Honey Garlic Asian Chicken Kabobs
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
This honey garlic marinade is to die for! Marinate overnight and throw on the grill when ready to serve. So easy + fast!
This is one of the best things about summer.
No, wait. The two best things about summer. 1. Super sticky, saucy Asian chicken kabobs. And 2. Ice cold beer.
That’s basically what we’ve been doing in this summer heat, which beats those parka-glove-beanie-Chiberia days by a mile.
No, we don’t miss those days at all.
Instead, I’m on marinade duty all summer – letting the chicken soak up all that saucy goodness – oyster sauce, ketchup, honey, chili garlic sauce, Dijon, garlic and ginger. For added heat, feel free to add additional chili garlic sauce or Sriracha.
Once it’s been swimming in all this glory, Ben fires up the grill to let these get beautifully smoky and charred.
Serve with ice cold beer for a complete meal.
CAN I USE CHICKEN BREASTS?
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 when thrown on the grill.
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A GRILL?
No grill, no problem. A cast iron grill pan or a large cast iron skillet will work beautifully here, especially during those winter month when it’s too cold to grill out!
Honey Garlic Asian Chicken Kabobs
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.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
These were delicious! Crowd pleaser for sure!
I made this recipe and it is an automatic entry to the “definitely make again” category. I subbed sliced chicken breast for thighs and let it marinate overnight. I used my All Clad Copper Core skillet to cook this and it is DELICIOUS. I am not a fan of canola oil and used butter instead. I did not reserve the 1/3 cup for brushing as it was cooked in a pan. The scallions add a perfect touch, do not skip them. I left out sesame seeds as well.
This is truly damn delicious. Thank you!!!
You are so welcome, Liz! I’m so glad you enjoyed this so much! And your modifications sound like they were spot on! 🙂
This had SO MUCH flavor. Delicious 🙂
That’s what we love to hear, Dawn! 🙂
Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes. This is currently our favorite chicken marinade. We’ve made it several times. It’s the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. We usually don’t make the kabobs. We’ve used it with both breasts and thighs and it’s great either way. We like to grill a large pack of chicken and use it for meals for the week. Perfect for salads, wraps, tacos or burrito bowels.
This was very delicious. My husband who is not a big chicken fan raves about it.
That’s a sure win! Thanks for sharing, Evelyn!
This looks absolutely amazing! I don’t have a grill, can this be cooked in the oven? If so, what temperature and time do you recommend? Thank you. 🙂
I just made, and ate, this and it is so good! You have some of my favorite recipes. Thank you!
You are so welcome, JennyF!
This was delicious along with some Asian Coleslaw
That sounds amazing, Robi!
The sauce sounds delicious but I don’t have access to a grill…Can you cook these on the stovetop, and if so, how would you do this? Thanks!
Yes, Miki, you can absolutely cook this on the stovetop using a grill pan. 🙂
This may sound silly but do oyster sauce and fish sauce taste the same? Can you use one or the other? This recipe sounds amazing and I can’t wait to make it!
Not a silly question at all!
They are actually two very different-tasting ingredients so I do not recommend substituting one for the other. Hope that helps, Giselle!
A good easy substitute for oyster sauce if you don’t have it is equal parts soy sauce and hoisin sauce. So for this recipe, you would use 1/8 cup soy and 1/8 cup hoisin sauce. I used this and it tasted great.
As always, your recipe is, indeed, DAMN DELICIOUS. Just made this for dinner tonight. Didn’t make kabobs, just boneless, skinless chicken breasts. So, so, delicious. Thank you!!!! Served with sugar snap peas and grilled corn on the cob.
Great side dishes, Kate!
Will this work with whole thighs instead of skewers?
Absolutely!
Hi
This looks amazing!
Can u plz tell how many chicken breast pieces are there in 2 pounds?
Also can we freeze them ?
Thanks!
Cant wait to try them!
I always am excited when you post new recipes! Everything I’ve made from your site has been amazing! Can’t wait to try this next!
Is the chili garlic sauce the spicy kind by Huy Fong with the rooster? Also can you use breasts instead? These look yummy.
Yes and yes! 🙂
If I am not a big fan of spicy, what can I substitute for the chili garlic sauce…or do I just leave it out?
Hi Kate! You can omit or reduce the amount to suit your tastebuds. 🙂
Could this also be done with chicken breasts? If so, would the cooking time change any? Love both thighs and breasts, just wanna have options. Sounds wonderful regardless.
Absolutely! Cooking time should stay relatively the same but as always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications. Thanks, Janet!
I LOVEEE honey garlic chicken!! This recipe looks amazing!