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Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken Skewers

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By Jenn Segal
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These chicken skewers marinated in honey, lime juice and Sriracha taste every bit as good as they look.

Honey, lime, and sriracha chicken skewers on a plate.

These chicken skewers 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.

What You’ll Need To Make Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken

Chicken skewer ingredients including ginger, lime, and soy sauce.

Step-by-Step InstructionsPile of lime zest with a lime and a micro-plane grater.

Begin by making the marinade. In a blender, combine the zest of a lime, fresh lime juice, honey, soy sauce, vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, and Sriracha. (Even though you’re puréeing the marinade, it’s a good idea to roughly chop the garlic and ginger so they get incorporated — some blenders can’t handle large chunks.)Marinade ingredients in a blender.

Purée until completely smooth, then set aside 1/2 cup of the marinade to use as a drizzling sauce.

Blender mixing marinade.

Next, prepare the chicken. I’ve specified boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because they’re more flavorful than chicken breasts and easier to cook without drying out. I know many people prefer white meat but I’ve tried both in this recipe and, trust me, it’s much better made with dark meat.

Person using a knife to trim fat from chicken.

The only drawback to using chicken thighs is that they need to be trimmed before you cook them. I think it’s easiest to use kitchen shears as opposed to a knife. So, using scissors, simply cut off any gristle and large chunks of fat (don’t fret over every little bit as it mostly melts away on the grill) and then cut the meat into 2-inch pieces.

Person using a knife to cut chicken into pieces.

Place the chicken in a Ziplock bag with the remaining marinade and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Marinade pouring into a bag with chicken.

After the chicken has marinated, thread the pieces onto skewers.

Marinated chicken on skewers.

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Scrape the grates clean to prevent the chicken from sticking, then dip a wad of paper towels in oil and rub the grates until smooth and shiny.

Person oiling a grill.

Grill the chicken, turning occasionally to promote even browning, for 10-15 minutes.

Chicken skewers on a grill.

Keep an eye on it — the honey in the marinade causes the chicken to caramelize on the grill and turn a beautiful, rich brown color; however, the chicken can burn if the grill is too hot. Lower the heat if the chicken is browning too fast.

Honey, lime, and sriracha chicken skewers on a plate.

Transfer the skewers to a platter and drizzle with the reserved marinade. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over top and serve. Enjoy!

It was a mouth-watering photo from a blog called Kitchen Meets Girl that caught my eye on Pinterest and inspired this recipe. 

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Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken Skewers

Metric Cup Measures
By Jenn Segal

These chicken skewers marinated in honey, lime juice and Sriracha taste every bit as good as they look.

Servings: 4-6
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes, plus at least 6 hours to marinate

Ingredients

  • 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)

Instructions

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread onto skewers, folding the pieces in half if they are long and thin.
  4. 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.
  5. Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (6 servings)
  • Calories: 321
  • Fat: 10g
  • Saturated fat: 2g
  • Carbohydrates: 20g
  • Sugar: 18g
  • Fiber: 0g
  • Protein: 37g
  • Sodium: 1147mg
  • Cholesterol: 180mg
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

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  • Thanks very much

  • Could you use this marinade on fish?

    • Hi Stuart, Sure, but only marinate for 30 minutes, as the lime in the marinade will “cook” the fish.

  • Exceptionally good! I made no changes to the recipe, cooked entirely as is..and it was better than 5 stars! Even my father in law that won’t eat any sort of hot sauce loved them! Definitely going through all of your recipes! Thanks!

  • These were perfectly light and went great with corn and the cob and a salad this summer.

  • This recipe went really well with the asian slaw with ginger-peanut dressing. They had similar ingredients and both required a blender so I could intermingle the steps. One thing I changed was to use the chicken thighs whole, bone in, without the skin, and trimmed. Once they were marinated for several hours I just popped them on the grill and yum! Both those recipes are definite keepers!

  • I made this recipe for a fellow foodie friend who loved it. I followed it exactly with no alterations and came out great. I did marinate the chicken for a full 24 hours. I served it along with the Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing which also was wonderful! Thank you for so many great recipes!

  • I’ve made this dish three times in the last two weeks. The sauce makes the dish – and can be used on just about any other protein in the kitchen.

  • So yummy! Can’t wait to make this AGAIN,

  • Very tasty but I screwed up! Made this for a BBQ party on Saturday and thought I’d be smart and marinate ahead of time on Thursday just to get it done and to maximize the yummy flavors…big mistake! The lime juice started to “cook” the chicken which I should have known it would do since it’s an acid…so my chicken ended up with a weird texture but flavors were great. Will definitely try again 🙂

  • This is delicious, I loved doing the skewers with chicken thighs, much more flavorful and juicy than breasts. I reduced the honey in the recipe to 1/4 cup and I think I would reduce it even more the next time I make it because it is a bit sweet. Served with steamed jasmine rice and sesame green beans. Will definitely make it again!

  • Great marinade. It was fantastic on the grill, but I will probably be trying this marinade/sauce on baked chicken even when the weather turns colder. I mixed up the marinade over the weekend so prepping the chicken for a weeknight dinner was easy.

  • I tried this but used skinless, boneless thighs instead of skewers (just grilled them whole) and it was amazing! This is my favorite chicken recipe.

  • Found this recipe somewhere but don’t remember where! I made it last week for a casual dinner with friends and it is a five star keeper. I passed it along to my friends that like to cook and I’m certain they will love it as much as I did. Awesome!

  • Made these with the Crunchy Thai Salad this weekend and got fabulous compliments. These will be permanent fixtures on entertaining menu. Thank you!

  • Hi this recipe is so fantastic, I’m really picky about chicken, my daughter made it & I couldn’t get enough My question is I have a friend who only eats Fish, do you think I could make this with Shrimp? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank You Gina

    • Hi Gina, I’m so glad you liked it. I do think you could make this with shrimp, just be sure to only marinate for about 30 minutes, otherwise the lime in the marinade will “cook” the shrimp (think ceviche). Please come back and let me know how it turns out.

  • Made it tonight and loved it! However made a stir fry with mushrooms onions and green peppers. Delish!

  • I saw this new recipe in my inbox a couple weeks ago and was very excited to try it. It has all the flavors we love and I had everything on hand. My family absolutely loved it! It was very flavorful and easy to throw together. The only thing I did differently was use chicken breast instead of thighs because of personal preference. Thanks Jenn! We’ll be adding this to our monthly menu 🙂

  • Made these last week and they were fantastic!

  • This marinade was fantastic! I had it in the fridge for two days and I will use it again. Love your blog! Next time I’ll try your recipe for the Asian slaw.

  • Jenn. I made this recipe along with your Thai crunchy salad and both were Devine! Everyone in our family enjoyed both (even my 10 year old son) and the tastes really complimented one another. I even used the Siracha marinade on a piece of tilapia and it was delicious! Thanks for giving us such great recipes! We will out this one in our regular rotation.

  • We enjoyed this recipe! We had a few modifications: we used chicken breasts (that’s what we had) instead of thighs and homemade ginger syrup (strong ginger flavor) instead of fresh ginger (I missed the ginger when I first read through the ingredients). So, our chicken was slightly sweet, but my wife and I thought the chicken was tasty! Next time, I’ll use fresh ginger, though! We also use a grill pan because we don’t have an outdoor grill. Still, dinner was great!

    Another hit from Jenn; she’s making meal time fun in my house! I always look forward to making and eating her dishes.

    • Thanks, Mo…so nice to hear!

  • Jennifer,

    This was fantastic, and I can’t wait to make it again! I actually found out about your recipes and website from my MIL in Maryland. I have sent several others to your great recipes. Q: We love lime juice too. Do you think it would work to do a lime chicken, rather than the traditional lemon chicken? I’d appreciate your thoughts.
    Thanks!

    • Hi Susan, I’m so glad you liked the chicken, and thank you so much for helping to spread the word about my site! To answer your question, lemons and limes can be used interchangeably in equal amounts in most recipes. The taste will be different, of course, but if you like lime juice give it a try 🙂

  • I do have a question that concerns all your recipes. I don’t like herbs or messing with fresh ones. For flavour could i use ground herbs?

    • Hi Judy, I prefer fresh herbs when specified but dried is better than none at all…just be sure to use less as they are more intense.

  • I presume I can use any hot sauce? And can this be made with a whole chicken or quarters?

    • Hi Judy, You actually really need the Sriracha for this recipe. I suppose you could try it with a whole chicken or quarters, but the cook time would be much longer.

  • GREAT recipe! I’ve tried it on the grill and now want to use this marinade for a large batch of oven roasted chicken wings for a family bbq. However, I’m concerned about the amount of honey and burning. Need your thoughts about this. Thanks in bunches!

    • Hi Katia, Good question. I’d roast them on a rack over a foil-lined baking sheet. That way, they’ll crisp up all over and any excess marinade will drip down to the foil, which you can pull off and change if it starts to burn.

  • Oh well. Most of the ingredients not available here. Sigh.

    • Judy, where are you located that this stuff isn’t available? I have lived everywhere from backwoods to big cities, this stuff is everywhere!

  • I only had 3 hours to let the chicken marinate but it came out great. We loved it. We might add a bit more sriracha, but I’m not sure because I don’t want it to overpower the taste of the lime and ginger. Hmm. Will definitely put this in the Keeper file.

  • I made this yesterday and the sauce is delicious. I actually used my cooked chicken in tortillas with onions and peppers like a fajita. I marinated the cut up chicken and then, stir fried it on the stove and we used it to fill the tortillas….didn’t have time to heat up the grill…but it was so yummy this way too. I bet it would be great for chicken wings…..thanks for another great recipe.

  • Hi,
    This looks delicious!! I plan on using boneless, skinless chicken breast and using a grill pan on the stove. About how long do you think I should cook them and should I heat the extra sauce or serve it right from the refrigerator. I’m a novice at cooking. I’m sure you can tell that by my questions. Thank you.

    • Hi Julie, I’d say about 10 minutes, but keep an eye on it. It depends how tightly you pack the skewers. Good question on the sauce; it’s fine if it’s room temperature, or you can warm it up in the microwave. I will update my recipe with that tip…thank you for catching that!

  • Jenn, Can this marinade be made ahead and if so, how long will it last in the fridge? Thanks!

    • Hi Nancy, Absolutely…it will keep fine for several days.

  • Best recipe I have gotten from Pinterest in a while. I have bookmarked your site. Thank you!!!!

  • Made this last night and it was great!!! Served it with coconut jasmine rice and a salad of arugula, watermelon chunks, thin sliced red onion and feta cheese with a honey dijon vinaigrette (left from the previous night’s salad). This is a keeper in my file!!! Thanks, Jen.

  • Can you freeze these in the marinade to use later?

    • Hi Debi, That would be fine.

  • I made this tonight & it is a keeper! I made the sauce last night & before going to work this morning I put the chicken in the marinade, so it marinated about 12hrs. I made mine with whole chicken breasts, which I made into sandwiches . What I liked is you get a pop of lime & ginger then you get the sirachi, & the honey just adds the touch of sweetness to tame the heat which is perfect! I did make a few changes which I will share on my site soon… 🙂

  • Served these skewers last night. Easy prep in the morning, especially the blenderized marinade/sauce. We used boneless breasts and had moist tender chicken. Served with rice and a carrot cilantro slaw for a great summer meal. Also, the sauce was really delicious, especially on the rice! Another big hit – Thank you!

  • I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! So moist and flavorful, with just a little bit of heat. The whole family thoroughly enjoyed it. Do you have nutrition information on any of your recipes?

  • Just buy Mama Sita’s BBQ sauce at any filipino/asian food store, mix it with sriracha – voila! easier 🙂

  • If you don’t have a functioning grill at the moment, is there are way to cook them on the stovetop?

    • Hi Elissa, I’d broil them about 6 inches from the heat, turning occasionally. If they aren’t browning you can move them up. Just be sure to shake off as much marinade as possible first because it will smoke and burn in a hot oven. You could also cook them in a grill pan on the stovetop.

  • Thanks for the recipe….can’t wait to try it. I have boneless, skinless, chicken thighs in the freezer and my neighbor has a big botle of sriracha that she is looking to use on other recipes, so I think we can do this together for one of our community nights at the our pool.

    • — Patricia Brady
    • Reply

    • Hope you enjoy the recipe, Patricia. I mentioned in another comment that it’s fine to just grill the chicken thighs whole if you don’t feel like fussing with the skewers.

  • Looks delicious! The step-by-step pictures are great too.

  • How spicy is the Sriracha? (Today’s Thai lunch was a bit too spicy!)

    • Hi Cindi, It’s really not that spicy but, if you’re concerned, I’d cut the amount of Sriracha in half; you can always add more to the finished dish if it needs a little kick.

  • Bet it would taste great on chicken wingettes too. I love chicken thighs…on my list of recipes to make. Thank you once again!

  • What did you serve with the chicken?

    • Hi Shelly, It’s very good with rice or my Asian Slaw with Ginger Peanut Dressing.

  • Oh my! All my favorite ingredients! I’ll be trying this on Saturday! Thanks for sharing!

    • — Jaye @ Just Tryin' to Make Cents of it All
    • Reply

  • Thank you! I’m going to buy the ingredients and make it for my family this weekend.

  • The marinade sounds and looks delicious! I need some new grilling recipes so I’m saving this one 🙂

  • That looks fantastic! And so timely – I have 3 pounds of chicken thighs in the fridge right now. What if I’m so lazy I leave them on the bone? Do you think they would still turn out?

    • — ieatdarkchocolateeveryday
    • Reply

    • Yep, that would work out just fine 🙂

  • Yum! Adding that to next week’s menu!

  • Thank you! This looks fantastic. Just a quick question. I thought it was not good to use marinade that had had raw chicken soaking in it. Is this not the case?

    • Hi Tracy, You are correct. You set aside 1/2 cup of the marinade before adding the chicken and that is the sauce.

    • I believe they are referring to the 1/2 cup that was reserved and the chicken had not been put into this.

  • This sounds perfect for the summer. I love shish-ka-bobs so this would be a wonderful marinade.

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