Craving chicken on a stick but short on time to marinate? This recipe’s got you covered! I’ll show you how to make a quick homemade BBQ sauce to brush on your chicken as it grills — adding all the flavor you need!
Even I Don't Always Marinade!
I’d definitely describe myself as a guy who likes to get his meat seasoned before cooking. Every time I’ve grilled pork this summer, I’ve brined it first. And when I make my Air Fryer Turkey Breast, I let it sit in the fridge with seasoning for 48 hours.
But even I have days when I don’t have the time or energy to give my meat that head start. That’s why I came up with this recipe for chicken skewers that don’t need any seasoning before cooking. Since I’m using chicken thighs, I don’t have to worry as much about the meat drying out. Just brush on some homemade BBQ sauce, and you’ve got a tasty dinner.
I made these on a hot day when I didn’t want to heat up the kitchen (especially in a house with no AC), so I took the grill outside. Plus, I’d just gotten some new skewers from IKEA that I was excited to try out.
This post includes affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. These are products and services I recommend because I use or trust them. Cookies will be used to track the affiliate links you click.
Jump to:
Bone In Skin On vs. Boneless Skin Off
What type of chicken thighs should you use for this recipe? It is quicker if you choose to buy boneless skinless chicken thighs as you don't have to do any work before you slice the chicken to put on the skewers. So why wouldn't you just do that? Cost. Here is an example of the price differences from my Costco chicken price guide.
| Boneless Skinless Thighs | $2.99/lb |
| Bone-In Skin On Thighs | $1.79/lb |
You’ll save money by removing the skin and bones yourself, especially if you’re buying a large amount of chicken. The bones are great to save for making homemade chicken stock—I do this often during the fall and winter soup season. Just toss the bones into a freezer bag until you need them. You can also render the skin to make chicken fat, or schmaltz, which is excellent for cooking—especially with potatoes. I love using schmaltz to make potato latkes.
BBQ Sauce Ingredients
My homemade BBQ sauce is really fanciest up ketchup. What I do is I look in my pantry and spice cabinet and find out what seasonings I have that would make a good BBQ sauce.
- Ketchup – Use whatever store-bought ketchup you like. I typically go with whatever’s the best deal—especially with a family of six!
- Mild Vinegar – No balsamic here. You want something on the mild side, like white vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
- Molasses – This adds a rich sweetness to the barbecue sauce and deepens the color of the ketchup. If you don’t have any, you can substitute with brown sugar, which is just white sugar mixed with molasses.
- Garlic Powder – Use garlic powder, not garlic salt. Ketchup is already salty enough, so there’s no need to add more salt just to get that garlic flavor.
- Paprika – For this recipe, I use a combination of sweet and hot paprika. Smoked paprika also works great. I even wrote an entire post about how to find paprika that actually has flavor!
- Worcestershire Sauce – This is what brings the umami. Besides the ketchup, I’d say this is the most important ingredient. It adds a ton of complexity with just a little bit. Don’t skip it.
- Mustard Powder – This adds a subtle savory note. I don’t use enough to make it taste like mustard—it just makes the sauce taste better overall.
What Type of Skewers
The main types of skewers you are going to find are metal ones that are reusable and wood ones that you use just once and then toss. There are pros and cons to both.
Why use wood skewers - They are cheap, disposable, and the wood makes the food look good.
Why use metal skewers - They are sturdy, you can re-use them, and they conduct heat better.
I have regularly just used the wood ones but I am getting into trying out the metal ones since I can use them over and over again and they are more sturdy than the wood ones. Plus I often don't remember to soak the wood earlier enough and then end up delaying dinner for everyone.
The best thing to have on hand to be successful at grilling meat on the grill is to have a good instant read thermometer so you can pull that meat the moment it's done. You want to invest in a high quality thermometer that you can use everyday, I like I do with The Thermapen® ONE from ThermoWorks.
Quick BBQ Chicken Skewers Without Marinade
Equipment
- 12 metal or wood skewers
- instant read thermometer
Ingredients
- 6-8 lbs bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
- salt & pepper to taste
For the homemade BBQ sauce
- 2 cups ketchup
- 3 TBS mild vinegar (apple cider or white vinegar)
- 4 TBS molasses
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp hot paprika
- 1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp mustard powder
Instructions
- Start by making the BBQ sauce. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl, then taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Divide the sauce into two portions: one for brushing on the chicken before and during grilling, and the other for serving on the side.
To put the chicken on the shewkers
- Using your hands, pull the skin off the chicken thighs.
- Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to carefully remove the bone, turning the meat as you separate it from the bone.
- Cut the chicken into roughly 1.5 to 2-inch pieces. Try to keep pieces even in size so they cook evenly on the skewers.
- Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers, leaving a small gap between each piece to ensure even cooking and good airflow. If needed, gently fold the pieces to fit them securely on the skewer.
- Place the finished skewers onto a sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Brush on a layer of BBQ sauce, saving some to use on when the chicken is on the grill.
To grill the chicken
- Preheat your grill to 400–450°F.
- Using tongs arrange the skewers over direct heat.
- Turn the skewers about every 3 to 4 minutes to get even grill marks. If your grill has hot or cold spots, you may need to move the skewers around to ensure they cook evenly.
- Half way through cooking, brush on more BBQ sauce.
- Cook until the internal temperature reaches at least 175°F when checked with a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat.
- Remove from the grill onto a clean sheet pan. Serve with the rest of the BBQ sauce.
- Allow the chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes before eating.
Notes
- If you are using wood skewers make sure to soak then in water for 30 minutes before using them.
- The chicken bones can be saved to use for stock. I store mine in the freezer until I am ready to make.
Leave a Reply