Name: Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced); 1 tsp minced ginger; 3 tbsp dark soy sauce; 3 tbsp honey; 2 chicken breasts ((approx 350g/12.5 oz) chopped into bite sized pieces); 1 red bell pepper (chopped into large chunks); 1 onion (peeled and sliced into squares); 1 tbsp sesame seeds; small bunch of coriander/cilantro (roughly torn)

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Tender pieces of marinated chicken cooked on a BBQ or griddle for a sweet and smoky flavour. So simple to prepare for a light Summer dinner.

Can't wait to get the BBQ out!

Actually, I won't be touching the BBQ. Chris won't let me (I'm good with that!). But I can't wait to eat BBQ food like these chicken skewers (or these Thai fish cake skewers or these lamb souvlaki kebabs, or even the chicken tikka masala that Chris cooks on the BBQ < bbq'd chicken tikka is another level!).

These honey garlic chicken skewers are an absolute favourite with everyone.

Lewis will even eat the onion (notorious onion finder and remover) as they take on that lovely honey-garlic flavour.

What do we need?

How to make these chicken kebabs

Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Mix all the marinade ingredients (veg and sesame oil, minced garlic, ginger, soy sauce and honey) together in a small bowl.
Place the chicken in a bowl and pour on three-quarters of the marinade (reserving the rest). Place in the fridge (covered) for an hour.
Thread the marinated chicken on skewers along with pieces of red pepper and onion.
Place the skewers on a smoking hot griddle or BBQ, and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally until cooked through and the chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Brush with the reserved marinade halfway through cooking.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and coriander before serving

8 image collage showing how to make honey garlic chicken skewers

What to serve it with

You can serve these chicken skewers with:

Greek Potato Hash
Panzanella Salad with Saganaki
Veggie Matchstick Fries
Vegetarian Buddha Bowls
Peach and Pineapple Salsa
Dark 'n' Stormy - Chris and I LOVE this cocktail to go with any BBQ situation

Pro tips for perfect kebabs

Skewers:

You can use wooden or metal skewers.

Metal skewers can actually help the chicken to cook faster, as the metal heats up and helps to cook the meat from the inside. However they're HOT and they retain their heat for longer - so be careful not to burn yourself.

Wooden skewers can still be hot during cooking but they don't conduct heat within the chicken pieces and they don't retain their heat for as long. If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in water for an hour before using. This will help to prevent them from burning during cooking.

Even pieces:

Try to keep the size of the pieces of chicken even, and ideally make the chicken pieces slightly larger than the chunks of pepper and onion. The chicken requires longer cooking than the peppers and onion, and the chicken needs to be in contact with the griddle or BBQ all the time. If you have small pieces of chicken and large pieces of pepper, the pepper will char and the chicken will be undercooked.

Spacing:

Don't squash the meat and vegetables together on the skewers. Leaving a tiny bit of space between each will allow a bit of airflow during cooking and will help the heat to penetrate better - meaning they'll cook more evenly.

Check the chicken!

Always check the chicken is cooked by slicing into a larger piece and ensuring it's piping hot and no longer pink in the middle. Check up and down the skewers to ensure the chicken looks evenly cooked throughout. If you're still finding the chicken is pink and the veggies are starting to look overcooked, you can finish in a hot oven, covered in foil for 5-10 minutes (to prevent the chicken from drying out). You shouldn't need to to this. Out of the many times, I've made chicken skewers, I've only needed to do this once because I cut the chicken pieces too big.

Close up of honey garlic chicken skewers sprinkled with sesame seeds

Watch how to make it:

More fantastic skewer/kebab recipes

Mexican Chicken Skewers with Rice and Picante Salsa
Thai Fish Cake Skewers
Easy Chicken Satay with Peanut Chilli Sauce
Greek Lamb Souvlaki Kebabs
Chicken Tikka Masala - Ok, not strictly a skewer one, but Chris cooked the chicken Tikka on skewers the BBQ and it was another level AMAZING!

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This post was first published in April 2016. Updated in May 2020 with new photos, video and recipe tips.

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Some of the links in this post are affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

Hi I’m Nicky

I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.