Sweet and Spicy Asian Chicken Skewers

Sweet and Spicy Asian Chicken Skewers

I’m finally back to cooking and not only that, it’s grilling time! This sweet and spicy chicken meal comes together in just about an hour, and is perfect for a busy weeknight meal. Which was a real bonus since I’d just gotten back from four days camping and didn’t have a lot of fresh ingredients to work with. I grabbed some chicken from the freezer and defrosted in the microwave, spied some frozen shelled edamame, and knew I always had rice in the pantry. One fresh ingredient I did have was cilantro, as I’ve mastered the method of keeping it fresh in the fridge for almost a month! And I always have a bottle of lime juice in the fridge for when I don’t have fresh limes.

My family was super-hungry when this came off the grill, and I barely had time to snap off a few photos before they started grabbing all the food.  Hence no edemame in the photos but it was one of the sides to go with the skewers and cilantro lime rice. Heck they even made me forget the chopsticks I got out for the shoot. In addition, I was going to heat up the leftover marinade and thicken it to a sauce to pour over the skewers, but my sister had called while everything was cooking and hubby was grilling the chicken and he tossed the bag with the marinade before I got off the phone to tell him to save it. Just a typical busy weeknight affair!

You can find the recipe for cilantro lime rice here: Cilantro Lime Rice

Sweet and Spicy Asian Chicken Skewers

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs)
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used grapeseed)
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 to 1 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Halve the chicken lengthwise and pound to an even thickness with a meat mallet. Slice the chicken into 1-inch wide strips.

Spicy Chicken Marinade

In a small bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients except the cilantro. Add the chicken and marinade to a zip-top quart bag and marinate in refrigerator for about a 1/2 hour. Meanwhile you can start making your cilantro lime rice and get the grill preheated to medium-high.

After marinating, thread the chicken slices lengthwise, skewering back and forth as needed. The amount of chicken I had used up four long skewers, since I had to leave ample room for the wooden handles not to touch the grate.

Skewered Chicken

Reserve a small amount of marinade for basting. If you want at this point, you can put the marinade that’s left in the bag in a small saucepan on the stove. Mix a little cornstarch with water then add to the marinade. Bring to a boil, then turn down to low and simmer gently until chicken is ready.

Grease the grill with a little oil on a paper towel to prevent chicken from sticking. Grill for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning skewers as needed, basting occasionally with reserved marinade, until chicken is cooked through.

Serve on a bed of cilantro lime rice garnished with chopped cilantro, and another side of choice, such as edamame. Pass with the sauce, if you made it.

Sweet and Spicy Asian Chicken Skewers

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