Skewered chunks of chicken are slathered with sweet and tangy bang bang sauce and cooked until tender and caramelized. These Bang Bang Chicken Skewers can be served as an entrée or pile them on a platter for a fun party snack.
If you love food on a stick, you’ll love my Pineapple Chicken Kabobs.
This is my take on a recipe that has made the rounds on the internet over the years. The original inspiration for all of these recipes is the bang bang sauce made famous by the Bonefish Grill. But, instead of the Bang Bang Shrimp dish they’re known for, these totally irrestible little kabobs consist of chunks of seasoned chicken that are coated with bang bang sauce and quickly air fried or grilled.
This sauce, friends! It’s creamy, slightly sweet and tangy, with a touch of heat. And good news, it’s so easy to make.
I love that I can make these Bang Bang Chicken Skewers in my air fryer any time of year. I’ve included alternate grilling instructions below, but there’s no need to fire up the grill for a spectacular result.
Table of contents
What is Bang Bang Sauce?
Bang Bang sauce is creamy, super flavorful sauce made with just 3 ingredients – mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and Sriracha. This combination results in a sauce with a seriously irresistible flavor profile. The creaminess from the mayonnaise perfectly balances the sweet chili sauce and the heat from the Sriracha.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: Boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks are coated with a little olive oil.
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, onion powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper create a flavorful spice blend.
- Bang bang sauce: Mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce from brands like Mae Ploy or Thai Kitchen, and Sriracha.
Equipment Needed
Air Fryer: A 6-quart or larger air fryer. I used my basket style Cosori Air Fryer.
Skewers: 6-inch wooden skewers fit perfectly in my basket style air fryer. If using wooden skewers, it’s important to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes, or longer, so the tips won’t burn as much while they cook. Metal skewers can be used if you can find them small enough to fit in your air fryer.
Pastry brush: You’ll want to have a couple of pastry brushes on hand. One for coating the raw chicken with sauce and another for basting the chicken after it finishes cooking. Or, just be sure sure thoroughly wash your pastry brush with soap and hot water before the last baste.
How to Make Bang Bang Chicken Skewers
- Season: Place the chicken in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil and seasonings.
- Assemble skewers: Thread the chicken chunks on to wooden skewers.
- Cook: Air fry at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.
I’m able to fit all 8 skewers snugly in my basket style air fryer. As long as they are in a single layer, it’s fine if they’re touching.
- Make the bang bang sauce: While the skewers cook, combine the ingredients for the sauce and divide it between two small bowls or ramekins.
- Baste: After the 10 minute cook time, open the air fryer and baste the tops of the kabobs generously with the bang bang sauce. Flip each skewer over with tongs and generously baste the other side.
- Final cook and baste: Cook an additional 10 minutes or until the internal temperature of thickest chunks of chicken has reached 165 degrees F. Before serving, baste the skewers once more with a clean pastry brush with the sauce from the second bowl of sauce.
Alternate Grilling Instructions
- Assemble the skewers as directed and grill over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes per side. Baste the skewers towards the end of the cooking time and continue to cook until the sauce is nicely caramelized and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Transfer to a platter and baste with some of the reserved bang bang sauce before serving.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Refrigerate: Transfer leftover skewers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheat: The skewers can be reheated in an air fryer at 350 degrees F for 3 minutes, or just until warmed through. They can also be reheated in a microwave oven, but be careful not to overheat or the texture of the chicken can become tough and chewy.
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Bang Bang Chicken Skewers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 boneless chicken breasts, about 1 ½ pounds, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
For the Bang Bang Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Sriracha, to taste
Instructions
- Before beginning, place 8 skewers in a shallow dish and add enough water to cover. Soak for at least 30 minutes.
- Place the chicken in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the seasonings and toss again until well coated. Thread the chunks of chicken on to wooden skewers (4 to 5 per skewer).
Air Fryer Method
- Place the skewers in a single layer in your air fryer (it's okay if they are touching as long as they are in a single layer). Air fry at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and Sriracha, to taste. Divide the sauce between two small bowls or ramekins.
- After the 10 minute cook time, open the air fryer and baste the tops of the kabobs generously with the bang bang sauce. Flip each skewer over with tongs and generously baste the other side. Continue to cook at 400 degrees F for an additional 10 minutes or until internal temperature of thickest chunks of chicken has reached 165 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken skewers from the air fryer and baste while hot with additional sauce from the separate bowl (with a clean pastry brush). Let them rest a few minutes then serve.
Alternate Grilling Instructions
- Assemble the skewers as directed and grill over MEDIUM-HIGH heat for 6 to 8 minutes per side. Baste the skewers towards the end of the cooking time and continue to cook until the sauce is nicely caramelized and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Transfer to a platter and baste with some of the reserved bang bang sauce before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
made the Babg Bang Chicken Skewers last night. Because I was making it “on the fly” I didn’t have all of the ingredients as in the recipe. So I used boned and skinned chicken thighs instead of chicken breast. For the Bang Bang sauce I used fat free mayonnaise, sweet and sour sauce and 1/2 of a red ripe jalapeño finely diced. It worked great!
These bang bang chicken skewers are next level. Easy to make too. I don’t have an air fryer, so I used my charcoal grill.