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Quick and simple Spicy Beer BBQ Chicken Skewers with Avocado Corn and Feta Salsa. This homemade sweet-n-spicy chipotle honey BBQ sauce steals the show and makes these easy chicken skewers completely delicious. The side of salsa adds a crisp, salty bite with lots of fresh summer produce. All together this is the perfect weeknight dinner that comes together in no time and is great for summer grilling.
Ok, one last grilling recipe for you guys before Memorial Day this weekend! I’m not sure about all of you, but I am really, really excited for summer this year. It’s been a long winter and a long spring. So I’m really looking forward to the summer days and nights ahead.
Summer vacations, weekend getaways, dinners cooked on the grill, and drinks on the deck. Yes, laidback-lowkey days…that’s what summer is all about! I think we’re all ready for that. So, with the summer slowly approaching I want to share a quick dinner with plenty of summer flavor and produce.
Barbecue chicken was always something my dad made on busy nights in the summer. He’d thaw out some frozen chicken tenderloins and toss them with a bottle of Sweet Baby Rays (the family’s BBQ sauce of choice back in the days). Then he’d fire up the charcoal grill, toss on the chicken, and add a side of steamed rice. I don’t remember large varieties of vegetables being added, but asparagus and corn were the usual companions on the grill.
Done and done.
I always think of saucy BBQ chicken as a summer food, which was really the inspiration behind these skewers.
I wanted to do a quick homemade BBQ sauce to add more flavor and ditch the extra ingredients that come along with the bottled stuff. Turns out that with just some pantry staples, you can have a sweet and spicy sauce that’s the easiest to throw together. And yes, so much better than the bottled stuff.
The details
Start with the barbecue sauce. I mix together beer, ketchup, honey, chipotle chile, and a few others spices. Then I simmer everything together on the stove until the sauce thickens.
Super simple and quick to do.
When the sauce is ready, I toss some of it in with the cubed chicken. Then I thread the chicken onto the skewers just before grilling. I love using a skewer, but you could easily just grill up chicken pieces like my dad would often do!
While the chicken is grilling, make that salsa
You all know me, I couldn’t just give you the barbecue chicken recipe. I had to add some sauces and spreads too!
This salsa is the perfect balance of smoky, sweet, spicy, and salty. Grilling the jalapeño is key. It adds a layer of flavor that’s unexpected and delish. The feta adds a nice creamy, salty finish that I LOVE with the BBQ chicken.
For serving, I whip a bit of avocado in a food processor with some lime juice. I then serve the chicken with the salsa, the whipped avocado, and some homemade french fries all on the side. So delish!
The easiest dish, but one of those meals the entire family will love and so great for summer grilling. Easy, fun, and all-around good…that’s what summer dinners are all about!
Looking for other grilling recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Greek Salmon with Lemon Feta and Orzo Summer Salad
Grilled Chicken Shawarma with Golden Butter Fries and Garlic Sauce
Tropical Jerk Grilled Chicken with Charred Mango Salsa Verde
Lastly, if you make these Spicy Beer BBQ Chicken Skewers, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
BBQ Beer Chicken Skewers with Avocado Corn and Feta Salsa
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 543 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of your favorite beer
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
Corn and Feta Salsa
- 1-2 jalapeños
- 2 cups grilled or steamed corn
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- whipped or mashed avocado, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a pot, combine the beer, ketchup, honey, dijon, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder and about 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium- high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 15 minutes, until thickened. 2. Combine the chicken and about 1/2 cup BBQ sauce in a bowl, tossing to coat.3. Set your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium-high heat. Take skewers and thread the chicken pieces on. Grill the skewers until lightly charred and cooked through, turning them occasionally throughout cooking, about 10 to 12 minutes total. Alternately, you can roast the chicken at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes.4. At the same time, grill the jalapeño until lightly charred, then give it a rough chop and toss with the corn, cilantro, basil, chives, lime juice, lemon juice, and vinegar. Season with salt then toss with the feta. 5. Serve the chicken with the salsa, whipped avocado, and fresh herbs all on the side.
This post was originally published on May 27, 2021
Amazing. I made this for dinner tonight and it got a thumbs up by everyone. All of your recipes are spectacular!
Hey Druann,
Fantastic! I am thrilled you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week:) xTieghan
disagree w/the comment that this is too time-extensive. Sauce was super easy and flavorful. You don’t need to grill the jalapeño (seed it though!) or skewer the chicken if you’re short on time. Just stick the chicken straight on the grill. I cubed avocado and added it to the salad. d
Hey Amanda,
Fantastic! I am thrilled you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week:) xTieghan
The cook and prep time suggested is a massive underestimation. I am FAST in the kitchen but there are too many components to pull together on this dish. Despite the effort involved, it was really good. Also, I used boneless thighs and I made my salsa with poblanos. yummy
Hey Karima,
Awesome! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Sorry this took you longer than expected. Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Love this one! The corn salsa is amazing and we love how light and delicious everything is. We grilled some pineapple and red and yellow peppers to serve with it and it paired perfectly. Thank you!
Hey Steph,
Awesome! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
This was delicious! I’m not a cilantro fan (it tastes like soap to me) so i used parsley instead. Everything else the same. Fantastic barbq sauce, will double that recipe next time ?loved the corn & feta salsa. Definite keeper!
Hey there,
Awesome! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
This was amazing! Made everything as per the recipe – perfect amount of heat from the grilled jalapeños in the corn and feta salsa to accompany the spicy sweet BBQ sauce and the whipped avocado – so tasty!! So happy we have some leftover salsa and BBQ sauce.
Hey Suzanne,
Awesome! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
yes, we made this and it was delish. Only thing we did different was instead of feta we swapped it out to mexican cheese shredded.. a very tasty meal indeed…https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10165452629240486&set=pcb.10165452630050486
Hey Linda,
Awesome! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
I just made the BBQ sauce without the beer (hubby not a fan) and per HBH subbed water. I only used half of that water amount as I did not want a super thin sauce. It’s delicious! Love the flavors and the kick from the chipotle powder. I made half the recipe as wanted to try it first. Mmmm. Making the corn and feta salsa tomorrow but can already tell that too will be delicious.
Hey Toby,
Awesome! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Hi! Is there any possible substitution for beer that wouldn’t compromise the taste too much? Could I use chicken stock?
Hey Nour,
Sure, you could use chicken stock, you could also do sparkling cider. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
The sauce is amazing. The salsa is a great balance. Entire family loved it.
Hey Steve,
Awesome! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
This looks delicious and perfect for the holiday weekend! How much chives? Not in the list of ingredients but it is included in the instructions. Thanks!
Hey Julie! Add about 2 tablespoons chopped chives. Hope you love this!! xx
What do you do with the other 1/2 cup of bbq sauce? I didn’t see any mention of it in the recipe; do we baste the skewers w/the remainer as it cooks? Thanks.
Hey there,
You can save the BBQ sauce for extra dipping or just save in the fridge for a later use. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks so delicious, Tieghan! How much BBQ sauce do you estimate I’d have leftover if I used only the 1/2 cup for the chicken skewers?
Biff and Becky love chicken breast….
Replacing with thighs.
Hey Jennifer,
You should have about 1/2-3/4 cup of BBQ sauce remaining. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Sorry just saw this now Will be making this soon can i use mushrooms / vegan feta cheese and maple syrup as am a vegan perfect for my after office meals will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Thanks so much, hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Nothing makes me happier than a good summer BBQ recipe. I LOVE the touch of a homemade BBQ sauce, and one with beer!? Everything I love in one place. You are speaking my language!
It’s Mothers Day in Sweden this Sunday, plus two birthdays in the family. After a long rainy early spring, there is finally sun in the forecast.
I know what’s going on the grill for the occasion!
Thank you so much Aline! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan