Name: Juicy Chinese Chicken Skewers Recipe – Grilled to Perfection
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: ½ cup lite soy sauce; ½ cup light brown sugar; 2 tablespoons of minced onion; ¼ cup rice vinegar; 3 cloves of garlic, minced; 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger, grated; 2 tablespoons of sesame oil; 1 ½ lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces; 1 onion, cut into thick slices; 1 container of grape tomatoes

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These Chinese chicken skewers have a sweet-savory marinade made with brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, onion, and ginger.

Grill the kebabs outdoors for a BBQ or cook them on a grill pan indoors for an easy dinner. They’re also perfect as a crowd-pleasing party appetizer.

Keep reading to learn how to make these flavorful grilled Chinese chicken skewers.

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Ingredients for grilled Chinese chicken skewers

Ingredients you need to make Chinese chicken kebabs at home:

½ cup of lite soy sauce
½ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons of minced onion
¼ cup rice vinegar
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
1 ½ lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, cut into thick slices
1 container of grape tomatoes

You’ll also need some bamboo skewers. (You can also use metal skewers.)

How to make Chinese chicken skewers

The prep time on this kebab recipe is very quick – less than 20 minutes. Most of the extra time is spent marinating the chicken in the fridge.

Making the savory-sweet marinade

Start by adding the soy sauce, brown sugar, minced onion, vinegar, minced garlic, ginger, and sesame oil in a small bowl.
Mix them well to combine.

Add the chicken pieces

I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The dark meat makes a juicier kebab, but a lot of the fat is removed because there is no skin.

Dice the chicken thighs into chunks, then add them to a baking dish.
Pour the Asian-inspired marinade over the chicken pieces and place the baking dish in the fridge for at least two hours.
This step allows the chicken pieces to soak up the flavors.

Note: You can make the marinade the day before, to save time when you are ready to make the skewers themselves. The longer you marinate the chicken the better your finished kebabs will taste.

Soak the skewers

I used bamboo skewers for this recipe because they are disposable, eliminating the need for cleaning metal skewers. However, they can burn on the grill and need to be soaked before making the kebabs.

Place the skewers in a bowl of water.
Soak them while the marinade is in the fridge.
Using thicker skewers reduces the chance of them charring on the grill.

Making the kebabs

Peel your onion and cut it into large slices.

Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge.
Thread the chicken onto the skewers, alternating the chicken with sliced onions and grape tomatoes.

To be safe, discard any leftover marinade, because it contains meat

Grilling the chicken kebabs

Place the chicken kebabs on a grill over medium-high heat.
You can also grill them, indoors, on a grill pan on the stove.
Grill them until the chicken is seared on the outside and no longer pink in the center.
This will take about 5 minutes for each side.

Serving the Asian kebabs

These chicken kebabs grill to juicy perfection, caramelize on the edges, and burst with sweet-savory soy, ginger, garlic, and sesame flavors in every bite.

Serve them as an appetizer or main dish. For dinner, I pair them with white rice and corn on the cob and use my Asian sesame seed dressing as a dipping sauce. They also travel well, making them perfect for potlucks or gatherings.

Chinese chicken kebab calories

This healthy recipe serves four and is low in both fat and calories. It has 262 calories, 2 grams of fat, with 1o grams of protein.

More grilling recipes to try

Do you enjoy grilling when you entertain? Here are some more recipes to try:

Grilled Cilantro Lime Shrimp Kebabs – Perfect for skewers on the grill.
Make Grilled Pineapple – A refreshing side dish for any barbecue
Grilled Pork with Mango Salsa – A sweet-savory crowd-pleaser for summer grilling.

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These Chinese Chicken Skewers sizzle with sweet-savory soy, ginger, garlic & sesame goodness. Juicy, caramelized, and perfect for dinner or your next party! 🍢✨Get the recipe 👉 on Recipes Just 4U. #ChickenSkewers #GrillingSeason… Share on X

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Admin note: This recipe for Chinese BBQ chicken skewers first appeared on the blog in May 2015. This post has been updated with new photos, a printable recipe card, and a slideshow video of more party appetizers to try.

Yield: 4 servings of Chinese chicken skewers

Juicy Chinese Chicken Skewers Recipe – Grilled to Perfection

Marinate these Chinese chicken skewers in a sweet-savory sauce, then grill them to juicy perfection. Serve these easy kebabs for dinner or as a party appetizer.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup lite soy sauce
½ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons of minced onion
¼ cup rice vinegar
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
1 ½ lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, cut into thick slices
1 container of grape tomatoes

Instructions

To make the marinade, place the soy sauce, brown sugar, minced onion, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and the sesame oil in a bowl. Mix well to combine.
Place chicken pieces in a baking dish and pour the marinade over them.
Place the baking dish in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (The longer you can marinade the chicken, the better the kebabs will taste).
Place wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes to ensure they will not burn on the grill.
Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and thread it onto the skewers, alternating with sliced onions and grape tomatoes. Discard any leftover marinade.
Place the chicken kebabs on a grill over medium-high heat. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink and is seared on the outside. This will take about 5 minutes for each side.
Serve the Chinese chicken skewers with a tossed salad and corn on the cob or baked potatoes. Enjoy!

Notes

If you wish, you can cook these skewers on a grill pan on the stove, indoors.

Chinese Chicken Skewers Recipe with a Sweet & Savory Marinade

Ingredients for grilled Chinese chicken skewers