Four BBQ Skewer Recipes that Everyone Will Love

BBQ skewers, also known as shish kebabs, are a super simple, easily-customizable dish loved by families across the world. Not surprisingly, the creation and consumption of BBQ skewers date back to the prehistoric era – approximately around 300,000 years ago! But, what began as a practical method of cooking food has continued, to this day, to be a staple at many family BBQ gatherings.

BBQ skewers are easy to prepare, store, portion, and eat. This is what makes them a favorite dish for grilling at home or on the road while camping, attending beach parties, and so on. For this dish, we recommend using an efficient, easy-to-use grill like one from Napoleon’s Prestige® Series, Prestige PRO™ Series, or TravelQ™ PRO Series. In this blog, we explore a variety of BBQ skewer recipes that will spark a renewed appreciation for preparing and cooking skewers the entire family will love.

Grilling Skewers Like a Pro

Grilling skewers is pretty straightforward, however, we have a few tips to ensure that your BBQ skewers turn out perfect every time.

Use Metal Skewers

Though wooden skewers are commonly used and far cheaper, they are also susceptible to burning. Additionally, many wooden skewers tend to be round, meaning food has a higher chance of spinning around the skewer and not cooking evenly.

Meanwhile, using flat, stainless steel skewers will help you avoid those inconveniences. Being flat, they keep food secure and in place throughout the entire cooking and eating process. This type of skewer is engineered to have handles on one side which makes them easy to use. And of course, because of their material, they are reusable, making them sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Assembling Your Skewers

Ensure that the skewers are balanced so that all the food pieces get cooked at the same time. Moreover, as tempting as it may be to load up your skewers, the individual pieces must not be squeezed too tightly together so that they all cook evenly.

Be Mindful of Ingredient Pairing

Some of the most popular skewer meats include chicken and shrimp. Shrimp cooks fast on the grill so make sure to time them properly. As for chicken, it must be properly sized to ensure that the meat will keep its moisture throughout the grilling process. Mixing meats on a single skewer can be tricky as each meat will have a different cooking time. it is best to build each skewer with only one type of meat on it.

If you would like to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your skewers, here are a few popular choices:

• Grape tomatoes

• Mushrooms

• Pineapple

• Mango

• Bell peppers

• Onions

So now, let’s explore some of our favorite BBQ skewer recipes that your family is sure to love!

1. Hawaiian Chicken Skewers

Experience fun and tropical flavors with our Hawaiian Chicken Skewers recipe! The chicken in this recipe is marinated in a sweet and savory sauce made of pineapple juice, soy sauce, pepper, and garlic. The chicken is then skewered along with sweet bell peppers and pineapple. In just about 8-10 minutes, all these ingredients will be cooked beautifully on the grill. The result is a colorful dish with hints of sweetness and a lovely smoky flavor. It’s the perfect festive kind of BBQ skewer recipe that can be served at summer birthday parties, backyard luaus, or just about any kind of occasion.

Ready to try this mouth-watering recipe? Then check out our recipe page for the full instructions!

2. Tandoori Chicken Skewers

If you’re looking for an exotic BBQ skewer dish to serve up, then this Indian-inspired skewers recipe is for you. Traditionally, tandoori chicken is a dish cooked in a tandoor (a cylindrical clay oven), however, grilling is actually a great alternative method to cook tandoori chicken.

In our Tandoori Chicken Skewers recipe, we feature a chicken marinade that has a rich combination of spices including turmeric and cayenne. Then the spices are combined with yogurt, garlic, ginger, and lemon juice for a balanced flavor. Serve this up with Raita sauce, warm naan bread, and basmati rice. You’ve just made a filling meal that is great for any time of the day and any occasion.

Ready to try this recipe? Then check out our recipe page for the full instructions!

3. Thai Grilled Chicken Skewers (Gai Yang)

This spicy, smoky grilled treat is sure to be a new family favorite. This beautiful orchestra of spicy flavors features a marinade that includes lemongrass, red chili, sesame oil and honey. Serve with coconut rice and a fresh cucumber salad. This lovely, authentic Thai dish made in your own backyard.

Planning to serve up this delicious recipe for your family? Then check out our recipe page for the full instructions!

4. Watermelon and Feta Skewers

If you’re vegetarian or just looking to balance out all the BBQ meat at your next family gathering, this Watermelon and Feta Skewers recipe is for you. The process of grilling mutes the watermelon’s natural sweetness and concentrates the rest of its refreshing cool flavor, whilst adding a kick of smokiness. When you combine this with the herbiness of basil and the salty, tangy, intense flavor of feta, the combination is deliciously out of this world!

Ready to try this dish? Check out our recipe page for the full instructions!

What is Your Family’s Favorite BBQ Skewers Recipe?

Do you have an all-time favorite skewer recipe in your family? Or have you been inspired by our list? We’d love to hear all about it. Share your grilled creations with the Napoleon community by tagging us on Instagram. You can also follow us on YouTube, where we cover various grilling subjects - along with our easy-to-follow grilled recipe tutorials in the #NapoleonEats video series. See you there!