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These bang bang chicken skewers are juicy, flavorful, and perfect for the grill, air fryer, or broiler. Instead of using overly sweet bottled chili sauce, I make a creamy, tangy bang bang sauce with pantry-friendly ingredients like hot sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, and ketchup. You still get that sweet-and-spicy flavor everyone loves—just with a lighter, more natural twist.
The yogurt-marinated chicken stays tender and juicy, even the next day—making this dish perfect for meal prep or an easy weeknight dinner.
Main Ingredient highlights
This version of Bang Bang Chicken Skewers skips the overly sweet bottled sauces and uses a lighter homemade version with healthier, flavor-packed ingredients. The chicken is juicy and tender thanks to a simple marinade, and the creamy, tangy bang bang sauce ties everything together.
- Chicken thighs or breasts: Thighs are naturally juicier and work great for grilling. But if you prefer chicken breast, the marinade keeps them tender and moist.
- Plain yogurt: A natural meat tenderizer that works especially well for lean cuts. It gives the chicken a juicy, flavorful base—even if you’re cooking in an air fryer or under the broiler.
- Healthier bang bang sauce: Most recipes use sweet chili sauce, which is loaded with sugar. I use a better alternative – I make a creamy, tangy, and perfectly balanced bang bang sauce using Kewpie mayo, hot sauce, rice vinegar, light soy sauce, and ketchup—with just a touch of sugar. It’s not too sweet, not too spicy, and still delivers that bold flavor everyone loves. You can use regular mayo if you don’t have Kewpie, but I love the richness it adds.
How to make bang bang chicken skewers
Step 1: Slice the chicken so it cooks evenly
For chicken breasts, slice lengthwise into long, thin strips—just a bit thinner than chicken tenders. For thighs, trim excess fat and cut into 1.5-inch chunks.
Step 2: Marinate for tender, flavorful chicken
Add the chicken to a large mixing bowl with the ingredients from salt to yogurt. Mix to coat evenly, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for the best texture.
Step 3: Thread the chicken securely on skewers
Set your skewers over a rimmed baking sheet. For chicken breasts, fold and thread each strip two to three times. For chicken thighs, thread the pieces directly or fold once if they’re large. Leave about 1 to 1.5 inches of space at the top of each skewer, and don’t pack the chicken too tightly.
Tip
Chicken pieces fall apart on skewers?
If you’ve ever struggled to keep chicken on a skewer, this quick visual guide below walks you through exactly how to thread both breasts and thighs so they stay put and cook evenly.
Choose Your Cooking Method
You can air fry, grill, or broil these skewers. Pick the method that works best for you:
Step 4: Air Fryer: Fast and easy for weeknights
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (204°C). Place the skewers in a single layer and air fry for 6 minutes. Flip the skewers by holding the meat with tongs, lower the heat to 380°F (193°C), and air fry for another 4 minutes.
Tip: Flip gently by gripping the meat, not the skewer. This keeps everything in place and avoids tearing.
Step 5: Grill: Great for summer with smoky flavor
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Cook the skewers over indirect heat for about 20 minutes, flipping occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (73.9°C).
Step 6: Broiler: Charred edges without a grill
Preheat your broiler on High for 5 minutes with your baking sheet inside. Place the skewers 4 inches (10 cm) from the heating element. Broil for 5 minutes, flip, and broil for 5 more minutes. Use a meat thermometer to confirm the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C). If not, switch to bake or broil on low until fully cooked.
Step 7: Brush with sauce while hot to lock in flavor
As soon as the skewers are done, check the temperature one more time (it should be at least 165°F). Brush the hot chicken with bang bang sauce on all sides so it melts into the meat. Garnish with chives and furikake if you like, and serve with extra sauce on the side.
What to serve with bang bang chicken
These chicken skewers are super versatile—serve them as an appetizer or pair them with a few simple sides to turn them into a complete meal.
- Vegetable sides: Keep it fresh and crisp with my Asian cucumber salad or add something warm and savory like broccoli with garlic sauce.
- Rice options: Serve over Panda Express fried rice for a takeout-style dinner or pair with microwave sticky rice for a fun way to eat with your hands.
- More ways to use bang bang sauce: Try it with bang bang shrimp sushi hand rolls, bang bang salmon bites, or air fryer bang bang shrimp.
FAQs
If you want to use a store-bought option, I recommend Yai’s Thai Sweet Chili Sauce—it’s a healthier choice with cleaner ingredients.
Yes to Greek yogurt—just make sure it’s unsweetened. It works great in the marinade. But I don’t recommend using low-fat mayo for the sauce. It throws off the flavor and makes the sauce taste flat. Stick with Kewpie or regular mayo for the best result.
Try these chicken skewers dishes next!
If you love these bang bang chicken skewers, here are a few more flavorful chicken-on-a-stick recipes to try next:
- Scallion Ginger Chicken Skewers – Juicy, aromatic, and packed with gingery goodness.
- Chicken Yakitori Skewers – A savory-sweet Japanese classic perfect for the grill.
- Air Fryer Thai Chicken Satay – With creamy peanut dipping sauce and bold spices.
Bang bang chicken skewers recipe
Video
Ingredients
Bang bang chicken marinade:
- 1.5 lb skinless and boneless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- ½+ ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika or sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ cup plain yogurt or dairy-free yogurt
- Garnish Chive diced
- Sprinkle Japanese chili flakes or Japanese furikake
Bang bang sauce (makes about 1 cup):
- ½ cup kewpie mayonnaise or regular mayo
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½-1 tsp hot sauce or Sriracha, sweet chili sauce
- 0.2 oz garlic grated or crushed, about 1 large clove
- 0.5 tbsp light soy sauce or 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1/4 tsp sugar or to taste
- 1.5 tbsp ketchup
- 2 pinches coarse sea salt
Tools:
- 6 7-inch (18 cm) Metal Skewers
Instructions
Slice:
- For chicken breasts, slice the breast lengthwise into long, thin strips that are similar to but slightly thinner than chicken tenders. For chicken thighs, trim away the excess fat and slice into bite-sized pieces, about 1.5-inch chunks.
Marinate:
- In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken with the ingredients from salt to yogurt. Mix and coat evenly, then cover the bowl and store it in the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hour, or best overnight.
Thread:
- Place skewers over a rimmed baking sheet. For chicken breasts, take one piece and carefully insert the skewer from one end, then fold and thread the chicken two to three times. Gently push the piece down the skewer. Repeat the process, leaving about 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 cm – 3.8 cm) free at the top. Try not to pack the pieces too tightly or too loosely.
- For chicken thighs, thread the pieces onto the skewers. For larger pieces, fold/thread the chicken once so they won’t fall off the skewers.
Air fry:
- 400°F (204°C) for 6 minutes. Open the basket and use tongs to flip the skewers by holding the meat portion. Close the basket. Lower the temperature to 380°F (193°C) and air fry for 4 minutes.
Grill:
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill skewers over indirect heat for about 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 165°F (73.9°C). When flipping the chicken, use tongs and hold the meat portion.
Oven Broil:
- Preheat your oven’s broiler on High for at least 5 minutes, with your baking sheet or broiler pan inside. Position the rack so the chicken is about 4 inches (10 cm) from the heating element. Broil for 5 minutes (watch closely to avoid burning), then flip and broil for another 5 minutes. Confirm the internal temperature reaches 165 °F (74 °C)—if it hasn’t, finish in bake mode or turn down to low broil until done. Let rest briefly before serving.
Brush and serve:
- As soon as the skewers are out, insert a digital meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. The internal temperature should reach 165°F (73.9°C) for safe consumption.
- While still hot, brush them with bang bang sauce on all sides. The sauce will melt and add shine and gloss to the skewers. Garnish with chives and lightly sprinkle with furikake, if using. Serve with the remaining bang bang sauce on the side. Serve hot.
Notes
- The recipe and cooking temperatures work for both chicken thighs and breasts, but personally, I like chicken thighs more—they’re juicier and more flavorful. That said, both versions are very good.
- If using wooden skewers, soak them in water at room temperature for 30 minutes so they don’t catch fire. Metal skewers don’t need to be soaked.
- If using coconut aminos for the bang bang sauce, you can skip the sugar in the recipe.
- Make-ahead: Slice and marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge, or freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost before cooking.
- To reheat (from cooked): Air fry at 360°F (182°C) for 4 minutes, or microwave on medium power for 1 minute.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This was so delicious! I used a pack of chicken tenders so I did not have to cut my chicken into strips.😁 I marinated them overnight then grilled them. They turned out so good, my husband wants them on our rotation. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us.
We love them, too! Thanks for sharing!
We used chicken thighs, I put the marinade on before work and cooked it on the grill this evening. It was so tender and flavored perfectly! We served over rice with a watermelon salad. A perfect summer meal!
I love the combo and the side pairings! Fantastic summer meal!
Which dairy free/nut free yogurt do you recommend?
I like coconut yogurt, especially the ones made with simple ingredients. 🙂
I’ve made these twice now and both times, delicious! It’s my four year old daughter’s favorite. Only thing is, I have wooden skewers and even after soaking for an hour, they still catch fire/burn (I do the broil method). I think I need to invest in metal skewers.
Thank you for sharing and so happy to hear your baby girl loved the dish, too! I absolutely love metal skewers and I use a FLAT metal skewers so they hold the chicken well. Thank you for sharing!
Made this tonight and paired with cauliflower rice, made it g/f and d/f and it was amazing for everyone, will def make again,
Thank you, Barb! We love it very much, too!
When my husband says “That is good!” That means it is really good. It’s really good.
Thank you so much! Appreciate it! Yay!
Made this tonight, easy and so flavorful and delicious! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 star!
Wonderful. Thank you!
Sooo good! I made this for lunch for my parents and they loved it so much that they wanted to have it again for dinner. The chicken breast came out so tender and juicy from marinating overnight. I had it with rice and homemade slaw and hot sauce. Deelish!
Thanks for sharing. Love the combo and so glad to hear!
We tried this recipe a couple of days ago and we loved it! The bang bang sauce is amazing and the chicken is really tender and tasty! I paired it with fried rice…also really tasty! 🥰 we will make it again! 🧡
Thank you! Love the fried rice combo. Yum!