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
I love the kabob round up! What fun weekend grilling food!
These kabobs are wonderful for summer too! I hope you have fun making these! xo San
Oh those sound fantastic. I love chicken like that
It’s so good! Enjoy! xo San
I love sweet maple sauces and glazes. They are delicious and add such a wonderful taste to meat.
This recipe won’t disappoint. 🙂 xo San
That maple in there sounds soooooo good! You always make such delish stuff!
Thanks girl! I can’t wait for you to make this dish for yourself! It’s perfect for summer! xo San
That looks so delicious!
They are so good! Can’t wait for you to try them out! xo San
YUM! I would love to eat these NOW!
They are irresistible! Glad you enjoy them! xo San
Oh San this looks so good. Pinned! Don’t you just love summer BBQ’s.
Hugs,
Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile
Summer BBQ’s are the BEST and this is a perfect recipe for one! xo San
Yummy! I would love it if you joined and contribute your awesome posts at my link party at City of Creative Dreams, starts on Fridays 😀 Hope to see you there at City of Creative Dreams Link Party.
Can’t wait to be there! xo San
Mmm. Love kabobs and this recipe and the others look and sound delicious. Hope to see you tomorrow at the Gingerly Made party.
It is a perfect dish! So yummy xo San
These look fabulous. I’m never great at pre-meditation when it comes to cooking, but I came up with a great trick. I make several batches of marinade, put it in a Ziploc with the chicken and then freeze it. That way all I have to do is thaw it and I’m ready to grill!
Great idea! Thanks for sharing! Have fun making this recipe! xo San
Oh these look incredible!!
Don’t they? These kabobs make my mouth water. Mmmm. Have fun making them this summer! xo San
I’m thinking this marinade would also be delish on chicken breasts. I shall add it to my I-will-never-make-all-these-recipes, even-if-I-live-to-be-100 recipe collection. Thanks for the yumminess.
Good idea! It’s totally a great recipe for summer! xo San
Your chicken looks delish.
Madonna
MakeMineLemon
Thanks girl! xo San
Delicious. Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!
I love that your accident turned out so great! These look so yummy! Pinned!
Thanks Jaren, I was too! xo San
What a happy accident! Sounds great, definitely something I would like to try at our next cookout!
Thanks! So excited for you to try them! xo San
My son will love these!! Can’t wait to make them!
I am excited for you to grill them on up, you will love them too! xo San