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.

Honey, lime, and sriracha chicken skewers on a plate.

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

Chicken skewer ingredients including ginger, lime, and soy sauce.

Step-by-Step InstructionsPile of lime zest with a lime and a micro-plane grater.

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.)Marinade ingredients in a blender.

Purée until completely smooth, then set aside 1/2 cup of the marinade to use as a drizzling sauce.

Blender mixing marinade.

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.

Person using a knife to trim fat from chicken.

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.

Person using a knife to cut chicken into pieces.

Place the chicken in a Ziplock bag with the remaining marinade and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Marinade pouring into a bag with chicken.

After the chicken has marinated, thread the pieces onto skewers.

Marinated chicken on 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.

Person oiling a grill.

Grill the chicken, turning occasionally to promote even browning, for 10-15 minutes.

Chicken skewers on a grill.

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.

Honey, lime, and sriracha chicken skewers on a plate.

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.

Servings: 4-6
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes, plus at least 6 hours to marinate

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
  • 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

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread onto skewers, folding the pieces in half if they are long and thin.
  4. 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.
  5. Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • Made these for a weeknight dinner. They were fabulous and very quick and easy. My daughter (who is a fantastic cook and has been told many times that she missed her calling by not being a chef) raved about them!! Definitely will make these again and again!

  • Best chicken BBQ recipe on the Web, bar-none!

  • This is THE BEST new recipe I made this year. I served it to guests three times and that sentiment was shared. Last time I made it my husband said, we should really make that more often. The combination of flavors is truly fantastic. Serve it on her salad. YUM!!

  • I have made this for three dinner parties and everyone has loved this delicious chicken.

  • I must have made this at least once a week (if not twice) all this past summer! So fresh, so tasty…best way to dress up a lighter-fat protein like chicken. I didn’t alter the recipe at all and it turned out perfectly each time!

  • I had been looking for a chicken recipe with Sriracha when I came across this one. I have made it twice in the last two weeks. It is so good and full of flavor.

  • I encourage everyone to give this recipe a try. Great for family or company and super easy to prepare. Rave reviews from both adults and kids. I’ve made with turkey and chicken. I paired with your cumin and tumeric rice pilaf with dried fruit &nuts which I’ve now made several times, changing the type of dried fruit, nuts and spicing to match the entree. Also super delicious. Rice can be eaten hot or cold (same with chicken skewers, too).

  • Loved your chicken recipe! Easy prep and amazing results. Highly recommend others try it!

  • I made these the other night and they were so good! I will definitely be making these again.

  • These look awesome, but we are not a grilling family yet. If you were to do these in the oven, what temperature would you cook them at and for how long before flashing them under the broiler? Thanks for the help!

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