Honey Garlic Asian Chicken Kabobs
by Chungah
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Juicy, tender honey garlic Asian chicken kabobs with the most flavor-packed marinade! Marinate overnight and cook on the grill (or stovetop!).
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Why you’ll love these honey garlic asian chicken kabobs
- Perfect for summer. This is one of the best summer treats – super sticky, saucy Asian chicken kabobs grilled to perfection for those favorited smoky, charred flavors + grill marks served alongside some cold, cold beers.
- Can be made all year long. Too cold to grill out? No worries – these can easily be thrown on a cast iron grill pan or a large cast iron skillet to be made all year long, rain or shine.
- Make-ahead friendly. The chicken can be soaked up in all that saucy goodness – oyster sauce, ketchup, honey, chili garlic sauce, Dijon, garlic, and ginger – for 2 hours and up to 8 hours, perfect for quick weeknight dinners or summer entertaining.
- Flexible recipe. Increase the heat levels as needed (or omit for the littles), or add as much or as little garlic as desired. Some like it super garlicky, others not so much!
- Leftovers taste even better. The leftovers may be the best part, repurposing for salads, wraps, fried rice, and grain bowls.
Key ingredients
Oyster sauce
The oyster sauce (similar to hoisin sauce) serves as a rich, base flavor for the marinade, providing deep umami goodness.
Ketchup
Ketchup adds acidity, tang, and a subtle sweetness to the marinade.
Honey
Honey provides sweetness while also thickening the sauce to create that favorited thick, sticky glaze for the kabobs.
Chili garlic sauce
Chili garlic sauce is a chunky sauce adding a little bit of heat and garlicky flavor. Sambal oelek or Sriracha can also be used in place of the chili garlic sauce.
Dijon mustard
Dijon will add sharp, tangy heat, cutting through the richness and saltiness of the oyster sauce.
Garlic and ginger
Opt for garlic paste or ginger paste for unmatched convenience, cutting down prep time even further!
Chicken
Both boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts can be used in this recipe.
How to make asian chicken kabobs
- Prep the skewers. If using wooden skewers, soak overnight in water (or at least 30 minutes) before you start grilling to prevent them from burning.
- Make the marinade. Whisk together the oyster sauce, ketchup, honey, chili garlic sauce, Dijon, garlic, ginger, and water. Pro tip: reserve 1/3 cup for basting and glazing later.
- Marinate the chicken. Combine the chicken and the marinade, marinating for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight to really let the flavors soak in.
- Assemble the kabobs. Drain the chicken from the marinade and thread onto the skewers.
- Prep the grill. Preheat the grill to medium heat (325-375°F) and scrape the grill grates clean to prevent sticking and to guarantee those perfect sear marks on the chicken kabobs.
- Grill and glaze. Cook the skewers on the grill, turning occasionally so all the sides brown evenly. Brush the skewers with the reserved marinade, cooking for a few extra minutes until the chicken is cooked through (165°F).
- Serve. Let the skewers rest for at least 5 minutes before garnishing with green onions and sesame seeds.
Pro tip
Soak and freeze wooden skewers at the start of summer.
Soak the skewers for at least 30 minutes (warm or cold water). Drain and store in a freezer bag for later use, using them straight from the freezer all season long.
what to serve with honey garlic asian chicken kabobs
Tools For This Recipe
Honey Garlic Asian Chicken Kabobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content, which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Metal skewers are sturdy and reusable but note that they will retain heat so please be careful when serving. Wooden skewers can also be used but can burn over a hot grill. I recommend soaking them overnight in water (or at least 30 minutes) prior to using.
No grill, no problem. A cast iron grill pan or a large cast iron skillet will work beautifully here, especially during those winter months when it’s too cold to grill out!
To ensure juicy, moist chicken, marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour, avoid overcooking (use an instant-read thermometer) and let it rest prior to serving.
Yes! The chicken can be marinated overnight and placed in the fridge.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days, reheating in the oven at 350°F, covered tightly in foil, until warmed through.
Honey Garlic Asian Chicken Kabobs
Video
Ingredients
- ¼ cup oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine oyster sauce, ketchup, honey, chili garlic sauce, Dijon, garlic, ginger and 1 tablespoon water. Reserve 1/3 cup and set aside.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine oyster sauce mixture and chicken; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, up to 8 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
- Thread chicken onto skewers. Brush with canola oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Preheat grill to medium heat. Add skewers to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes. Brush skewers with reserved oyster sauce mixture, cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- An outdoor grill is not necessary. Too cold to grill outside? A cast iron grill pan can be used to get those favorited grill marks and charred flavor.
- Oyster sauce is key. Oyster sauce, the secret ingredient here, will add a rich, savory umami flavor to the chicken skewers – slightly sweet and salty, and will not taste strongly of oysters.
- Work in batches. An overcrowded grill or pan can lead to uneven cooking and poor browning. Work in batches to maintain high heat for a good sear and crispy crust on each chicken skewer.
- Add some heat. For a kick of heat, increase the chili garlic sauce or add Sriracha, to taste.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. The internal temperature should reach 165°F.
- Let your meat rest. Let your chicken kabob rest for at least 5 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover chicken can be rubbery when reheated. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil, until warmed through.
Did you make this recipe?
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Thoughts on making this but into wings…?
Hi Mercedes! What a great idea! We have a recipe that you could use for reference.
https://damndelicious.net/2019/07/02/sticky-asian-chicken-wings/
Let us know if you have any other questions!
Has anyone cooked this ahead and frozen it for serving later? Any and all ideas/suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks millions!
These skewers were the hit of the bbq. So easy to make. My guests were asking for seconds.
The flavor was outstanding. I got this recipe saved to I gotta make these again section
Amazing! We love hearing this. Thank you so much for sharing, Phil!
Super easy and delicious. I used whole boneless, skinless thighs for convenience and did not skewer. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Can I use this marinade for tofu?
So delicious! Do you think I could add the chicken to the marinade and freeze it? Wanted to take these camping and that would be much easier than taking all the marinade ingredients with me.
Making this tonight! I hope it’s good!!!
This recipe is delish! I’ve made it many times. Do you think it would be ok to let it sit in marinade for 48 hours?
Can I sub the oyster sauce for something? Deathly allergic.
You can use soy sauce, Worcestershire to sub for oyster sauce.
You can use Hoisen sauce
Best marinade ever! Made chicken street tacos with it. Scrumptious.
*******to die for so damn delicious!!
We are doing a Gilligan’s Island themed fund raiser for 80+ people. Can these be grilled and then kept in a foil pan until serving or will they dry out as they sit out?
Has anyone used this marinade for skirt steak?
Made these the other night with 2 small adjustments. 1) I didn’t feel like cubing and skewering the chicken, so we left the thighs whole and grilled them like that. Worked out perfectly! 2) My boyfriend was leery of the amount of oyster sauce, so we used 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce and 3 tablespoons of hoisin sauce instead of all oyster sauce. The marinade was so delicious! Very flavorful and it charred or caramelized a little on the grill and was a little crispy. So good. I made a cauliflower fried rice to serve these with and we loved it!
Can you leave the chicken marinated for 12-24 hours? I want to marinate it the day before if possible due to my work schedule
I marinated for close to 24 hours and they were fine.
Looks delicious, will have to try this in another way, perhaps in the slow cooker???? Yummy!
What would you do for side dishes? I have this marinating for dinner tomorrow… any help would be appreciated
super easy and so good. will be a keeper.
What chili garlic sauce did you use? I can’t seem to find one at the store.
I believe mine is Thai Kitchen. I know Trader Joe’s makes one. It’s just called sweet chili sauce (in the US) but if you read the ingredients, it has garlic in it. That’s what I use.
About to make this recipe again for another friend get together! These didn’t last long everyone was asking for the recipe. 1000000% a keeper
Seriously one of the best recipes ever. I can’t do ANY heat on my meals, so instead of the chili sauce, I just added a tish more ketchup and garlic. The hubs had 3 kabobs and seriously contemplated a 4th. About 20 minutes after dinner, he sits up and goes “man, that was good chicken”. He repeated that statement about an hour later. Great flavor profile. Easy to make. New favorite.