Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken Skewers
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
These chicken skewers marinated in honey, lime juice and Sriracha taste every bit as good as they look.
These chicken skewers marinated in honey, lime juice, and Sriracha are every bit as good as they look — and if you haven’t tried Sriracha, the Asian hot sauce named after the coastal city of Si Racha in Thailand, this is the perfect recipe to taste just how delicious it is. Made from sun-ripened chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt, Sriracha is used in soups, sauces, noodle dishes, omelets, burgers or anything else to add a delicious spicy taste. It has become so popular in the States that you can find it in the international section of most supermarkets.
What You’ll Need To Make Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by making the marinade. In a blender, combine the zest of a lime, fresh lime juice, honey, soy sauce, vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, and Sriracha. (Even though you’re puréeing the marinade, it’s a good idea to roughly chop the garlic and ginger so they get incorporated — some blenders can’t handle large chunks.)
Purée until completely smooth, then set aside 1/2 cup of the marinade to use as a drizzling sauce.
Next, prepare the chicken. I’ve specified boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because they’re more flavorful than chicken breasts and easier to cook without drying out. I know many people prefer white meat but I’ve tried both in this recipe and, trust me, it’s much better made with dark meat.
The only drawback to using chicken thighs is that they need to be trimmed before you cook them. I think it’s easiest to use kitchen shears as opposed to a knife. So, using scissors, simply cut off any gristle and large chunks of fat (don’t fret over every little bit as it mostly melts away on the grill) and then cut the meat into 2-inch pieces.
Place the chicken in a Ziplock bag with the remaining marinade and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
After the chicken has marinated, thread the pieces onto skewers.
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Scrape the grates clean to prevent the chicken from sticking, then dip a wad of paper towels in oil and rub the grates until smooth and shiny.
Grill the chicken, turning occasionally to promote even browning, for 10-15 minutes.
Keep an eye on it — the honey in the marinade causes the chicken to caramelize on the grill and turn a beautiful, rich brown color; however, the chicken can burn if the grill is too hot. Lower the heat if the chicken is browning too fast.
Transfer the skewers to a platter and drizzle with the reserved marinade. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over top and serve. Enjoy!
It was a mouth-watering photo from a blog called Kitchen Meets Girl that caught my eye on Pinterest and inspired this recipe.
You may also like
- Middle Eastern Chicken Kebabs
- Grilled Jerk Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Wings with Seasoned Buffalo Sauce
- Thai Minced Chicken Lettuce Cups
- Char Siu Chicken
Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken Skewers
These chicken skewers marinated in honey, lime juice and Sriracha taste every bit as good as they look.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon lime zest, from one lime
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 2 limes
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1½ square inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped (see note)
- 1½ tablespoons Sriracha sauce
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- 2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (between 8-10), trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus a few whole sprigs for garnish
- Limes, sliced into wedges, for garnishing platter (optional)
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the soy sauce, honey, oil, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, ginger, Sriracha and salt. Blend until completely smooth. Pour ½ cup of the marinade into a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (this will be your drizzling sauce).
- Combine the chicken and remaining marinade in a large Ziplock bag and seal tightly. Place in a bowl (in case of leakage) and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread onto skewers, folding the pieces in half if they are long and thin.
- Be sure the grill is clean, then preheat to medium-high heat. To grease the grill, lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over the grates several times until glossy and coated. Grill the chicken kebabs, covered, until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it -- if they are browning too quickly, turn the heat down.) Transfer the skewers to a platter. Warm up the reserved marinade in the microwave and either drizzle it over top or pass it alongside. Scatter the chopped cilantro over top and garnish the platter with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs, if desired.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 321
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Sugar: 18g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 37g
- Sodium: 1147mg
- Cholesterol: 180mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
My husband is a boat captain and asks for this his first night back home, it’s a family favorite! I’ve tried it with chicken breast but the thighs are so much better. I know if I need a 5 star recipe the first try I need to come here for one. Thank you, thank uou, thank you!
Wow! This is the 3rd recipe I’ve tried in 3 days and I’m now a huge fan of this website. I love flavorful dishes and this one can’t be beat! The sweetness of the honey, combined with the spiciness of the sriracha sauce and the tang of the ginger and lime is simply a taste sensation. You’ll love this recipe!
I recommend combining it with the Thai Quinoa Salad with Fresh herbs and Lime Vinaigrette. (I ended up modifiying this recipe and replaced the veggies with roasted butternut and spread the quinoa on the bottom of a serving platter and placed the kebobs on top of the quinoa/butternut…delicious and a nice presentation.)
Hi Jenn,
Have made this before and it was a hit with everyone. Just wondering whether this would be great with Flank steak as well? Thx, Nadine
Hi Nadine, Yes, I think it would be delicious!
Can you tell me how long I should broil the thighs?
Hi Brandy, Cook time will be about the same.
Just wanted you to know there was a bit of confusion on your directions. Your ingredients list says 2tlb cilantro plus more for garnish. The the directions don’t mention putting the 2tlb cilantro in blender for marinade….
Hi Tori, It gets sprinkled on the chicken after it’s grilled.
These chicken skewers were delicious!! I was at my grandmother’s house when I made these and she does not have a grill, so I just stuck them under the broiler. I turned them once and they cooked perfectly. The honey made them carmalize nicely and the fresh cilantro added the perfect touch. This is going to be my new go-to party recipe!
I’m also going to have to use my broiler. How long and at what heat did you cook them? thank you!
If you’re going to prepare these ahead of time, I would suggest cooking them before freezing them and then reheating at party time. Broiling will work — set the oven to broil (at least 500°F) and cook for about same time as specified in recipe. Enjoy!
This recipe was outstanding, my husband absolutely loved it….great dish for quick entertaining. I only had time to marinate for couple of hours and still great.
These were so good! I don’t have a zester so I just squeezed some extra limes for the marinade. Also I reduced the honey and added more sriracha based on another review, but it still wasn’t spicy enough for us but we like things very spicy. These came out really well and it’s something we’d make again just add more sriracha!
I have made this for a while and love it-I just use a lime olive oil (one of the new oils you can buy now , along with all the new balsamic vinegars!). I just haven’t used sriracha.. being Cajun, tabasco or tiger sauce has been the go-to.
sriracha is on the next batch!!
oh, and there is lemon olive oil I love!
You mentioned in past newsletters that using lime or lemon juice in the marinade “cooks” the meat (I have ruined many a dish this way) giving it a chalky texture. Does this happen with this recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Christina, It’s only true with boneless chicken breasts. The lime works well here with dark meat 🙂