Grilled Asian Chicken Skewers
Grilled Asian Chicken Skewers combine a delicious Asian marinade with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, red onion, bell peppers, and zucchini. Serve these delicious kabobs over a bed of rice or go low-carb with cauliflower rice. So tasty!
For other chicken recipes, try our Southern Chicken and Rice Recipe, Chicken Curry Salad with Grapes, Grilled Greek Chicken and Chicken BLT Salad!
Spicy Asian Chicken
I’ve been on an Asian kick lately, making many of the dishes you would find at a take-out joint, including my Baked Asian Salmon and Weeknight Spicy Fried Rice. The biggest plus besides the taste is the nutritional aspect. Chinese take-out sure tastes good, but it’s not the healthiest thing we should be putting in our bodies.
We love making this recipe on the Big Green Egg (the best charcoal grill, in our opinion!), but any grill works just fine!
Why This Recipe Works:
- SIMPLE – This recipe uses simple ingredients including a basic Asian marinade. Quick and simple to make.
- TASTY – The slightly spicy marinade is just right for this chicken and I love using an extra drizzle when serving. Pretty impressive for entertaining too!
- MAKES GREAT LEFTOVERS – We love making a large batch of this recipe and meal prepping. The leftovers are the best part!
What You’ll Need:
This easy recipe uses simple ingredients and gets rave reviews!
- Chicken Breasts – I used three pounds of chicken breasts but you could use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead.
- Soy Sauce – A brown, salty, condiment that is made from fermented soybeans, salt, and water. It also has an earthy, umami flavor perfect for Asian dishes. (I almost always use lower-sodium soy sauce.)
- Chili Paste – A condiment that’s ground from fresh chilis, and is perfect for spicing up your cooking. You’ll love it for flavoring seafood, chicken, and more.
- Oyster Sauce – Similar to hoisin sauce or fish sauce, this adds authentic flavor to Asian dishes giving them a boost of umami.
- Sesame Seed Oil – An oil derived from sesame seeds and used as a cooking oil, its nutty taste adds amazing flavor to cooking. You can use olive oil or avocado oil instead if needed.
- Brown Sugar – The sugar gives a bit of sweetness and counteracts the spiciness.
- Garlic – You can’t make an Asian dish without adding garlic. The intensely aromatic and flavorful vegetable is closely related to the onion.
- Fresh Lime Juice – You’ll need 1-2 limes for this recipe.
- Veggies – For this recipe, I used two zucchini, three bell peppers (any color is just fine), and one red onion.
- Rice – We usually serve this over long-grain rice (white or brown), but you could also use cauliflower rice for a lower-carb option.
You will also need metal skewers but bamboo skewers are fine too.
How to make Grilled Asian Chicken Skewers:
Prep 1
Make marinade. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, chili paste, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, lime juice, and fresh garlic. Reserve about 1/2 cup in a small bowl for serving.
Step 2
Prepare chicken. Cut the chicken breasts into 1.5-inch cubes (large bite-sized pieces), and place in freezer bag or airtight container. Pour marinade overtop, and place in refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight.
IF USING WOODEN SKEWERS: At least 20 minutes beforehand, soak skewers in cold water.
Step 3
Light an outdoor grill. Light your grill to medium-high heat or to about 375 degrees.
Step 4
Prep vegetables. Use a sharp knife to slice the vegetables – bell peppers (any color), red onion, and zucchini – into evenly sized pieces for grilling.
Step 5
Prepare the skewers. Alternate the chicken and vegetables on the skewers, leaving room on the ends for turning. Use the leftover marinade (from soaking the chicken) for brushing on the skewers while cooking. (Boil marinade in a small saucepan if you are concerned about using the leftover marinade.)
Step 6
Cook. Place chicken and veggie skewers on grill and cook by rotating the skewers every few minutes until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. The chicken is considered done when the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees on a digital thermometer. (We usually allow for some carry-over cooking so we remove it at 160 degrees.)
Step 7
Serve. Serve grilled chicken kabobs over a bed of white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice. Spoon some reserved marinade over the top, for best results.
Pro-Tip: If you don’t have access to an outdoor grill, use a grill pan indoors.
What to serve with Grilled Asian Chicken Skewers:
Recipe FAQs:
Either breasts or thighs work well for skewers. If using chicken breasts, make sure you don’t overcook them. Thighs are easier to keep tender.
Marinating the meat not only imparts loads of flavor but also tenderizes it so every bite is juicy and delicious.
Both work well and I like to keep both handy in my kitchen. If using wood skewers, make sure you soak them in cold water.
Other easy chicken recipes:
- Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas – Take a short-cut and use store-bought salsa verde and a rotisserie chicken!
- Turkey Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts – This one is definitely on the healthy side. 😀
- Grilled Chicken Burrito Bowls – A family favorite and go-to when life gets hectic.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Grilled Asian Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken breast – cut into 1.5-inch chunks
- 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons chili paste
- 3 Tablespoons oyster sauce
- 6 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 1-2 limes freshly squeezed
- 5 cloves garlic – minced
- 2 large zucchini squash – sliced
- 3 large bell peppers (any color) – cubed
- 1 large red onion – cubed
- rice or cauliflower rice – to serve
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, chili paste, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, lime juice, and garlic. Reserve about 1/2 cup for serving.
- Cut chicken breast into 1.5 inch cubes and add to a bowl or plastic bag. Pour marinade over the top and place in the refrigerator. Let marinate for at least an hour to overnight.
- Prepare veggies by cubing them.
- Heat an outdoor grill (or indoor grill works too), to medium high heat.
- Place chicken and vegetables on skewers, leaving a little bit of room on the ends for flipping.
- Grill chicken skewers until done (about 165 degrees on a digital thermometer), approximately 20-30 minutes or so.
- Serve chicken skewers over rice or cauliflower rice. Add reserved marinade if so desired.
Notes
- We love making a large batch of this recipe and meal prepping. The leftovers are the best part!
- Pro-Tip: If you don’t have access to an outdoor grill, use a grill pan indoors.
- IF USING WOODEN SKEWERS: At least 20 minutes beforehand, soak skewers in cold water.
I love this marinade! It has become my favorite for chicken kabobs. Do you think I could use it on top sirloin to make steak kabobs? Have you tried it? Thanks!
Hi Jennifer. I think the marinade would be delicious on steak kabobs too!
Made this again for visiting family this week! Chicken is so tender with this delicious marinade!
I’m so glad! Thanks for letting me know, Danalea! ❤️
So much fun to grill this recipe and it tastes amazing…..
Had this for our holiday meal tonight! Loved the flavor! Thanks Sue!
We love the Asian Chicken too. Thanks for trying so many of my recipes, Danalea! 🙂
I love cooking the chicken on the grill. I also appreciate the ease of the recipe and the healthy alternative to take out Chinese food. It tastes amazing!