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Grilled or air fried spicy Bang Bang Chicken Skewers seasoned and slathered with sweet and tangy bang bang sauce and cooked until tender and caramelized.
You will love these perfectly cooked spicy chicken skewers. You can make them mild if needed or kick up the heat with a few extra ingredients.
Why Make These Bang Bang Chicken Skewers
These spicy chicken skewers are a delight! They are sweet, creamy and spiced, make them mild or extra hot you get to decide the heat level.
You can air fry these bang bang chicken skewers or grill them! The grill adds a beautiful char and takes them over the top but I LOVE both cooking methods.
Enjoy these skewers as an appetizer or as a meal. You will also need to try my Healthy Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs, another great meal.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken Thighs. boneless, skinless thighs are so forgiving on the grill and in the air fryer. They hold a lot of moisture. You can absolutely use chicken breasts if preferred.
Thai Chili Sauce. This sauce is sweet, vinegary and so great with savory foods. I buy mine in the international aisle at the grocery store.
Sriracha. This is another vinegary, spicy savory sauce found in the international aisle at the grocery store. You can use any brand. Use as much or as little as you prefer. I use it in so many recipes like Chicken & Shrimp Fried Rice or Honey Sriracha Shrimp.
Mayonnaise. This gives the sauce a creamy flavor and keeps the chicken extra moist!
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
Mayonnaise. Use sour cream if needed!
Thai Chili Sauce. This can be omitted if needed, but I highly recommend it!
Skewers can be made in the oven, air fryer or on the grill.
Steps To Make Spicy Bang Bang Chicken
Step One. In a large bowl, combine the cubed chicken thighs, oil and seasonings. Toss to evenly coat the chicken (photo 1).
Step Two. Working one skewer at a time, thread the chunks of chicken until about 1/2- 3/4ths of the skewer is filled. In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, and lime juice. Mix well. This will make about 1.5 cups bang bang sauce.
Step Three. Pour half of the sauce into a separate bowl and set aside to use after the chicken has been cooked (for dipping and glazing!). Add the chicken skewers to a baking sheet (photo 3). Use the rest of the sauce to brush evenly over the chicken, be sure to get in between as well.
Step Five. For The Grill. Next, thread/pierce the seasoned chicken onto the skewers. Brush the skewers with one of the portioned sauces. Grill over medium heat for 8-10 minutes per side, turning often or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Additionally, turn the skewers often, continue to brush with sauce until it’s gone and the chicken is caramelized.
Step Six. For the Air Fryer: Add the skewers to the basket of your air fryer in a single layer. (Depending on the size of the air fryer, you may have to work in batches, or you may need to cut the sticked in half.) Air fry at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway. Chicken will be fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Next, transfer the skewers to a plate and drizzle or brush with the reserved bang bang sauce add an optional drizzle of hot honey. Serve immediately.
Recipe FAQs
They can be! But they can also be made very mild. Just skip the cayenne pepper, hot honey and use a little less sriracha.
If you have any leftover chicken skewers, store the skewers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Additionally, you can make them ahead of time and reheat them in the oven, microwave, or in a skillet on the stovetop. Store the leftover reserved bang bang sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Because the chicken can get dry, brush it over the reheated chicken as needed.
Recipe Tips
- Air fryers will vary! Be sure to check on the chicken halfway through the cook time and turn it.
- Make plenty of bang bang sauce, it’s the BEST part!
- Make these mild by omitting the cayenne pepper, hot honey and using less sriracha.
- Soak the wooden Skewers! Soak the skewers in water while you prepare everything, this helps to prevent them from burning.
Other Chicken REcipes TO Try
Bang Bang Chicken Skewers
Equipment
- grill or air fryer
- wooden skewers
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1½-2 lbs chicken thighs, cubed into 1 inch pieces , *see notes
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp hot honey , *see notes
Bang Bang Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise , *more as needed
- 2 Tbsp lime juice, fresh squeezed
- ⅔ cup thai sweet chili sauce
- ¼ cup Sriracha , *use less or more as desired for heat level
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cubed chicken thighs, oil and seasonings. Toss to evenly to coat the chicken well.
- Working one skewer at a time, thread the chunks of chicken until about 1/2- 3/4ths of the skewer is filled. In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, and lime juice. Mix well. This will make about 1.5 cups bang bang sauce.
- Pour half of the sauce into a separate bowl and set aside to use after the chicken has been cooked (for dipping and glazing!). Add the chicken skewers to a baking sheet. Use the rest of the sauce to brush evenly over the chicken, be sure to get in between as well.
- For The Grill. Thread the seasoned chicken onto the skewers. Brush the skewers with one of the portioned sauces. Grill over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, turning often or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Turn the skewers often* continue to brush with sauce until it's gone and the chicken is caramelized.
- For the Air Fryer: Add the skewers to the basket of your air fryer in a single layer. (Depending on the size of the air fryer, you may have to work in batches.) Air fry at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway. Chicken will be fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer the skewers to a plate and drizzle or brush with the reserved bang bang sauce and a drizzle of hot honey (if using). Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m going to make this, but thinking outside the box if it could be made in a crock pot instead of skewers to go over rice?
Hi Carla!
I personally haven’t tried it this way and I am not sure it would work. If anything I would bake it in the oven on a baking sheet (without skewers if desired) and serve over rice. But if you try the crockpot method let me know! Would love to hear feedback.
We had this for dinner yesterday and it was delicious. Definitely will be making it again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi! Thank you for the feedback, I am so happy to hear this. Enjoy and happy cooking!
This was PHENOMENAL! We grilled it which I believe is the way to go over airfrying as it gives it a nice char flavor. Although I didn’t see where the hot honey was supposed to go until I was finished cooking so I added it in with the oil/spices and it turned out great.
Hi! Thank you for the feedback, I am so happy to hear this.
Where does the hot honey come in? Is that supposed to be mixed in with the seasoning or with the Bang Bang Sauce or does it just get drizzled on at the end?
It goes in the marinade for the chicken/with the seasoning.
This was a HUGE hit at our house. I left out the cayenne pepper and only added a little of the siracha because I have young kiddos who don’t care for spicy things, but they loved it…especially the dipping sauce!
Hi Jennifer, I am so thrilled to hear this, thanks for the great feedback.
Loved this! How long is the sauce good for in the fridge? Is the sauce ok to freeze and defrost?
It should be good for up to 5 days! I would imagine it freezes just fine, Keep it in an airtight ziplock style bag for up to 2 months in the freezer. Xoxo
I’m making this for the second time the week! It is SO good!
Yay! I am so happy to hear this, thanks for the feedback.
I made these and they turned out delicious! Definitely will be making these on the regular. Thanks for sharing the recipe!