Looking for a quick weeknight dinner? These Easy Thai Chicken Skewers are sweet, spicy and succulent. Cooked on a grill, either outside or inside, these chicken skewers will become a family favourite!
These easy Thai Chicken Skewers are one of our favourite chicken meals. They're a little sweet and a little spicy! Served over Thai Coconut Rice with fresh veggies or a salad, these chicken kabobs make a delicious meal.
They're quick enough for a weeknight family dinner, but they're also one of my favourite meals to serve to friends.
We grill outside almost all year, but I also grill these skewers on my indoor grill. Grilling indoors allows me to have more control over getting the chicken nicely browned and prevents flare-ups.
I chose Sambal Oelek to use in this recipe, an Indonesian chile paste. It has so much flavour and is made with simple ingredients: crushed red chiles, vinegar and salt. In my view, it is far superior to Sriracha because it has more depth of flavour. It's readily available in most grocery stores, usually in the international food aisle. However, if you're a Sriracha fan, feel free to use it!
You can easily control the amount of heat in this recipe. Start with a teaspoon and work up from there.
Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs?
You can use skinless, boneless chicken breasts, chicken tenders, or chicken thighs in this recipe. They all work beautifully, resulting in flavourful kabobs, fresh from the grill. I've made these chicken kabobs many times, both on my outdoor and indoor grill because they're just so easy.
Ingredients for Thai Chicken Skewers
Besides chicken breasts or thighs, you'll need
- soy sauce: gluten-free tamari (or coconut aminos for Paleo diet)
- sesame oil
- honey
- Sambal Oelek: Asian hot chili paste, or Sriracha sauce if you'd prefer
- ginger root: finely grated
- garlic: fresh is always best
An easy recipe!
Here's a quick overview of how to make these Thai chicken kabobs. Complete instructions are in the recipe card below.
- First, whisk the marinade ingredients together.
- Thread the chicken pieces on to the skewers.
- Let them sit and soak up all that sweet and spicy goodness.
- Grill until no longer pink inside.
What to serve with Thai Chicken Skewers
Serve these chicken kabobs with lots of fresh veggies and Thai Coconut Rice.
We like them with lightly sautéed snow peas or Easy 5-Minute Sesame Asparagus.
For a special meal, serve them with Crunchy Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce or Asian Pear Slaw with Ginger and Lime.
You might also like to serve them with peanut sauce, as I did in this recipe for Simple Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce.
Make these chicken skewers ahead of time!
I like having meals in the freezer, ready to cook on busy days. You can prepare part of this recipe ahead of time.
Mix the marinade ingredients, and cut the chicken parts into strips. Combine the chicken with the marinade and transfer to a zipper-top freezer bag or a freezer-safe container with a lid. Then, when you're ready to cook, thaw overnight in the fridge, thread the chicken pieces on to skewers and grill.
How to reheat leftovers
It's doubtful you'll have any leftovers, but these can be gently reheated in the microwave, in the oven, or in an air fryer.
Get the napkins! These Paleo chicken kabobs are full of finger-licking yumminess.
Other easy chicken recipes
This recipe is just as easy as our other favourites: Easy Thai Baked Chicken, Asian Glazed Chicken, Baked Lemon Chicken, Honey-Mustard Chicken with Turmeric, Maple Garlic Glazed Chicken and Cajun Chicken, and it's oh-so-good!
Easy Thai Chicken Skewers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup soy sauce, gluten-free tamari, or coconut aminos for paleo diet
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 - 2 tsp Sambal Oelek, hot chile paste, or Sriracha sauce
- 1/2 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 chicken breasts, or 4 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
Instructions
- If using wooden skewers, soak in water.
- Mix all marinade ingredients together.
- Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes or strips and thread onto skewers. (Alternatively, you can marinate the chicken first and thread onto skewers just before grilling.)
- Put chicken pieces in a shallow dish, pour marinade over top and turn chicken pieces to make sure all are coated or submerged. Let marinate for at least an hour in the refrigerator
- Grill over medium heat, turning after 7 minutes. Grill on the other side until chicken is no longer pink.
- Serve with Thai Coconut Rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Looking for more recipes for chicken skewers or chicken kabobs?
- Grilled Rosemary Mustard Chicken Kabobs
- Greek Lemon Chicken Kabobs with Tzatziki
- Thai Grilled Turmeric Chicken Kabobs
- Ginger-Garlic Glazed Korean Chicken Skewers
- Japanese Chicken Yakitori Skewers
Dee says
We loved these skewers. I cooked them on the outdoor grill. They were so easy to make and were just spicy enough for my family. Thanks!
aynsley Platten says
Tried these for the first time tonight and they turned out amazing! Thanks for the recipe.
Flavour & Savour says
Thanks for letting me know how much you liked then, Aynsley! They're a favourite in our home, too.
steven says
These are great! Didn't want to grill so I pan seared them and then added the extra marinade after they were turned. Juice boils down to a nice glaze.
Flavour & Savour says
Great idea, Steven! Thanks so much for commenting!
Elise says
We made these tonight on our indoor grill and they were awesome! I'll be adding these to our regular meal rotation. Thanks!
Flavour & Savour says
You're so welcome! So glad you liked them, too.