Alabama-Style Chicken Kebabs
This is going to turn into the best Kebab you've had -- on this side of Mississippi.
Start with the base of your sauce. (Read: this is why they're so good.)
Add in vinegar, sugar.
Next comes the heat and the salt -- 2 very important components.
A little pepper for good measure.
Another use for a meat pounder? Smashing garlic!
That goes in too.
Now whisk. Simple, right?
Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces.
Like so.
On the skewers they go! And repeat.
Season this cute little guy.
And drizzle him with olive oil.
Oh, and you should have your grill all fired up. When it's hot, throw 'em on.
Basting is key -- the next few minutes will be an exercise in basting, then turning, then basting.
Then turning again.
When they look like this, they're about done!
Be ready -- your dish is going to be the best at the barbecue.
Author Notes: Maybe you've heard of or make "white" barbecue sauce from Alabama -- it's tart and tangy with mayo and vinegar as its base instead of the more common tomato. I like it a lot and thought I'd put a new twist on it for some chicken kebabs. Instead of the traditional horseradish I substituted sambal oelek for a bigger kick and a little sugar for sweetness. And extra is great as a dipping sauce. —inpatskitchen
Food52 Review: WHO: We've been cooking with inpatskitchen for a long time, and this is one of her best recipes yet.
WHAT: Moist, flavorful, addictive kebabs that will put the rest of the backyard barbecue spread to shame.
HOW: Mix up the sauce, fire up the grill, don't forget to baste.
WHY WE LOVE IT: "How is this chicken so moist?" is what you'll ask yourself while you're eating these. And probably, "Why can't I stop?" Don't ask questions, just keep eating. You have the recipe now -- the secrets are yours. —The Editors
Makes: 4 kebabs (but there will be enough sauce to do 6 to 8 kebabs)
Sauce
-
1 1/2
cups mayonnaise
-
1/2
cup apple cider vinegar
-
1/4
cup granulated sugar
-
1
tablespoon sambal oelek (or more if you can handle it..I used two!)
-
1/2
teaspoon salt
-
1/2
teaspoon black pepper
-
1
clove garlic, mashed or put through a press
- Whisk all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate. (Sauce can be made well ahead of time.)
Kebabs
-
4
boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
-
Four
12-inch skewers (if using wood, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning)
-
Salt, pepper, and olive oil
-
The sauce
- Cut the breast halves into 1 1/2 inch cubes and thread them on the skewers. Season the kebabs with a little salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. Light your grill to medium heat and oil the grates well.
- Reserve 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the sauce for dipping.
- Place your kebabs on the grill and start lightly basting and turning until the chicken is done. (Be careful not to burn!) Serve them up with a little of the reserved sauce on the side.
- Your Best Barbecue Contest Finalist!
More Great Recipes:
Chicken|Entree|Spring|Summer|Fall|Fourth of July|Memorial Day|Father's Day|Grill/Barbecue
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I made these kabobs (again) at a family BBQ and people went nuts for them! My nephew (11) has demanded these for his birthday dinner. The key is to baste and turn on a well prepared grill so that you get the perfect ratio of juicy chicken to bits of charred edges.
Pat is a trusted home cook.
Yay! So happy you all like these...our family does too!!
These kebabs were terrific! Very juicy and flavorful. I did use two tablespoons of sambal oelek and next time, I may use even a little bit more. We had quite a bit of leftover sauce, which I used to grill a pork tenderloin a few days later. This one is a keeper for sure.
Pat is a trusted home cook.
Thanks so much Lisa! Leftover sauce is terrific on all sorts stuff (my fave is shrimp!)
I had high hopes for this chicken BBQ recipe. Having spent a bit of time in Alabama, I wanted to introduce a bit of Alabama BBQ flavor to my husband and sons. Unfortunately, it was not for them. Although they said the chicken was very moist, they didn't like the BBQ basting sauce AT ALL and this recipe went into the category of "unanimous thumbs down" :(
Pat is a trusted home cook.
Sorry you weren't happy but I understand that everyone has different tastes. Hopefully you've found a chicken kebab you like.
I made Smashed Potatoes...
http://www.finecooking...
This was great! Thanks! Any ideas about what to serve with?
Pat is a trusted home cook.
Thanks Lorrie! We usually have a spinach salad with it but any of the usual BBQ sides would be great: slaw, corn on the cob, etc.
Making this tonight as I have chicken breasts that have nothing to do and a jar of mayo that is bored.
Pat is a trusted home cook.
Once that sambal gets added to the mayo it won't be bored! Thanks for trying this...sure hope you like it.
Made it...it was fantastic! My husband loved it! I wasn't able to grill it outside due to weather but used grill pan. Will make again!!
Pat is a trusted home cook.
I'm so happy you liked it.Thanks!! I'm planning this for dinner as soon as we get rid of this rain....
Just grilled this tonight on charcoal barbeque and my husband who is not a fan of chicken,,,, said that this is the best chicken he has ever had, THANK-YOU FOR SHARING.... this meal was absolutely fantastic and can not wait to share with my friends. KUDOS to you!!
Pat is a trusted home cook.
Thanks so much Nanners!! We love this one too!
This looks delicious! Do you think it would be ok with egg-free mayo?
Pat is a trusted home cook.
I think it will be fine! Hope you enjoy....
I'm sure it would work and taste just as good!
I made these on an indoor grill pan since there are heaps and heaps of snow outside. The results looked just like the photo above: Charred edges, juicy, flavorful meat. Very delicious.
Pat is a trusted home cook.
Thank you Caroline! So happy you enjoyed!
Made this fir a BBQ this past summer and everyone wanted more including the kids. A keeper.
Pat is a trusted home cook.
Thanks so much Idalu! I'm especially happy when kids like the meal!
How long should the chicken cook for, or should I be testing with a thermometer till they reach 165? Thanks
Pat is a trusted home cook.
A thermometer is a good idea... timing depends on your grill so I can't give you an accurate one.
We made this with chicken wings and they were gone instantly! I was hoping for leftovers, but no luck! Simply delicious! I will make this again and again. Thanks so much for sharing!
Pat is a trusted home cook.
Chicken wings sound fabulous! Thank you so much!
We made these yesterday, exactly as the recipe indicates (other than we used our on hand "Rooster Sauce"- Sriracha, instead of sambal oelek). It is FANTASTIC. We've never had grilled chicken that wasn't marinated turn out THIS moist and THIS delicious!! It was even good as leftovers..cold!! We will make this again, and again, and again! It was awesome! We did a side of grilled mushrooms, onions, zucchini and yellow squash. It was HEAVEN!
Pat is a trusted home cook.
THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU!! We just love this too...so happy you enjoyed!
You can buy sambal oelek from Amazon.com.
My family loved this. I grilled some skewers of mini peppers and onions along with the chicken kabobs, great combo.
Thanks for suggesting skewering and grilling mini peppers and onions!!! I will definitely do that the next time I make this recipe.
Pat is a trusted home cook.
Thanks so much Jean! I'm so happy all enjoyed and love the idea of peppers and onions to go along with the chicken!
Yesterday we grilled and basted split chicken breasts with this delicious sauce!!! Can't wait to serve to family and friends this summer!
Pat is a trusted home cook.
So happy you enjoyed! Thanks!
What are you serving with it?
Pat is a trusted home cook.
Depends on the occasion...usually a spinach salad if it's just the two of us. I like it with rice also.
It's rare that my family goes on and on about so basic a preparation, but they did and this certainly was. I followed the recipe to a T, despite my reservations about the 1/4 cup of sugar; it didn't disappoint. Though I'm frequently guilty of using low-fat mayo, I sucked it up and bought the full-fat kind (and I'm glad I did). That said, my husband said that there were several flare-ups from the fat in the mayo, so mindfulness at the barbeque was a must. I made the full recipe and next time will make much more chicken, as everybody ate substantially more than normal and I would've loved to have had more leftovers for a salad -- and used that fabulous sauce as the dressing! As it was, I used the leftover chicken as a pizza topping with Bermuda onions and a drizzle of the leftover dressing; it was rich and fabulous. Thanks, Inpatskitchen. This is a winner!
Pat is a trusted home cook.
So happy the whole family enjoyed! I made these for a family BBQ last summer along with some pork kebabs and beef kebabs and the chicken was the first to go and was a hit with all (including the little ones!). And your pizza sounds amazing!
Let's just say I'm obsessed! The sauce is outstanding. I even just drizzled it over a salad I made with last nights chicken. I used chile garlic sauce instead of sambal oelek, which after googling are essentially the same. I used double amount of the chile and I'm not a super spicy kind of girl, but it gives a nice bite. The sauce makes a ton. I recommend cutting it by half unless you double amount of chicken called for in the recipe. Yum!
Pat is a trusted home cook.
Thanks Nancy! So happy you enjoyed!
Can you substitute the sambal oelek?
Pat is a trusted home cook.
You can use Sriracha if you can't find the sambal...or are you thinking of something less spicy?
No I love spice. Just don't think I would find sambal oelek.
Pat is a trusted home cook.
Are you in the US near a large city? I find the sambal in the Asian section of my local Kroger and at Asian markets.
Ironically I live in Alabama. Near Birmingham. I might find it at whole foods or Publix. I was originally thinking the regular spice section..didn't think about the Asian section.
Pat is a trusted home cook.
Hope you find it!
Sambal oelek is in most grocery stores in the Asian section. If you can't find it, look for something called Chili Garlic sauce. It's pretty much the same.
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