Servings: 4-6
Total Time: 30 Minutes, plus at least 6 hours to marinate
These chicken skewers, recipe courtesy of Jennifer Segal from Once Upon a Chef, are marinated in honey, lime juice, and Sriracha are every bit as good as they look — and if you haven’t tried Sriracha, the Asian hot sauce named after the coastal city of Si Racha in Thailand, this is the perfect recipe to taste just how delicious it is. Made from sun-ripened chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt, Sriracha is used in soups, sauces, noodle dishes, omelets, burgers or anything else to add a delicious spicy taste. It has become so popular in the States that you can find it in the international section of most supermarkets.
SHOPPING LIS FOR SKEWERED CHICKEN
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon lime zest, from one lime
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 2 limes
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1½ square inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped (see note)
- 1½ tablespoons Sriracha sauce
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- 2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (between 8-10), trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus a few whole sprigs for garnish
- Limes, sliced into wedges, for garnishing platter (optional)
STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS
- In a blender, combine the soy sauce, honey, oil, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, ginger, Sriracha and salt. Blend until completely smooth. Pour ½ cup of the marinade into a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (this will be your drizzling sauce).
- Combine the chicken and remaining marinade in a large Ziplock bag and seal tightly. Place in a bowl (in case of leakage) and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread onto skewers, folding the pieces in half if they are long and thin.
- Be sure the grill is clean, then preheat to medium-high heat. To grease the grill, lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over the grates several times until glossy and coated. Grill the chicken kebabs, covered, until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it — if they are browning too quickly, turn the heat down.) Transfer the skewers to a platter. Warm up the reserved marinade in the microwave and either drizzle it over top or pass it alongside. Scatter the chopped cilantro over top and garnish the platter with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs, if desired.