Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken Skewers
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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.
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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
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- 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.
This is the best chicken recipe that I’ve come across in a long time. My 7 & 4 year old grandchildren love this and they’re usually picky eaters. It’s one of my go to favorites for company, guests always asking where the recipe is from. It’s great because you can prep ahead of time and enjoy your company while the back yard permeates with the wonderful aromas from the chicken grilling. delicious!!!
I don’t have a grill. Can I make it somehow on a stove top? It just looks so good. I need to find an alternative way to cook it so I can try it!! 🙂
Hi Celeste, you can broil them! They should cook under the broiler for the about same amount of time as specified for the grill. Enjoy!
Hands down the best chicken recipe ever.
FANTASTIC! Made this last night and everyone – even my 11 year old who is a bit wary of spicy food LOVED this! Will keep this as family favorite! Thank you!!
The honey lime sriracha grilled chicken was delicious.
I had my daughter and her Boss stay with us for 3 days. Your website was my go to to prepare a daily menu. You once again came to the rescue.
I have never been disappointed with the end result. I made your zucchini and tomato saute, the ham and cheese sliders and your waffles were perfect. I also made the blueberry pancakes with the delicious blueberry syrup.
Thank you again.
This is my son’s favorite recipe. During the summer we make it at least once a week. Super easy to make the night before and then a quick grill the next day and dinner is ready!
Hi Jenn,
I am new to your website. This recipe sounds yummy. Before I try to make it, I just have one question. Towards the end, you mentioned one can drizzle the marinade after the chicken is grilled. But doesn’t the marinade has raw chicken juice in it and wouldn’t it contaminate the cooked chicken? I often wondered how to use the raw marinade juice to enhance the dish and when I cooked it slightly, it doesn’t taste too good – maybe I overcooked it, I don’t know. Anyway, love your website!
Hi, Before adding the chicken to the marinade, the recipe specifies that you should set aside 1/2 cup of the marinade and put it in the fridge. That’s the marinade that you can warm up and drizzle over the chicken when serving. Enjoy!
I think this recipe would be great for a party. You can serve these easily for larger groups.
Can you cook this in the oven on broil? I don’t have a grill. Sounds so good. Thanks Julie
Yep– cook for about same time as specified in the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
I NEVER grill chicken…mine is always dry and stringy – NOT this chicken!!
I tried this recipe last night, only because every recipe that I have tried from Jenn has been outstanding. This is the most moist, delicious chicken that has ever been grilled! It must be the overnight marinating in the lime juice and spice that made the difference. I used 1 T Siracha and that was perfect for me. I do like spicy and that was just enough heat. Bravo Jenn! Another winner!!