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
Cooked these for our 4th of July family gathering. De-lish! They also made a beautiful presentation. Someone suggested using chicken thighs, but the breast tenders were very moist cooked this way. After mixing the marinade, I set a little aside (before adding the raw chicken) and used it while cooking to basted the skewers. I used an outdoor George Foreman grill. This is a definite keeper and will be a frequent on our lunch and dinner menus! Thanks for posting and sharing!
This looks perfectly yummy but we don’t have a griller. Can I just bake it or pan fry it then put in skewers?
Made these last night – prepped them in the morning before I left for work. Used your Ziploc bag suggestion. They were delish. Thanks for the great recipe. This one is most definitely a keeper!!!
Made these the other night, they were an absolute hit in my house! Unfortunately, I forgot skewers at the store. I improvised and made chicken tenders with roasted veggies and corn on the cob for the sides. Also, I put some chicken breast in the used marinade for a second dinner… couldn’t let it go to waste! Grilled those bad boys up tonight for dinner. My only question is I’m unsure of the calorie and nutrition info. I tried to figure it out based off of what is in the marinade, but I think I’m off. Do you happen to have the nutrition information for this chicken/marinade? Thank you!
Can I use regular, store-bought maple syrup or does it HAVE to be pure??
Disappointed. Too much of a ketchup taste and made way too much marinade for the amount of chicken. Won’t keep this recipe to make again.
So LOVING this recipe Sandra! Thinking it will be a GREAT addition to my 4th of July BBQ tomorrow! Thanks for the awesome posts!!
I have just made this recipe and put it over the chicken. We will BBQ while watching the Wimbledon final. The marinade tasted gorgeous. Can’t wait for the Kebabs. Cheers from England!
Cheers – have fun watching the game.
xo San
This is an awesome marinade. We soaked some boneless skinless chicken thighs & grilled over charcoal. It charred just right & was delicious.
Look’s delicious. My mouth watering 🙂 Just one thing need to know. when I will Marinade that time what am I marinade on the normal place or freeze?
Thank’s
looking so delicious and mouth watering.
Thank you!
Oh, my word, I can’t believe how good this is looking.
Thank you!
Thanks for info!