Barbecued Chicken Kebabs Cooks Illustrated

Scoutie's Note:

I haven't tried this yet, but it looks delicious! It uses bacon paste which I have never tried before. A bit of prep work but it looks like it's worth it. The recipe calls for breasts, but I think thighs would work as well and they stay a bit more juicy than breasts, just add a few minutes to the time. I am also sure that your favorite b-b-q sauce would work instead of the home-made, to cut back on time. Time does not include refrigeration time. From Cook's Illustrated, May/June 2011

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

Barbecue Sauce

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons onions, grated
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar

Kebabs

• 2 lbs chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 48 inches metal skewers

Directions:

1. Add the chicken and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, make the barbecue sauce:
3. Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and reduces to about 1 cup.
4. Set aside 1/2 cup of the sauce to serve with the cooked chicken, the other 1/2 cup is for brushing the kebabs.
5. Preheat your grill - turn the burners to high, close the lid and let heat for at least 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, use paper towels to pat chicken dry.
7. Mix the sweet paprika, sugar and smoked paprika together in a small bowl.
8. Add the bacon to your food processor and pulse until the bacon becomes a smooth paste, about 30-45 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
9. Combine the chicken, spice mixture and bacon paste in a large bowl and use your hands to mix and coat the chicken evenly.
10. Thread the chicken onto the skewers.
11. Leave one burner of your grill on high and turn the others off. Place the kebabs over the hot burner, and grill (covered), giving them a quarter turn every 2 minutes, until browned and slightly charred on all sides, about 8 minutes.
12. If a flare-up occurs, just move the kebabs to the cool side of the grill temporarily.
13. Brush one side of the kebabs with about 1/4 cup sauce then flip and cook until the sauce browns a bit, about 1 minute.
14. Brush the other side with the remaining 1/4 cup sauce, flip and cook until brown, about 1 more minute. The chicken should register 160 F on an instant read thermometer.
15. Transfer the kebabs to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes before serving with 1/2 cup reserved sauce.