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.
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I don’t have a grill, how else can I cook the chicken?
Hi Lena, You can cook these using the boiler in your oven. Arrange them about 6 inches from the broiler, turning occasionally. If they aren’t browning you can move them up. Just be sure to shake off as much marinade as possible before putting them in the oven because it will smoke and burn in a hot oven. Enjoy!
Tried this for our office superbowl party. Really, really good – really good. I was a bit concerned because I cut chx breasts into strips (like teriyaki) and marinated them for 10 hours or so – there was mention of white meat over cooking in the citrus – but no, that was not an issue.
Grilled on a grill pan to get nice color. After testing one I did add more sriracha and a pinch of cayenne – my office is a spicy bunch! I saw the reserved marinade being used on chicken wings, on top of baked beans, and get this – PIZZA!!! So, it was certainly a hit! Thanks for a great recipe.
These were delicious! I was worried there was not going to be enough marinade to reserve, I considered doubling the recipe. However, I followed recipe and instructions and they were perfect! Definitely will make again. Thank you for the great recipe 🙂
This marinade is awesome! I whipped it up to marinate chicken for an easy grilled supper and the whole family loved it. I used chicken breasts because that’s what I had on hand and just grilled them whole – no skewers. The chicken was incredibly moist and delicious. We all agreed the sauce would also be wonderful on grilled shrimp or fish. Will definitely make again!
Can chicken breast be used
While you can do this with breasts, thighs are much better here!
I’ve made this several times now and it’s excellent! The sauce is critical – do NOT forget to reserve some and use it when serving. It takes the chicken from “good” to “great”
This chicken is delicious. I often make this recipe for company because it’s so easy to prep ahead and the combination of flavors is just perfect. The simple marinade ingredients make it so convenient. Always get lots of compliments and we love the leftovers (if there are any!).
FYI: We do skewers if having company (makes for a lovely presentation) but if not, I often just marinate thighs and bake in the oven with equally fabulous results.
First time commenter Jenn; but have been following you for the past few years and have made MANY of your recipes. And the majority have been winners! And this chicken is one of them. Delicious! I’ve made the suggested salad with this meal in the past and love it but it’s a bit time consuming. Besides your jasmine rice suggestion… how about the Basmati Cilantro Rice from your cookbook? I haven’t had a chance to make anything from the cookbook yet but am looking forward to doing so. The beef barley soup is calling my name! It’s just still so warm here in Maryland – as you are aware.
Hi Susan, I think the basmati cilantro rice would pair very well with this chicken. (And hope you enjoy the beef barley soup when you make it)!
Does this recipe work for shrimp?
Sure, Marcia, but I’d only marinate them for 20 to 30 minutes. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Made this tonight with shrimp and it was great! Marinated for 30 minutes and then grilled. Served with rice and steamed broccoli. Heated the remaining sauce for a few minutes to thicken as well!
I made this tonight for my husband and adult son(I was under the weather so I could not eat) and they absolutely loved it. They raved about the sauce!!! I made some peppers and some rice and they were thrilled. You have become my second go to chef for recipes!!!!(sorry-but Ina will always be first). Thank you so much–you are greatly appreciated!!!
Second weekend in a row making this. Great sale for the chicken $1 per pound and the lime tree has gone crazy and we are trying to use them. We increase the lime and cook the chicken without skewers but we put the vegetables on skewers. Make sure you check for missed bones and cartilage before you cook.