Barbecue Chicken Kabobs bring a caramelized twist that takes classic BBQ sauce to the next level!
Chicken kabobs are a summer staple at our house, and these maple-glazed ones are a favorite—sweet, tangy, sticky, and so good hot off the grill!
We go a little skewer crazy in the summer—anything we can grill on a stick is a win in our book! And today, I’ve got the best chicken skewer recipe to share. The real star is the BBQ sauce, which just might be my all-time favorite—and funny enough, it was a total accident.
While making my usual sauce, I accidentally grabbed maple syrup instead of honey—blame the backyard chaos! Rather than starting over, I went with it, and I’m so glad I did. The maple syrup adds a rich, caramelized sweetness without being too sugary, making this twist on traditional BBQ sauce absolutely irresistible.
Sandra’s Tips
How to make Chicken Kabobs
Combine the brown sugar, ketchup, red wine vinegar, water, pure maple syrup Worcestershire sauce, ground mustard, paprika, kosher salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Place the chicken in the marinade. Cover and marinate it for at least two to four hours or overnight. You can also combine the ingredients in a large Ziplock bag and marinate the chicken that way.
Thread the chicken tenders onto skewers and place them on a plate. Once you’ve threaded all of the chicken, you can drizzle a little extra marinade over the top.
Grill the chicken kabobs over medium heat. Turn them every three minutes or until they are cooked through. They should be at least 170°F in the thickest part with the juices running clear.
Pair this With…
Sweet Maple Barbecue Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken tenders
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup plus a little more if desired
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Marinade
- Mix brown sugar, ketchup, red wine vinegar, water, pure maple syrup Worcestershire sauce, ground mustard, paprika, kosher salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place chicken tenders in the marinade. Cover and let the chicken marinate for at least 2-4 hours or overnight. I like to throw all the ingredients in a Ziplock and let it marinate this way.
- If you are using metal skewers skip this part, if you are using wood skewers follow the directions below. I know there is a debate whether or not to soak your skewers and to each their own. But I soak mine, I have found that I get less wood pieces in the chicken and they don’t go up in flames.
- I completely soak my skewers for at least 30 minutes. Make sure the entire stick is completely dredged in water. Once they have soaked, remove and start to assemble the skewers.
Kabobs
- Remove the chicken from the fridge, one piece at a time grab a tender and lace through the skewer. I start at the chunkier end and do a weave motion. Or you can just slide the entire tender on the kabob and not make it all fancy like a wave. Either way, they will taste the same. Set kabob on a plate and repeat the process. Once completed drizzle extra marinade over the chicken, and let it sit while grill is heating up.
- Heat gas or charcoal grill, remove chicken from marinade. Place chicken on grill over medium heat. Cover grill and cook 3 minutes, then turn over the kabob and cook another 3 minutes. At this point check the chicken. To know if the chicken is done the juices should be clear and the center of thickest part is cut (170°F). If not done, continue to cook, at this point I leave the lid open and just turn the kabobs so they are cooked evenly on both sides. My chicken takes about 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from grill and serve immediately. Or cover with foil and serve later.
- Great to serve with grilled corn on the cob, cornbread – my favorite Sweet Jalapeno Cornbread and coleslaw.
- Use the leftovers the next day for a grilled chicken salad.
Notes
Those look delish! Bet they would be awesome with a drizzle of sriracha 🙂
That’s a great idea! Have fun making these! xo San
What Can I say ? I need to eat this ! 🙂 I will let know if I can make it on my own. In the meantime – thank You Sandra
Those look SO good. I want to grab the ingredients and make them this weekend!
I am excited for you to make these kebabs! xo San
Love kabobs! I’m going to save this for my round up & try them on the weekend!
Great! Happy grilling! xo San
Oh yum! I love that recipe. It makes me hungry! Foodie is great for booking recipes you love.
I can’t wait for you to make these! xo San
Looks fantastic! I’d use cut up thighs instead, I prefer the moistness (and most kebabs are done that way).
I am excited for you to make these yourself! Happy grilling this summer! xo San
Oh my goodness. The marinade on this sounds absolutely amazing. Looks like caramelized perfection.
Can’t wait for you to make them! xo San
Those look so delicious! I can’t wait to try them.
Looks so good! Again, another great idea for a cookout or BBQ! Thank you!!
Yum! I loved your idea for chicken salad after. I can’t wait to try that sounds just delicious.
Thanks so much for the grilling inspiration. It all looks so delish!
I really need to find the time to marinade more, I love the taste and rich flavour. Great recipe!!
YUM! What a wonderful recipe, def the summer of kabobs!!
They all sound super delicious. We are having a BBQ soon, so adding these all to the list!
I am drooling over here! How do you get that LOVELY dark carmelization on the chicken!? I think I always pull mine off the grill too soon.SO yummy looking!
These look divine!!! I am totally making these!
I am excited for you! xo San
I’m pinning this. It looks great, and I think my family would just love it.
Thanks girl for pinning! xo San
I love this recipe. It’s perfect for us here in Dallas since we want to bbq everything now that summer is here.
This recipe will make Texas proud! Have fun making it this summer! xo San
yummy, these sound sweet and savory! I so need to try this!
I can’t wait for you to take a bite! xo San
I haven’t had a kabob in a long time. My husband would love these.
These are great! I can’t wait for you to try them! xo San
Anything you can grill on a skewer is just plain awesome. The maple flavored BBQ sounds devine!
Kebabs make summer grilling easy, and there is nothing better than great food that is easy to make! Have a great time making them! xo San
Oh. Maple. That’s got to be amazing. Mmmmmm
I am excited for you to try these kebabs out! xo San
Your kebabs look so good! I have been looking for more recipes to make our summer grilling more interesting.
These kebabs are great for the summer! Have fun making them! xo San
These delicious chicken kabobs caught my eye at the Live Laugh Linky Party – I am definitely pinning this recipe to try sometime. Thanks!
You’re welcome! Have fun making them this summer! xo San
Oh my goodness, my mouth is watering… This sounds delicious, as do all the rest of the recipes in the Foodie roundup. Thanks so much for sharing
I am excited for you to try these kabobs! xo San
Kabobs are fun! Those look absolutely amazing (as does all your food!) I can’t wait to fire up the BBQ.