We first saw this recipe over a year ago, but for some reason or other we didn’t get around to trying it. But we didn’t forget and finally we decided that Father’s Day would be the perfect time to try out a new recipe and grill these Chicken Skewers.
I’ve got to admit, pulsing uncooked bacon to form a paste was kinda gross. Then massaging it into raw chicken just about put me over the edge. But I’m a chump when it comes to raw meat and luckily Kara isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty in the raw poultry mess! That’s what sisters are for!!
This chicken ended up being really tasty! We didn’t measure the spices when we were preparing the rub so ours turned out a bit too spicy. Even so everybody liked this Father’s Day meal. And it was definitely ‘Dad approved’. Fourth of July is just around the corner (can you believe it?!) and summertime is full of grilling and outdoor gatherings. Keep this recipe in mind because it’s sure to be a hit!
Here’s what you’ll need
Combine all sauce ingredients and thicken over medium heat
In a small bowl, combine paprikas, salt, sugar and cayenne pepper
Use a food processor to make a paste out of the bacon
Combine spices and bacon paste together
Use your hands to coat the chicken with the bacon paste mixture
Place chicken on skewers and grill, flipping to cook on all 4 sides
I know bacon paste sounds a little out there…but this is an excellent summer recipe
Yield: servings 6
Ingredients
For the BBQ Sauce
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons yellow onion, grated
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
hot sauce, a few dashes
For the Chicken
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 slices bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
metal skewers
Directions
For the sauce, bring all the sauce ingredients to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 to 7 minutes. Sauce should thicken and reduce to about 1 cup. Remove from heat. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and set aside to serve with the chicken skewers.
Preheat the grill while you start prepping the chicken skewers.
Pat dry the chicken cubes with a paper towel then place the chicken in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine smoked paprika, sweet paprika, salt, sugar, and cayenne pepper.
Process the bacon in a food processor until a smooth paste forms, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the bacon paste to the spice mixture, then add all of it to the large bowl of chicken. Use your hands to toss the chicken to coat with the bacon paste mixture. Place the meat onto skewers.
Place the skewers on the grill and cook covered, turning every 2 minutes or so, until all 4 sides are cooked through and chicken has browned and slightly charred. This should take 8 to 10 minutes total. Remove from grill and allow chicken to rest 5 minutes. Serve with barbeque sauce on the side.
Source: adapted from Pink Parsley
