Chicken Bacon Ranch Kabobs
Get ready for a flavor explosion with these Chicken Bacon Ranch Kabobs! Juicy griddled chicken pieces are threaded onto skewers with crispy bacon and smothered in melted cheese and ranch dressing. These griddle chicken kabobs are perfect for backyard cookouts or easy weeknight meals!
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 packet ranch dressing seasoning mix
- Juice of ¾ of a lemon
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Shake That All-Purpose Seasoning or all-purpose seasoning of your choice (or substitute salt and pepper)
- 8-10 slices bacon
- 8 oz colby jack cheese grated (or substitute cheddar)
- 2 green onions thinly sliced for garnish
For the Ranch Dressing:
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup full-fat sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp prepared horseradish
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried dill weed
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp lemon juice about ¼ lemon
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ¼-½ tsp salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Add all ranch dressing ingredients to a medium bowl. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Cut chicken thighs into pieces that are roughly 1-1.5” square. Add cut chicken thighs to a large mixing bowl with ranch seasoning packet, lemon juice, olive oil, and all-purpose seasoning. Mix to combine and refrigerate covered for 2 hours.
- Preheat griddle to about 400-425 degrees F.
- Cook bacon on the griddle until crispy. Then drain on paper towels. Chop the cooled bacon and set aside.
- While bacon is cooking, prepare the chicken skewers. Add about 6-8 pieces of chicken to each skewer, folding the chicken pieces over if needed to secure the oddly-shaped ends in place.
- Scrape excess bacon grease off the griddle surface into the grease trap. Place the chicken skewers on the heated griddle, lightly pressing down on top of the chicken so that it is in even contact with the griddle surface. Cook on the first side untouched for about 3-4 minutes, or until a nice crust develops on the first side. Then rotate the skewers to the next side and continue to cook. *As the chicken cooks and a crust develops, the meat will release a bit from the griddle. If the chicken is still sticking to the griddle, it is probably not yet ready to flip. If needed, you can add a melting dome on top of the chicken to speed up the cooking process.
- Continue to cook the chicken skewers, rotating to a new side as the crust develops. Cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches about 165-175 degrees F. *Be sure to probe multiple pieces of chicken, as some pieces on the skewer will cook faster than others.
- As the chicken skewers finish cooking, group them closer together on the griddle. *If needed, you can turn 1-2 of the griddle burners off to adjust the temperature down a bit. Sprinkle shredded cheese, chopped bacon, and sliced green onions on top of the skewers. Add a melting dome to melt the cheese.
- When the cheese is melted, use your spatula to separate the cheesy chicken kabobs and remove from the griddle. Transfer chicken bacon ranch kabobs to a serving platter.
- Drizzle chicken skewers with ranch dressing and sprinkle with more sliced green onions for garnish. Serve warm.