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Sticky Bourbon Chicken Skewers

Sticky bourbon chicken skewers with a glossy, sticky bourbon-brown sugar glaze caramelized right on the grill. Chunky chicken skewers are marinated, basted with reserved marinade, and finished with sesame seeds and green onions for sweet-savory flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
marinating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 32 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 2 lb chicken breasts cut into chunks
Bourbon glaze and marinade
  • 0.25 cup bourbon for marinade and reserved basting
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 garlic minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
Skewers and garnish
  • 1 wooden skewers soaked
  • 1 sesame seeds for garnish
  • 1 green onions for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the marinade
  1. Whisk bourbon, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, garlic, fresh ginger, and red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks glossy.
  2. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade for basting and set it aside separately.
  3. Marinate chicken in the remaining marinade for 1-4 hours, refrigerated, until the pieces look evenly coated.
Grill the skewers
  1. Thread chicken onto soaked wooden skewers, spacing pieces evenly so they cook at the same rate.
  2. Grill over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes per side, basting with the reserved marinade during grilling so the surface turns caramelized and sticky.
Finish and serve
  1. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions right before serving for a fresh pop on top of the glossy glaze.

Notes

For the stickiest glaze, keep basting during the flip so the sugar-and-bourbon mixture caramelizes on the surface rather than burning. Refrigerate leftover skewers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently in the oven or on a grill pan until hot through. Freezing is not recommended because the glaze can separate after thawing. For a lower-sugar option, use a 1:1 brown sugar substitute (where it behaves like sugar) to keep the caramelized texture.