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What is it about food on a stick that kids love? I can’t complain about the convenience of eating chicken skewers either. They’re perfectly portioned, portable, and easy to prepare. I’m trying to train my kids’ tastebuds for sauces with a little spicy kick, so I made a sweet and smoky bbq sauce to pair with chicken skewers.

Both kids enjoy Latin flavors, so I used La Morena chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to make a bbq sauce with lots of depth and flavor. The chipotle peppers adds authentic Latin flair to any traditional bbq dishes. You know I have to add a kick to regular American-style bbq dishes.

The ingredient list for the chipotle mango bbq chicken skewers might seem a little long, but each item creates a more flavorful sauce. You can make the sauce up to a week ahead. Store it in the fridge until you’re ready to make the recipe.

A small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce holds plenty of bold flavors. For this sauce, I used one pepper but if you want a bigger kick, add 2-3 peppers. I stuck with one since I’m introducing the kids to heat.

Tip:  Freeze extra peppers. Place each pepper separately on a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet and place in freezer for 30 minutes. (Drizzle any extra adobo sauce on top the peppers before freezing.) Once firm, move to a freezer bag. Pull out 1 or 2 as needed for future recipes.

Now that we have the spicy, smoky element covered, it’s time for the sweet. I bought some very ripe mangoes and cut them myself. You can also find pre-cut mangoes in many stores. Add all the ingredients together in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes.

Carefully puree or blend the sauce. My immersion blender went kaput, so I used this single serve smoothie blender. My 5-year-old sous chef always wants to blend and puree things. Why not? Reserve 1/2 cup of the sauce and pour the rest into a jar or plastic container.

To really build the flavors, I used 1/2 cup of the chipotle mango bbq sauce and mango juice to marinate the chicken for 30 minutes before putting them on skewers. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but you can also use chicken breasts. I prefer dark meat since it won’t dry out as quickly on the grill.

Once the chicken skewers are cooked, brush them with sauce. Serve with extra sauce tableside because it’s that good. We served a fresh salad and my grilled corn salad as sides for our bbq.

Jaxson loved the sauce so much we made chipotle mango bbq chicken sandwiches with the leftovers. I’m thinking about using the sauce next weekend when we grill some chicken wings!

I’m always pleasant surprised how one little chipotle pepper can add so much flavor to a dish. Try La Morena products to add some authentic Latin flavors to your dishes. You can find them in the Hispanic foods aisle at your local Walmart. Don’t forget to grab a can of the pickled jalapeno peppers. I love them on top a loaded baked potato!

What’s your favorite way to to cook with chipotle peppers?

Chipotle Mango BBQ Chicken Skewers Recipe

Chipotle Mango BBQ Chicken Skewers

Yield: Makes approximately 15 skewers

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 minute

Add a sweet and spicy kick to your next bbq with these super easy chicken skewers. This recipe makes approximately 3 cups of bbq sauce.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 c fresh ripe mango, cut into 1" chunks
• 2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1-2 canned chiles in adobo sauce + 1 Tablespoon sauce
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, cut into 2" pieces
• 1 cup of mango juice (found in Hispanic or juice section)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• Approx 15 bamboo skewers

Instructions

For chipotle mango bbq sauce: Add first nine ingredients to a medium sauce pan (up through cocoa powder). Bring sauce up to a boil. Cover then turn down to simmer (medium low heat) for 15 minutes.

Remove sauce from heat and puree with stick blender or in a blender. Set aside 1/2 cup of the sauce. Store the rest in the fridge while preparing the chicken.

In a medium bowl, mix 1/2 cup of reserved bbq sauce and mango juice. Add chicken and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. If using bamboo skewers, soak in cool water while chicken marinates.

Carefully place 3-4 piece of chicken on each skewer, careful not to over crowd.

Grill chicken skewers over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes on each side. Brush with sauce during the last 3-4 minutes.

Serve with extra sauce. Enjoy!