Cowboy Candy Chicken Skewers
If you love spicy, these cowboy candy chicken skewers will light you up this summer with sweet and spicy jalapenos, cilantro and lime!
Dish Count – 1 Medium Mixing Bowl, 10 Bamboo Skewers
I love surprise mail days from old friends. A few weeks ago a surprise jar of Cowboy Candy arrived at my door from one of my old friends and logging sports buddies from college. Louie has always been a constant source of laughter for those of us who know him, and one who will show up to be apart of every life event. He’s there when it counts and we love him for that.
Oh, are you doing a double take at the logging sports? Yeah, I used to do that axe swinging, saw pulling thing. Proof? Sure!
Can you find me? Middle row on the right!
Well, besides eating the cowboy candy with a spoon, I had to think of something to do with it! I left the jar on the counter, able to see it every day, waiting for inspiration to strike and it hit me – chicken skewers. Every sweet and spicy dream was answered!
Ben is really lucky I’m a giving wife, because I did manage to save half of these for him to eat for leftovers the next day. But barely. I would have been perfectly content to devour them all entirely myself. Whoops.
Luckily there is still more Cowboy Candy left, so I can assure you that these cowboy candy chicken skewers will be made again very soon. Verryyyy soon.
Cowboy Candy Chicken Skewers
- Prep Time: 20 MInutes
- Cook Time: 12 Minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 1 cup Cowboy Candy (candied jalapenos) + more for dipping and basting
- 2 large Limes, juiced and zested. Approximately 1/4 cup Juice needed
- 1/4 cup minced Cilantro
- Salt and Pepper
- 10 Bamboo skewers, soaked in water
Instructions
Lightly pound the chicken skewers so they are even thickness. Cut each chicken thigh, lengthwise, in half.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the Cowboy Candy, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.
Add chicken to the mixture and toss to coat evenly. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least two hours to marinate. When ready to cool, skewer the chicken using bamboo skewers that have soaked throughly in water.
Preheat the grill on high heat and lower to low heat immediately prior to adding chicken to the grill.
Grill the chicken for approximately 10-12 minutes or until it reaches 160 degrees. Remove from the grill. Baste with additional cowboy candy. Serve immediately.
Keywords: Chicken, Grill, Jalapeno, Skewers
So much sticky goodness. I saw you sneak peaked these a while back and I’ve been thinking about them ever since. Perfect summertime food. And love that logging photo! XO
Oh-my-gosh these looks so insanely good -bookmarked!
I’m digging your cowboy friends! 🙂 These skewers look amazing!!
I can’t even begin to tell you how much I want this for lunch!
This is making my mouth water. Seriously? I want every last one of those skewers!
Pass me a quiver full of those cowboy candy chicken skewers!
Cowboy candy is THE shit. When I finished the jar Rebecca gave me last summer I think I shred a tear. I really need to get on making some more! And then these chicken skewers too!
This is fantastic! I really, really want to try cowboy candy but with chicken? I think it’s a perfect balance!
These skewers look AWESOME!!! And I love the pic of you – had no idea you were a loggin’ girl! 😉
Ben s really lucky, cause I would have a problem sharing these skewers, and I wont even be sorry, they just sound way too good. Very, very good.
First off the fact that you were on a logging team is awesome! Second this Cowboy Candy Chicken is incredible, love those sticky, spicy, sweet flavors!
omg … I love cowboy candy, but I pretty much eat it atop cream cheese and crackers! I will be remedying that soon with your delicious recipe … so stinkin’ creative! Thanks!
I so so so want to eat this right now. It looks amazing.
Love the name, “Cowboy Candy”! And how can anyone not like these chicken skewers? Oh, my! I need to make this, STAT!
Dude. I need to get down on some cowboy candy!!
Cowboy Candy – Yippee! Count me in. Do you ship to Palm Springs?
Gorgeous photos!
OMG, this seriously looks delicious. It would have been so hard for me to save some for David. haha. You’re right, Ben is lucky. Also, I wish I had a friend to send me a jar of cowboy candy! YUM!
Cowboy CANDY? Never heard it referred to as that, but I LOVE it! Your chicken skewers look like mine, all mine, and I’m not sharing.
Wow! Those look so delicious! Where does one get cowboy candy, or what’s a good substitution?
Wow. I’ve never heard of candied jalapeno but now I need to try it! Would hot pepper jelly make a good substitute if I can’t find it?
Perfect Summer recipe!
I need to try Cowboy Candy! I love that name – and jalapeños!
So glad you explained what cowboy candy was. I was confused! These skewers look awesome and candied jalapenos? Yes please!
Logging sports sound like so much fun! I’ve never heard of Cowboy Candy, but I’m intrigued and I love the savory/sweet combo so I think I’d really enjoy it. The chicken looks delish!
How can I get cowboy candy/jalapenos? Love the rustic photo and backing sheet btw.
Hey Matt, Here is a link to homemade cowboy candy. Or you can also use canned red pepper jelly, that may be easier to make or find.
http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/candied-jalapenos/
Hello, I’m Louie Mock, the guy in the upper left corner of the logger sports photo and friend o’ Megan! Great article, and quite flattering! Thank you very much for sharing this, I am glad you had fun with it!
I will have to add, the best part about making Jalapeno Jam, or Cowboy Candy, is that I set aside two or three days in the fall and make this with my mom. It’s hard work(I do all of the chopping) and she makes sure it turns into magic heat. We crank up the tunes, crack open a beer or whiskey and water, and work three solid days. Last year I chopped 50lbs of peppers and 25 lbs of onions. It is an event that I cherish very much and look back on fondly.
Louie – I’m making cowboy candy with a friend this weekend, we will do as you and your mom do – crank the tunes, and crack a few beers. Thanks so much Louie, so glad to have such special friends like you. 🙂
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Thanks Megan… Excellent recipie. We make these quite often with thighs but my favorite is Boston butt cubes marinated for at least 24 hours. When we get towards the end of a quart jar of the cowboy candy I will pack the jar to the top with the pork after adding the limes (juiced and zested) and some garlic salt.
It also makes a great marinade for fish tacos. Fresh Mahi grilled is the bomb. I tell people to be careful sharing any dishes using cowboy candy. We generally grow a few dozen jalapeños of multiple varieties and never have enough. Everybody wants a quart or two.
★★★★★
That is an utterly genius idea!!