This Sticky Chicken on a stick is a finger licking good chicken kabob that will be the hit of the barbecue. You will be king or queen of the grill due to it’s tangy Asian flavors and succulent chicken.
This marinade will really change your boring chicken routine. Truly, grilling really brings out the flavor in chicken, but this marinade really takes it over the top.
In fact, Kabob actually means fried meat but the origins of our favorite grilled meat comes from Turkey, find out here.
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What We Love About This Chicken Stick Recipe
These easy sticky chicken on a stick will have easily become a family favorite! This sauce has sweet, Asian-inspired flavors and when you grill it, the chicken gets all sticky and caramelized.
- 30 Minute Meal: A little prep and then this easy recipes it is a quick and meal with easy steps. Perfect to kick off summer at Memorial Day.
- Easy Ingredients: All found in pantry or fridge.
- Family Friendly: These are fun and tasty for everyone to eat.
- Adaptable: Can make it low-carb or Keto.
- Makes Great Leftovers: Wonderful for salads.
Ingredient Notes for Chicken on a Stick Recipes
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Cut into small pieces or chunks, boneless skinless chicken thighs, chicken strips or chicken tenders can also be used.
- Minced Vegetables: Minced onions and garlic cloves and ginger, use a mini food processor for a quick mince.
- Ketchup: Keto or low sugar versions can be used.
- Brown Sugar: Light or Dark can be used,
- Soy Sauce: A low sodium soy sauce can be used here.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Sesame Oil: This brings a deep umami flavor to the dish.
- Red Pepper Flakes
Equipment Needed
- Bamboo skewers or metal skewers
- Favorite Grill
- Thermometer for your grill
- Meat Thermometer
How to Make Chicken on Stick
These are the basic steps for making chicken on a stick recipes. Please refer to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
STEP 1: MAKE MARINADE
First, sauté diced onions, next, grate fresh ginger and add it to the onions, then, add minced garlic.
STEP 2: ADD
Second add ketchup and brown sugar, soy sauce and apple cider vinegar into a large bowl.
STEP 3: SEASON
Next, add sesame oil and crushed red pepper then add the mixture to the sautéed onions, garlic and ginger. Cut grilled chicken into chunks and skewer them.
STEP 4: GRILL
Reserve some grilled chicken marinade to baste as well as for dipping and pour the over chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 24 hours. Finally, cook chicken on grill until a golden brown.
Prep and Storage Tips
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE AHEAD OF TIME
Some times, I make the grilled chicken kabob marinade days in advance and store most of it in a zip top bag. Keep the rest in these containers. Certainly, it keeps keeps very well in the fridge.
HOW TO STORE THIS RECIPE
Put the grilled chicken kabobs in the fridge until ready to cook.
HOW TO FREEZE THIS RECIPE
Freeze in a freezer bag or an airtight container for up to six months.
HOW TO REHEAT THIS RECIPE
Thaw in the fridge overnight and then cook following the directions below. Transfer to a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chicken on a Stick
Use a Keto ketchup or a low sugar ketchup.
Indeed, this is an easy replacement, simply make sure that the temperature reaches 165.
Below are a few handy tips to follow when you make these Kabobs. For Example:
Keep the chicken cubes uniform, they will allow even cooking.
Be sure that all the sides of every kabob touch the grill to ensure that you get all sides cooked through and it will give you that perfect exterior
Get you grill to a temperature of 375 degrees. Use a thermometer to get a reliable read. Also chicken is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165. Meat thermometers are great to test the doneness. Allow the meat to rest for a few minutes before serving.
Expert Tips for Making This Recipe
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- Can be Doubled: A great recipes for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately. After all, we all love barbeque.
- Wrap in Foil: To keep your grill from getting completely sticky. wrap the kabobs in foil
- Bake: No Grill, No Problem. You can bake these Kabobs in the oven or even use an air fryer for your chicken tenders.
- Dipping Sauce: Reserved Marinade can be used as a dipping sauce.
- Skewers: Furthermore, it is really important to soak the wooden skewers for about a half an hour before using to prevent them burning.
- Top: Sprinkle with some sesame seeds or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
What to Serve with Sticky Chicken on a Stick
Did you try this recipe?
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Sticky Chicken on a Stick
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup onion, minced
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Bamboo or metal skewers
Instructions
- If using bamboo skewers, soak skewers in water for at least 20 minutes. This will prevent the skewers from burning on the grill.
- Heat vegetable oil in medium saucepan. Add onions and saute until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes.
- Add garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes; Remove from heat and cool sauce completely. (This step can be completed 1-2 days ahead of time.)
- Place chicken in a resealable bag and pour half of the sauce over chicken; reserve remaining sauce for basting.
- Close bag and knead to ensure all chicken is coated in sauce. Refrigerate for 6 hours to overnight.
- Remove chicken from marinade and throw marinade away.
- Thread chicken onto the skewers.
- Spray grill lightly with cooking spray and preheat grill on medium high.
- Place chicken on grill and grill until well browned on one side, about 5 – 7 minutes.
- Turn chicken and baste with sauce.
- Grill another 5 to 7 minutes. Turn and baste again.
- Continue grilling until well caramelized and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
- Remove chicken and serve with reserved sauce.
Expert Tips
- Can be Doubled: This is a great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately. After all, we all love barbeque.
- Wrap in Foil: To keep your grill from getting completely sticky. wrap the kabobs in foil
- Bake: No Grill, No Problem. You can bake these Kabobs in the oven.
- Skewers: Furthermore, it is really important to soak the wooden skewers for about a half an hour before using to prevent them burning.
Thanks so much for the recipe loved it definitely make it again 👍
So glad you liked it!
Yummy recipe! I served it with pot stickers and peas. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is that grill clean up ( despite spraying before cooking) was a nightmare. The sauce stuck to the grates like glue! It took soaking overnight, and LOTS of scrubbing to get the grates clean.
Best ever! I didn’t realize it had to marinade for so long. I only marinated for 20 minutes. It was still very flavorful to me. Can’t wait to show this one off to friends.
Can I bake these in the oven, I have done on the grill but it is too cold now
Of course!
Can it be marinaded for more than 24 hours? My parents came over unexpectedly and took us out for supper. Do I need to grill them tonight or can I wait until tomorrow?
I wouldn’t marinate longer than the recipe states. If you want to get a jump start, make the marinade ahead of time and marinate when you’re ready to cook.
This was delicious. Served with basmati rice and zucchini. My husband said it’s one of the best dishes I’ve made.
Delicious! A great recipe! A definite repeat in the dinner rotation!
So glad you like it!
This has become a family favorite at our house. Easy to make and so flavorful!
I’m so glad you like it!
I love this recipe. Made it recently but didn’t print so I was going crazy trying to find it online again!
Everyone do yourself a favor and print it out because this will be a regular recipe. So good!
YAY! I’m so glad you loved it! It’s definitely one of our faves too!
Amazing recipe! Everyone in the family loves it.. my daughter loves the sauce so much, she’ll take it and put it over some soft noodles (like egg noodles or soba) and eat whatever table sauce we have left. Thank you for a great grilled chicken meal that everyone in my family looks forward to ☺️
Awesome!! I’m so glad your family loves it! It’s a hit at our house too!
Looks perfect for the upcoming Memorial day weekend as long as it doesn’t rain. I’m always looking for something new to try.
We love it! Enjoy!
Hi Rachel-I wanted to make these for my daughters team dinner. I was wondering if I could bake these and if they’d still be a hit??? I don’t have a grill at the school, just ovens. Please let me know. Thank You-Natalie
I think they would still be great baked!
We had people over yesterday for a cook out. My husband was grilling steaks and I made these for those of us who do not eat steak. These were amazing! Even the “steak eaters” were grabbing these. I did replace part of the ketchup with a little Siracha as we tend to like things with a little extra kick. I can see this becoming one of my go to recipes!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them 🙂 Thanks for reporting back!
This recipe sounds great but where does the 1500+ sodium come from, the ketchup?
I plan on making this tomorrow
THX
Most likely the soy sauce is the source of the sodium. I would use the low-sodium variety.
What do we do with the sesame oil in the ingredients list?
Step 4 — add remaining ingredients. That’s where you add the sesame oil 🙂
after sauteeing the ginger until fragrent, the recipe says to add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Does this include adding the raw chicken? Sorry if this came thru twice, I couldn’t tell if it went thru successfully the first time I posted.
after adding the ginger and sauteeing until fragrent, it says to add remaining ingredients & simmer for 10 minutes. Does this include the raw chicken?
Love ❤ the recipes.they taste wonderful
These are SO for me!! Pinned!
Oh my husband and I would love this! Thanks! Looks so delicious and easy!
They are soooo good!
It’s been WAY too hot too cook this past week, so we’ve been mooching & eating out a lot, too. These sound amazingly delicious I have to say!