Oven Baked Cranberry BBQ Chicken Skewers

Sweet, tangy and no grill needed! These incredibly easy chicken skewers are perfect for a delicious weeknight meal!

Love chicken skewers but are just a tad intimidated by the grill? (Guilty…) Or maybe the weather just sucks today but you’re dying for a good kabob! Either way you slice it babe, I’ve got you covered with these incredibly easy baked cranberry bbq chicken skewers!

Ingredients

• Chicken tenders: The main component of this dish! They’re moist, tender and incredibly juicy too!
• Whole cranberry sauce: Adds sweetness and gives your skewers a fun “holiday” vibe. (I used canned cranberry sauce for this recipe but you can also use one that’s homemade too! This would be a great way to use up your leftover sauce after Thanksgiving. 😉 )
• Bbq sauce: Adds so much flavor and and is such a great contrast to the sweet cranberries. (I love using Stubbs Sweet Heat bbq sauce for this recipe because it adds just a little bit of spice! Feel free to use your favorite bbq sauce though!)
• Red onion: Compliments the tangy bbq sauce and adds some texture to your skewers.

What kind of chicken should I use?

I love using chicken tenders for this recipe because they take less time to cook and they’re a little bit cheaper too. (Plus they don’t require as much cutting so prep time for these is a breeze.) That being said, you can also use chicken breasts or thighs too! Below are the cooking times for each!

• Chicken tenders: 15-20 minutes
• Chicken breasts or thighs: 20-25 minutes

How to bake skewers in the oven

It really doesn’t get any easier than this babes!

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the chicken tenders into 1 inch pieces and add them to a large bowl. Season them with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Mix your cranberry sauce and bbq sauce together and pour it over the chicken pieces. Give them a good stir to make sure they’re fully coated.
4. Thread the chicken pieces and sliced onion onto your skewers and place them on a broiler pan that’s been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Can I grill these skewers instead?

Absolutely! Ok so maybe your not one of the people that gets freaked out by the word “grill”… (Lucky you! 😉 ) Because these skewers are absolutely delicious on the barbecue too!

1. Follow the same directions for preparing the skewers. (If using wooden skewers, just make sure to soak them for 30 minutes – 1 hour before threading them. I personally prefer using metal skewers for these but that’s just me.)
2. Heat your grill to medium heat (around 400 degrees) and spray it with non-stick cooking spray once it’s hot.
3. Place your prepared skewers on the grill and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning once half way through.
4. Baste the skewers with your remaining sauce right before taking them off the grill and serve them immediately!

I hope you all love these easy baked cranberry bbq chicken skewers just as much as we do! Let me know if you try them!

More recipe like this:

• Grilled Jerk Chicken Kabobs
• BBQ Turkey Meatballs
• Easy Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
• Baked Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema

[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my social media @kalefornia_kravings – I love seeing what you create!]

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Oven Baked Cranberry BBQ Chicken Skewers

Tender chicken pieces are slather with a sweet cranberry bbq sauce and baked to perfection! They're so easy to make and there's no grilling required!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Barbecue, Dairy free, Easy, Gluten free

Keyword: bbq, chicken skewers, cranberry, dairy free, easy, gluten free, oven baked

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. chicken tenders, cut into 1 inch pieces*
• 1½ cup canned whole cranberry sauce (or homemade cranberry sauce)
• ¾ cup bbq sauce (I used Stubbs sweet heat sauce)
• 1 medium red onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• Add the chicken pieces to a large bowl and season them with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, mix your cranberry sauce and bbq sauce together and pour ½-¾ of the sauce over your chicken pieces. (Give the chicken a good stir to make sure they're fully coated.)
• Thread your chicken pieces and onion slices onto your skewers. Once finished, place the skewers onto your prepared pan and bake them for 15-20 minutes.
• Serve immediately with your remaining sauce on the side!

Notes

*You can also use chicken breasts or thighs instead of tenders too. Cook the skewers for 20-25 minutes if using these.