Name: Coconut Lime Grilled Chicken Skewers
Prep time: 125 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 140 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds (900g) skinless chicken thighs, or breasts cut into bite size cubes (or breasts cut into bite size cubes); 1/2 cup (120ml) tamari soy sauce, (or regular if not gluten free); 1/4 cup (60ml) coconut milk; 3 Tablespoons lime juice; 3 Tablespoons maple syrup; 2 teaspoons sesame oil; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 1 teaspoon minced ginger

a platter filled with grilled chicken skewers served on top of a green salad

These grilled Chicken Skewers are great as a main dish and can be served with anything. They’re the perfect summertime grilling quick dinner meal. You can also cut the chicken bites up smaller to serve as appetizers when entertaining, throwing the neighborhood BBQ party, and would be perfect to make on your portable grill while camping.

These chicken kabobs are a family favorite for sure. Our mini chefs are usually waiting by the grill to get their kabobs. If your kiddoes are anything like mine, they can’t get enough of any food on a stick.

Peeps, these grilled chicken kabobs really are simple to make. And who doesn’t love not having to slave over a hot stove or stand by the oven on a steamy hot summer night. Plus, dinner on the grill usually means less clean up time and that always makes me happy.

grilled chicken skewers garnished with sesame seeds and served on a white plate

Why You’ll Love These

perfect for entertaining.
easy to make on the grill.
moist and flavorful chicken on a stick, need I say more?
the whole family will love it – especially the kids.

What Are Chicken Skewers?

These skewers are bite sized pieces of chicken and some recipes include vegetables that are put on a stick and grilled on the grill. A skewer is actually the piece of wood or metal that goes through the meat.

And sometimes you’ll find people, like myself, who refer to the entire food as a skewer, not just the stick itself.

Skewers are the perfect party food, make for exciting barbeques and are definitely a kid favorite. Kiddoes love eating anything and everything off a stick or skewer, these grilled chicken skewers will not disappoint.

Tools You Need

Mixing bowls.
Measuring cups and spoons.
Bamboo skewers or metal ones
A grill.
An Air Fryer if prefer.
An instant read digital thermometer.

Soooo, let’s gather up these ingredients and I will show you……

image collage showing the first four steps for making grilled chicken skewers

Get complete ingredients list and instructions in recipe card below.

How To Make Chicken Skewers

Mix together tamari soy sauce, coconut milk, lime juice, maple syrup, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in a mixing bowl or Ziploc bag.
Add chicken and let marinate for at least 2 hours (up to overnight).
Soak bamboo skewers for 30 minutes.
Thread chicken onto skewers.
Oil the grill grates, then preheat the grill (or griddle pan) to medium-high (direct heat).
Grill chicken for 10-15 minutes, turning them a couple of times and brushing on more marinade until golden and cooked through. (Make sure to use your meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F/74C )
You can reduce the remaining marinade in a saucepan over low heat until it thickens, and brush it over the cooked chicken for extra flavor.

image collage showing the final steps for making grilled chicken skewers

How To Make Chicken Skewers In Air Fryer

Create the skewers like you did in the above steps 1-4.
Preheat Air Fryer to 350F/180C.
Cook for 12-15 minutes, making sure to turn once halfway through.

Recipe Tips

To reduce the calories, use lite or half-fat coconut milk.
The longer you marinate these chicken skewers, the more time they have to absorb the flavors. The flavors may seem strong in the marinade bowl, but rest assured that they’re perfectly subtle once they’re done grilling.
Make sure to cut chicken in evenly sized pieces so they cook evenly.

I recommend oiling the grill grates to help prevent the chicken from sticking to the grates, prior to heating the grill up so you don’t get burned.
Don’t forget to brush the coconut chicken skewers with the marinade as they’re cooking to truly enrich the lime and coconut flavors.
You can even use metal skewers which transmit heat well for grilling.

grilled chicken skewers on a bed of lettuce and ready to be served

Recipe Variations

Coconut Lime Chicken Skewers are easily adaptable.

Change out the chicken: I use skinless chicken thighs, but you can use chicken breasts. You can even try shrimp.
Add in some vegetables: try zucchini, onion, or peppers on these grilled kabobs.

Meal Prep And Prep Ahead

Prep Ahead – This recipe is so simple to make on the grill. Keep in mind the longer you marinate them, the more flavor they get!

Store – Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freeze – You can freeze the uncooked chicken in the marinade. Follow the handy tips below on how to freeze this.

Transfer chicken and marinade into these convenient Ziploc freezer bags.
Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags.
Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer.
Store in the freezer for three months.

FAQs

What’s The Difference Between A Skewer And A Shish-Kabob?

Shish-Kabobs, also known as kabobs or kebabs depending on where you’re located are all used interchangeably. Kabobs are usually bite sized pieces of meat and vegetables while skewers are usually made of just meat.

What Kind Of Chicken Should I Use?

I prefer to use chicken thighs for this recipe as they keep their juiciness while cooking on the grill, however, you can use chicken breasts. You just need to keep an eye on the grill to make sure you aren’t drying out your chicken.

What’s So Special About This Chicken Kabob Marinade?

Grilled Chicken Kabobs are so moist and delicious. And it’s all due to the amazing and exciting chicken kabob marinade.

The secret is the coconut milk in the marinade helps tenderize the chicken as it absorbs the subtle flavor. The coconut can seem like a sharp flavor, but the sesame oil in the marinade weakens it a bit and still brings a slight nutty flavor.

Make sure to cook down the remaining marinade till nice and thick and use it to brush over the skewers once they’re cooked. You can even keep a small amount to dip the chicken in. Trust me folks, dipping into this sauce is even more amaaaaaazing.

finished grilled chicken skewers on a white plate and garnished with grilled lime slices

Why Do You Soak Bamboo Skewers?

You want to make sure you soak your skewers in warm water for at least 30 minutes prior to using them.

Soaking bamboo skewers helps prevent them from cooking or catching fire as you’re cooking your grilled chicken skewer. You may even want to soak them overnight if you’re marinating your chicken overnight.

four grilled chicken skewers on a plate and ready to serve

Serving Suggestions

More Grill, Skewers and Kabob Recipes

Weight Watchers Points

There are 5 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving.

Thank you for reading my Chicken Skewers recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

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5 from 3 votes