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.
Why Sticky Chicken on a Stick Works
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.
Indeed, when you grill this chicken, the aromas will blow you away! Again, you can smell every ounce of flavor that is coating the chicken. It makes you instantly become hungry.
How to Make Grilled Chicken Kabobs – Step by Step
- Make Marinade: Sauté diced onions, next, grate fresh ginger and add it to the onions, then, add minced garlic.
- Continue with Marinade: Second add ketchup and brown sugar, soy sauce and apple cider vinegar.
- Season: Next, add sesame oil and crushed red pepper then add the mixture to the sautéed onions, garlic and ginger.
- Prepare Chicken: Cut grilled chicken into chunks and skewer them.
- Flavor: 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.
- Grill: Finally, cook chicken on grill until cooked through.
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How Long to Grill Chicken Kabobs
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.
Can You Make This Grilled Chicken Kabob Marinade 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.
Put the grilled chicken kabobs in the fridge until ready to cook.
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Expert Tips for Making the Best Chinese Chicken on a Stick
- 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.
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- Favorite Grill
- Reusable Skewers
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- Meat Thermometer
Sticky Chicken on a Stick
Equipment
- Skewers
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.
Estimated Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided are estimates. To learn more about how I calculate this information go to www.itisakeeper.com/about-its-a-keeper/privacy-disclosure-policies/
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!