Food On A Stick Ideas

While summer may have come to an official close, there’s no reason you can’t still whip up food on a stick recipes. What’s not to like about these warm weather staples? Food on a stick is versatile, convenient, portable, and downright festive for any celebration, whether it be winter holidays, birthdays, weekend get-togethers, or football tailgates.  Although you can pretty much adapt any recipe like hot dogs and jalapenos into stick food, we’ve compiled three of our favorite recipes to help you get started. 

When using skewers, there are a few things to remember. If you’re using wood skewers, ALWAYS soak them first, no matter how you plan to cook your stick food. A nice 30-60 minute soak ahead of time can keep them from catching fire and ruining your meal, or, worse, burning down your house. Be extra careful when cooking with metal skewers, as they’ll be extremely hot to touch. 

Also, be sure to soak a few extra wood skewers just in case you need them. You’re better off having a few extra wet skewers when cooking food on a stick because it’s easier to let them dry out to use later than wait on another batch of skewers to soak long enough for your immediate needs.

Getcha Grilled Shrimp

Grilled shrimp is always a hit, especially when it’s got all kinds of flavor. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of peeled large (26-30 per pound) or jumbo (about 15 per pound) shrimp
• 1 bottle of Texas Pepper Jelly Peachy Peach Habanero Rib Candy™
• Pineapple chunks or your favorite fruit/veggie matchup with shrimp
• Craig’s Three Pepper Seasoning
• Minced garlic

Directions:

In a bowl, place the shrimp and liberally cover with TPJ Peachy Peach Habanero Rib Candy. Sprinkle some Craig’s Three Pepper Seasoning and add some minced garlic for a little extra flavor. Hand rubbed each shrimp to ensure complete coverage. If you plan to add fruits or veggies to your shrimp skewers, you can also marinate them; however, do so in a different bowl than the shrimp. Let shrimp etc., marinate for about 30 minutes before cooking. 

Time to assemble your skewers. For 8-inch skewers, you should be able to get five to six large shrimp. When you add veggies or fruit, the number of shrimp per skewer will decrease. Thread a skewer through the thickest part of each shrimp and alternate with pineapple pieces etc.  If you’re only cooking shrimp, be sure to leave a bit of space between each piece to ensure even cooking. Place on a hot (350ºF ) grill (if using charcoal, cook shrimp over indirect heat that means NO flames). Coat a folded paper towel with some oil and use long-handled tongs to oil the grates. Get ready because shrimp cook fast, so don’t go anywhere! Cook covered for about 4-8 minutes, flipping halfway through or when the underside is light pink. Serve immediately.

For an extra punch of heat and flavor, brush on a bit more TPJ Rib Candy about a minute before you remove the shrimp from the grill.

Kickin’ Chicken Kabobs

Want to serve up some spicy goodness to your guests? Put some chicken on a stick and slap some Texas Pepper Jelly on it. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup TPJ Berry Medley Habanero Pepper Jelly
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sherry or chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cubed
• 1 (20 ounces) can pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 large green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3 cups cooked rice

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine the first five ingredients; heat on low until jelly is melted. Remove from the heat; let cool. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the chicken, pineapple, and green pepper; add pepper jelly mixture (ensure it’s not too hot, or else it’ll melt the bag or cook your chicken pieces). Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least two hours. Place cornstarch in a small saucepan; drain marinade into a saucepan. Stir until smooth. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat; cook and stir for one minute or until thickened. Remove from the heat; set aside.

Using 12 metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread chicken, pineapple, and green pepper. Turn on broiler. Place skewers on a broiler pan 3-4 inches from the heat. Broil for 3 minutes, turning once. Baste with pepper jelly glaze. Broil 4-6 minutes longer or until chicken juices run clear, turning and basting frequently. Serve over rice with any remaining glaze.

Mini Poppin’ Tarts

These little guys bring the cuteness and heat as a snack on a stick for a party or treat for breakfast! For this recipe, use lollipop sticks or popsicle sticks, your choice!

Ingredients:

• 2 ready-made pie crusts (or make your own if you’d rather)
• 1/4 cup of TPJ Pepper Jelly, any flavor
• 1  egg (beaten in a small bowl)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
• Food coloring and sprinkles if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine jelly and cornstarch. Set aside. Roll out both pie crusts until they are 11-inch around. Use a pizza cutter or knife and trim off the edges so you have two 9-inch squares. Cut each square into six 3-inch wide strips. Turn each strip so it’s wider than taller. Place six strips on the lined cookie sheet. Center a stick on the right half of each strip about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the pie crust. Place a dollop of the TPJ Pepper Jelly on the same side as the stick and spread it around slightly, keeping the jelly 1/4 inch away from the edges. Brush the beaten egg around the edges and down the left side of the right half.  See the infographic below. Fold the dry side over the filling side and crimp the edges together using a fork. You can brush the top of each mini tart with the egg if you want an extra flaky crust. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the poppin’ tarts are golden brown. Let cool.

To create the icing glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar with the 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream. The more cream you add, the thinner your glaze. Add coloring if desired. Spread or drizzle over the cooled poppin’ tarts. If using sprinkles, decorate while the icing is still sticky. You can let the poppin’ tarts dry on the cookie sheet or place them on a drying rack. Serve at room temp.