Marinated in a savory sauce, these Grilled Chicken Skewers are quick and easy to prepare. Just 12 minutes on the grill and you have a flavorful appetizer everyone will love – or serve them over rice or noodles for an easy weeknight dinner!
Easy Grilled Chicken Skewers
Ready to fire up the grill and looking for something quick, easy, and flavorful? Look no further than these chicken skewers! This chicken kabob recipe is perfect for cookouts or just an easy family dinner.
Made with chunks of chicken breast (or thighs, if you prefer) marinated in a sweet and savory sauce, these chicken kebabs are a versatile dish you can serve up as an appetizer or finger food at a party or turn into dinner. The quick grill time at a high temperature results in juicy tender chicken with just a bit of grill char marks for added flavor.
If serving this as a meal, we like to add some rice or noodles. Grilled veggies or potatoes would also make a great side!
Why You’ll Love These Chicken Kabobs
Here are a few reasons we love this grilled chicken recipe.
- Quick and easy. It takes just a few minutes to prepare the marinade and about 12 minutes to grill the skewers. Note that the chicken does have to marinate for at least an hour but you can easily do that in advance.
- Great flavor. The sauce on these is made with ingredients like ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice wine vinegar for a robust flavor that’s sweet, savory, and a bit tangy.
- Serve as an appetizer or meal. There are so many ways to serve these chicken skewers. They make a great party appetizer or you can serve them over rice and noodles for a quick and easy side.
What You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make these easy chicken skewers, with a delightfully savory marinade. See the recipe card below for measurements.
- Ketchup – Creates the tomato-y base for our chicken skewer marinade.
- Brown sugar – Sweetens the marinade.
- Soy sauce – Adds a savory, umami flavor.
- Rice wine vinegar – Adds a hint of tanginess that balances out the other flavors.
- Sesame oil & vegetable oil – Sesame oil adds loads of flavor, so I don’t recommend skipping it. The vegetable oil thins the sauce and helps create a sear on the grill.
- Red pepper flakes – For a hint of heat.
- Garlic paste & ginger – Add earthy flavor to the marinade.
- Chicken breast – Be sure to cut them into equal-sized pieces, approximately 1 inch each. You can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
How to Make Chicken Skewers
Making chicken kabobs on the grill is quite easy. Here’s all you need to do.
- Prepare the marinade. Whisk together the marinade ingredients. Set 1/2 a cup aside for later.
- Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to the sauce, ensuring each piece is covered, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Assemble the skewers. Assemble the skewers by skewering 6-8 pieces of chicken onto each wooden skewer. (Be sure to soak the skewers in advance.) Reserve the sauce they were marinating in for glazing.
- Grill the skewers. Preheat the grill to 400-500F. Grill the skewers for 3-4 minutes per side, basting with the reserved sauce each time you turn them.
- Enjoy. Serve the chicken skewers garnished with green onion and with the reserved sauce for dipping.
How Do You Know When Chicken Skewers Are Done?
The easiest way is to insert an instant-read thermometer into the biggest piece of chicken. It’s ready when it reads 165F. It’s helpful when all pieces of chicken are roughly the same size so that the smaller pieces don’t dry out.
Recipe Tips & Variations
Here are a few helpful tips for making these grilled chicken skewers, as well as a few variations.
- Soak the skewers in advance. Since we’re using wooden skewers, it’s very important to submerge them completely in water for at least an hour. Otherwise they can catch on fire on the grill.
- Minced garlic will burn on the grill. If you cannot find garlic paste, use 1 tablespoon of garlic powder. Don’t use minced garlic as it will burn on the grill and create an unpleasant flavor.
- You can use ginger paste. Ginger paste can be used in place of the fresh grated ginger, or even 1 tablespoon of ground ginger.
- Use prepared teriyaki sauce. 1 cup of teriyaki sauce can be used in place of the soy sauce and brown sugar.
- How long should I marinate my chicken kabobs? You’ll want the marinate the chicken for at least an hour – but you can marinate them overnight too. Do not marinate for more than 24 hours.
What Goes With Grilled Chicken Skewers?
You can serve these as an appetizer at a party, with the leftover sauce available for dipping. They’d be great on an appetizer or party food table with other snacks like a blooming quesadilla ring, chicken minis, and pimento cheese.
Or you can turn it into a complete meal, by serving them over rice or noodles. You could also serve them with some grilled veggies, like zucchini, or some roasted potatoes or baked potatoes.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge. Remove the chicken from the skewers and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Reheat the chicken in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Leftovers. Leftover chicken would also made a great addition to salads or wraps, such as a cobb salad or marinated vegetable salad.
More Skewer Recipes
Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Ketchup
- 1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Paste
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger Grated
- 2 Pounds Chicken Breast Cut Into 1 Inch Pieces
- Wooden Skewers
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, vegetable oil, red pepper flakes, garlic paste and ginger. Set ½ a cup of the sauce aside.
- Add the cut chicken into the sauce, cover and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. While the chicken is marinating, soak the wooden skewers in water making sure they are completely submerged.
- Prepare your grill and preheat to 400-500℉. Assemble the chicken skewers by skewering 6-8 pieces of the chicken onto each skewer tightly packed together. Reserve the sauce left behind for glazing the skewers as they grill.
- Grill the skewers on a very hot grill, 3-4 minutes per sided, brushing on the reserved marinating sauce with each turn (this is not the 1/2 cup of sauce set a side earlier, use the sauce that was in the chicken for glazing).
- The chicken is done when an instant read thermometer reads 165℉ inserted into the middle of the largest piece of chicken.
- Remove from the grill, garnish with green onion if desired and serve with the reserved ½ cup of sauce. Enjoy!
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1 thought on “Chicken Skewers”
I made these I really loved the ease and flavor of this chicken.
I will make these often. I mad a Po’boy with left overs.
Thanks for your inspiration.