Maple Balsamic Chicken and Bacon Skewers
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I know I shouldn’t be the one to have an opinion on this, since I don’t do any grilling, but even though grilling seems to be a summer activity, I think it really needs to be more of a spring and fall activity. Who wants to stand over/next to a grill when it’s approximately 1 billion degrees out? Not I. When the weather is nice enough to both cook and eat outside without melting into a puddle, that’s the real “grilling season” in my opinion. (While all of this is true, you’re totally onto me if you’re thinking to yourself, “She’s turning these fall skewers because she didn’t post them in the summer…”) Ahem.
These kabobs combine balsamic and maple syrup (a perfect match, if you ask me), lean chicken, seasonal vegetables and bacon, so it’s pretty hard not to like them. Although you can really use any vegetables you want (or none at all), this combination sure is a pretty one. The bacon adds some smokiness to these kabobs, and it helps to keep the chicken moist and prevent it from drying out, much like these BBQ chicken kabobs.
So, get out there and do some grilling! If you live in a place like I do, you know that Fall is a really small blip on the radar between air conditioning and a blizzard.
Maple Balsamic Chicken and Bacon Skewers
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1.25 lbs. boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 large red or orange pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 small zucchini, sliced
- 1 summer squash, sliced
- a little olive oil
- about 10 slices of bacon
Directions
- If using wooden skewers for grilling, soak them for half an hour before cooking.
- In a small saucepan, mix together the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, onion powder garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and salt. Bring to a simmer and simmer for a couple minutes until combined and slightly thickened. Allow to cool a bit before tossing with the chicken (if you want, marinate the chicken for several hours; I did).
- Alternate the chicken and vegetables onto a skewer, threading the bacon in between each (start by piercing the bacon toward the end and then use the strip to weave in and out of other components. You will probably need 2 slices per kabob).
- Preheat your grill (or broiler) and cook the kabobs for about 5 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through.