Succulent pieces of chicken thighs are spiced, skewered and grilled until tender then coated in an irresistibly sweet and spicy homemade bang bang sauce. Bang bang chicken skewers can be served as the main course or as a fun party starter. They’re easily made in the air fryer or oven too!
My first run in with bang bang sauce was with shrimp. Then, I played around and tried it with cauliflower. But if I’m being honest, I think my favorite combination is these chicken skewers.
If you’re a sucker for chicken satay at a Thai restaurant, I think you’ll love bang bang chicken skewers as well. There are a few reasons this recipe resonates the most with me:
- Food on a stick is always more fun
- Chicken thighs are deliciously moist, tender and succulent
- Bang bang sauce is used as both a marinade and a finishing sauce
- It can be dinner, a starter or a party snack
It’s hard not to love a recipe with those features, right?
Furthermore, while I love how the grill chars and caramelizes the outside of the chicken kabobs, you can also easily make these chicken skewers in the air fryer or regular oven so this recipe can be enjoyed any time of year in any household.
What Makes Bang Bang Chicken So Darn Good?
This recipe checks off so many components of a crave-worthy recipe:
✔ Creamy sauce
✔ Perfectly spiced chicken
✔ Sweet, spicy, tangy flavor
✔ Adaptable cooking method
So if a trip to Bonefish Grill is out of the question to get your fix of bang bang sauce, give these chicken skewers a try and easily satisfy the craving at home.
Ingredients To Make It
Chicken — I prefer chicken thighs for the skewers. They’re so much more tender, juicy and moist than breasts that tend to dry out while cooking. The thighs are what truly make this recipe.
Spices, honey and olive oil — A combination of paprika, garlic, onion powder, pepper and salt combined with olive oil and honey coat every piece of chicken and create a perfectly balanced sweet and savory flavor.
Bang bang sauce — This beloved sauce is actually incredibly simple to make. A combination of mayonnaise, sriracha, sweet Thai chili sauce and lemon comes together to create a creamy, sweet, tangy and decadent sauce that is used to both marinate and tenderize the chicken pieces before they’re grilled and finish them off before serving as a sauce or dip.
How To Make Bang Bang Chicken Skewers
As always, the full recipe card with detailed ingredient amounts and directions is below if you keep scrolling, but here’s a visual process to walk you through making the bang bang chicken skewer recipe.
SEASON THE CHICKEN
Combine the cubes of chicken with the spices, honey and olive oil in a large bowl and toss to coat all sides of the chicken.
ADD THE BANG BANG SAUCE
In a separate bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the bang bang sauce and pour half into the bowl with the chicken.
SKEWER THE CHICKEN
Place the chicken pieces on skewers and brush them with any leftover marinade in the bowl.
COOK THE CHICKEN SKEWERS
Place the chicken skewers on a pre-heated grill over a direct flame (or see below for air fryer and oven options). Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, flipping the skewers a few times as they cook and brushing on any extra bang bang sauce marinade.
SERVE!
Serve the cooked bang bang chicken skewers with the remaining sauce. You can drizzle it on top of the kabobs or serve it alongside for dipping.
Air Fryer & Oven Options For Bang Bang Chicken
The grill is great if accessible as it caramelizes the edges of the chicken and you get sweet, crunchy charred bits thanks to the honey in the seasoning. If it’s too cold outside, or you just don’t want to deal with the grill, however, you can make these skewers in an air fryer or oven.
Air Fryer
Layer the chicken skewers in the basket (or on the trays) of the air fryer. Air fry at 400°F for about 10-12 minutes, rotating the skewers half way through. The chicken should still reach the same internal temperature as if grilling (165°F) when fully cooked.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tip
Metal skewers may be too long to fit in some air fryer models. Use soaked wooden skewers in this case that you can cut to size. It’s important to soak the wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes before grilling or air frying so they don’t burn while cooking.
Oven
The oven method is similar to the air fryer. You’ll want to bake (or use a convection bake/roast setting if you have it) the chicken skewers at 400°F on a baking sheet until they’re fully cooked — about 15-20 minutes. I recommend flipping them half way through as well.
Is Bang Bang Sauce Spicy?
You can tailor the spice level of bang bang sauce to your preference by adjusting the amount of sriracha used in the recipe. The sweet Thai chili sauce also helps temper the spice and can be increased or decreased too. Not all bang bang sauce recipes call for lemon, but this is one of the reasons I like it in this recipe. It does a great job of cutting through spice and introduces a tangy flavor profile that balances the spice and savory components.
Prepping Ahead
This recipe is easy to prep ahead by seasoning and skewering the chicken and keeping it in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days before cooking. The bang bang sauce can also be made ahead of time and stored in refrigeration for up to 5 days in advance. Just give it a good stir before using.
Storage & Reheating
Any leftover chicken skewers can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Keep the extra bang bang sauce separate.
I think the chicken is best reheated in an air fryer or toaster oven rather than a microwave which tends to impart a rubbery texture on the chicken. For both the air fryer and oven, reheat at 350°F until just warmed through. You can also use a toaster oven if preferred.
More Chicken Recipes To Try
For anyone who loves the sweet and spicy flavors of bang bang sauce, you’ll also probably love this sticky Thai chicken. With flavors of honey, ginger, lemongrass and lime, it’s a Thai explosion in every forkful.
Indian chicken is also sweet and spicy like this bang bang chicken. Marinated in yogurt and finished with a maple syrup sauce, it’s got the whole sweet and tangy thing going on too.
If Thai and Chinese cuisines got together and made an easy skillet dinner, it’d be this mango chicken recipe. With jalapeños for some spice and lots of ginger, lime and soy sauce flavor, it’s another chicken dinner you’ll crave.
Bang Bang Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 ½ pound chicken thighs, cut in 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the sauce:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- juice of half a lemon
- ½ cup sweet Thai chili sauce
- ¼ cup sriracha sauce
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thighs into pieces and place in a bowl with all the spices, honey and oil.
- In a separate small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and add half to the chicken thighs. Toss to coat. Reserve the other half for serving.
- Place the chicken pieces on skewers. Brush the skewers with some of the sauce left in the bowl that the chicken was marinating in. Set aside while you preheat the grill to high heat.
- Place the chicken skewers on the grill over a direct flame and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F. Flip the skewers from time to time while grilling and baste with extra sauce from the marinade.
- Transfer the cooked chicken skewers to a serving plate and serve with the remaining sauce for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
