Asian Chicken Skewers
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Sep. 9, 2025
Asian chicken skewers are teeming with the mouthwatering flavors of a sweet and sour Asian marinade that’s perfect for a cookout and guaranteed to leave no leftovers!
In This Article
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Video: Watch Us Make This Recipe
Amy’s Notes
My family loves these Asian chicken skewers, which are smothered in a sweet and spicy glaze that’s deliciously sticky. You’ll be so proud to serve these.
- Super Easy: These skewers taste like you spent way more time than you did.
- Meal Prep: This recipe is perfect for a make-ahead recipe.
- Budget-Friendly: These skewers are an affordable way to feed a crowd.
- Way More Interesting: There’s a place at the table for burgers and hot dogs, but this recipe will help you step up your cookout game.
Key Ingredients
- Honey & brown sugar – The sweet elements of the glaze that completes the first part of the “sweet and sour” sauce.
- Soy sauce – This gives the glaze a base and salty flavor.
- Cloves – This also gives the sauce a subtly sweet flavor that adds the perfect warmth.
- Siracha hot sauce – A key spicy ingredient to complete the “sweet and sour” pairing with the right amount of tang and garlic notes.
- Spices – Ground mustard, ginger powder, and salt combine into the perfect flavor profile for the glaze.
- Chicken thighs – Make sure they’re boneless and skinless chicken thighs and cut into one inch pieces.
- Optional: oil for the grill; cilantro and scallions for garnish.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This recipe may seem too fancy or daunting for a cookout where all you want to do is kick back and relax, but it really couldn’t be simpler and more delicious. Here is what you’ll need to do:
- Make the glaze – Whisk all of the glaze ingredients together.
- Prep the chicken – Dry the chicken pieces and pierce throughout with a fork.
- Marinade – Toss pieces with the marinade and let sit in the fridge for 2-3 hours or up to overnight.
- Make the skewers – Thread chicken pieces onto skewers. Drizzle extra marinade over the skewers.
- Grill – Oil the grill and preheat to medium. Grill each side for 2-3 minutes until just cooked through and grill marks show through.
Tips for the Perfect Result
Like we mentioned earlier, this recipe may seem fancy, but it’s actually incredibly easy and simple which makes it even better for your cookouts; impress the crowd, but don’t sweat too much in the process! To ensure your skewers turn out perfect, here are a few tips:
- Be sure to dry the chicken. Pat the chicken thighs down with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. This guarantees the maximum amount of glaze sticks to each piece.
- Reserve 1/4 cup marinade/glaze for grilling. This will allow you to baste the grilling chicken as it cooks through and catch any nooks and crannies that need a second coating of the glaze.
- Garnish. It may seem like an extra step, but garnishing these skewers with fresh herbs like cilantro or scallions will take these skewers to the next level.
Asian Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
For the Glaze-Marinade:
- ⅓ cup honey, plus 2 extra tablespoons
- ¼ cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- ¼ cup soy sauce, regular strength
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons Sriracha
- 2 tablespoons coarse ground mustard, with seeds visible
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
For the Skewers:
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Oil for grill
- Optional: Freshly chopped cilantro or scallions for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together all glaze-marinade ingredients to combine well. Reserve 1/4 cup of mixture and set aside.
- Thoroughly dry chicken pieces with paper towels and pierce holes throughout with a fork. Add chicken to large bowl of marinade and toss to coat well. Cover and marinade in fridge 2-3 hours or overnight.
- When ready to cook, thread chicken onto desired amount of skewers (exact amount varies, depending on how many pieces of chicken you thread per skewer and how long your skewers are.) Save used marinade and briefly boil it for drizzling over the skewers at the end.
- Oil the grill and preheat over medium. Baste skewers throughout cook time, using the 1/4 cup reserved marinade-glaze; about 2-3 min/side or until just cooked through and nice grill marks appear.
- Plate the skewers and drizzle with the boiled marinade. Garnish with herbs as desired and serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
- Serve chicken skewers with Perfect Instant Pot Brown Rice for a healthy meal, or pair skewers with this Asian Rice Salad for incredible flavor.
- If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating ❤️
Nutrition (per serving)
Frequently Asked Questions
Either chicken breasts or chicken thighs would work for this recipe, but we definitely recommend chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are naturally more moist than chicken breasts which means they are less likely to dry out on the grill. Plus chicken thighs are generally more cost effective.
The siracha in this glaze does add an element of heat, but even with it, we consider this sauce to be medium on the scale. Your friends and family who love extra heat will be satisfied, but those who tend to reach for a milder sauce will not be overwhelmed.
There are numerous options. We recommend trying coconut rice, corn on the cob, sweet potatoes, or a salad. These skewers can be the flavor star of the meal or complement any other flavor-filled side.
Satay and Skewers are very similar. Satay is a traditional Southeast Asian dish made of small pieces of skewered meat grilled over an open fire. Skewers originated from the Middle East and are made from larger chunks of meat.
More to Make and Eat
- Kalbi (Galbi) Korean BBQ Short Ribs – Find out the secret to making ridiculously tender grilled short ribs.
- Grilled Shrimp Kabobs – A healthy grilled option made with Thai sweet chili sauce and an array of other fresh flavors and spices.
- The Best Grilled Chicken Legs – Covered in a juicy sauce and marinaded to perfection, these will surely make the cut for your next cookout!
- Huli Huli Chicken – Try a new recipe with this Hawaiian grilled chicken that literally means “turn-turn” and will leave everyone coming back for more.