These skewer chicken are sweet-tangy marinated with Asian flavors and take less than 30 minutes to make. Most of the ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
Summer isn't summery without the grill. right? I mean you have to have a few BBQ sessions. Here in the Middle East skewers are almost an everyday affair in summer.
Table of Content
About this recipe
If you like Asian food, then you will love this recipe. The combination of soy, brown sugar, and ketchup adds a nice stickiness to the chicken, and yet, the flavors are not overpowering. The leftover marinade also makes a nice sauce to serve with the skewers.
My kids love these skewers over steamed rice. But, plain or buttered noodles work just as well.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Chicken - I like chicken thighs, but chicken breast works just as well.
- Sesame Oil - Adds a nice smoky and Asian flavor, but can omit it. Sesame oil has a long shelf life, so if you do venture into Asian cooking sesame oil is a good flavor to have at home.
- Soy sauce - I like to use the low sodium soya sauce. But, if you use the regular, which has salt added, you may want to reduce the quantity of salt in the dish.
- Brown sugar - Adds flavor and color. If you don't have brown sugar - just use regular white sugar.
- Ginger/garlic - These are a must when you cook meat dishes. If you don't have fresh, go ahead and add a 1tsp each of powdered garlic and ginger. Although, with Asian cooking it's all about fresh ingredients.
- Ketchup - Adds a nice tangy flavor from the tomatoes.
- Onion powder - Fresh onions make the marinade very liquidy and burn easily on the grills. The powder is a great way to add flavor.
Step by step instructions (pin)
- In a glass or stainless bowl ( do not use aluminum or other metal), add all the marinade ingredients along with the chicken.
- Combine well - cover and leave to marinate for 15 mins on the counter up to 3 hours in the fridge.
- Thaw chicken an hour before cooking.
- Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes (this prevents them from burning).
- Skewer the chicken and set aside.
- Put the remaining marinade and ¼ cup water in a saucepan or frypan.
- Cook the marinade for 2 to 3 minutes until thick like syrup - set aside.
- Cook the chicken on a hot grill, turning once every 2 minutes until cooked on all sides. About 4 to 5 minutes per skewer.
- In the last two minutes, brush the chicken with the sauce. This adds a nice glaze.
- Serve over steamed rice or noodles with the remaining sauce.
- Any leftover will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- The chicken also freezes well for up to a month.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely. Chicken breast is leaner and cooks much faster. When overcooked it can become dry. So, make sure to cook just until done, about 3 minutes at first. Then, 2 minutes more should be just right.
It is best to marinate these ahead of time, but cook them just before you are ready to eat. They can be marinated up to 4 hours ahead of time leaving you enough time to do everything else.
The chili paste you use will determine how spicy these skewers will be. Reduce or use more as per your taste
Yes, if you want you can add pieces of veggies like onion, pepper, tomato in between the chicken pieces.
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Printable Recipe
Asian Skewer Chicken
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Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) Chicken cut into cubes
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- ½ tsp Garlic minced
- ½ tsp Ginger grated
- 1 tbsp Onion powder
- 2 tbsp Rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp Brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Sesame oil
- 4 tbsp Soy sauce or chilly oil
- 2 tbsp Chilly sauce spicy
- 2 tbsp Ketchup
Instructions
- In a glass or stainless bowl ( do not use aluminum or other metal), add all the marinade ingredients along with the chicken.
- Combine well - cover and leave to marinate for 15 mins on the counter up to 3 hours in the fridge.
- Thaw chicken an hour before cooking.
- Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes (this prevents them from burning).
- Skewer the chicken and set aside.
- Put the remaining marinade and ¼ cup water in a saucepan or frypan.
- Cook the marinade for 2 to 3 minutes until thick like syrup - set aside.
- Cook the chicken on a hot grill, turning once every 2 minutes until cooked on all sides. About 4 to 5 minutes per skewer.
- In the last two minutes, brush the chicken with the sauce. This adds a nice glaze.
- Serve over steamed rice or noodles with the remaining sauce.
Recipe Notes
- Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces but not too small as they will shrink further.Â
- If possible marinate the chicken for a few hours so they absorb more flavorÂ
- The sauce can be cooked down further until it gets sticky (eventually the sugar caramelizes it to become sticky)Â
- Cook the chicken closer to cooking the time to prevent it from drying outÂ
- Don't crowd the skewers with too many chicken pieces this will stew not grill the chicken. And, some parts towards the center can remain undercooked.Â
- If you don't have skewers, drain the chicken from the marinade and stir fry it in a wok or heavy bottom skillet. Add the sauce at the end of cooking. You can also toss in some boiled noodles.Â
- Any leftover will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- The chicken freezes well for up to a month too.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Shelley
Oh my - these chicken skewers look amazing, and very much like something my family would adore! Thank you for the great tips and FAQs - I especially liked the suggestions about controlling/adjusting the spiciness (since my guys like spicy foods but my daughter doesn't), and about adding veggies, which I think is a GREAT idea! Another terrific recipe post - you have such great ideas!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much, Shelly. I hope you try this soon. Great day
GUNJAN C Dudani
This is a such a delicious recipe. We all loved it. My brother will make it again this weekend because he loved it so much.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much, Gunjan. So happy your family enjoyed it so much