Thai Chicken Thigh Skewers
These Thai Chicken Thigh Skewers are a tongue twister to say; but won’t cause you any trouble to make at home! If you are craving delicious chicken skewers packed with flavor this recipe is for you!
Featuring a marinade full of sweet, salty, pungent, and herbaceous notes, these skewers are sure to become a summer repeat. Big bold flavors are infused into the meat while marinating in coconut, soy, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, lime and Thai basil. Cook them over high heat on the grill causing some serious char marks to form for an Insta-worthy photo opportunity! The skewers are not only a fun way to serve an easy week night dinner, but also are great option when hosting an outdoor summer cook out, where everyone can grab one, or two, since they are so delicious after all!
Why you’ll love Thai Chicken Thigh Skewers:
These skewers are versatile and not only provide a punch of flavor themselves, but can be served many different ways.
Options include, but not limited to:
- Serving the chicken over a bowl of jasmine rice with toppings such as cucumber salad, crushed peanuts, and sprinkle of chopped mint
- Added into pad thai noodles with vegetables and sauce
- Added into a soup, flavors would go well with thai soups such as tom yum and tom Kha soup
- Loaded into a piece of naan bread for a chicken wrap with lettuce, pickled carrots and onion
- Meal prep salads for the week with mixed lettuce, cooked quinoa, cucumber, bell peppers, and crispy won ton strips
Quick Tips:
The thigh cut of the chicken is a better option for these skewers instead of chicken breast or tenderloins. Thigh meat produces a juicier, more moist bite, and tends to not dry out as quickly and easily as the breast meat does.
Marinate your meat for at least 2 hours, and up to overnight. The coconut milk will help tenderize the meat and the soy will impart some umami tastes to it. Don’t rush this crucial step as it is what truly develops all the flavor!
Chicken should cook until food thermometer reads 165 or juices run clear when cutting the meat.
Store leftovers in airtight container for 3-4 days, all though I doubt any will be leftover since it is so yummy and flavorful.
Thai Chicken Thigh Skewers
Equipment
- 1 grill (gas is what I based this recipe off of)
- 1 pack of skewers either wooden (be sure to soak in water prior to using) or reusable
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken thighs (cut into 1 inch cubes)
- 1 can coconut milk
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 lime (squeezed into marinade, omitting seeds) reserve some for spritzing on top at the end
- 2 cloves fresh garlic (minced)
- 3 tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
- 1/4 cup Thai basil (roughly chopped) reserve some for garnish
Instructions
- Gather ingredients. Rinse off Thai basil and roughly chop 1 or 2 stems. Mince 2 garlic cloves. Grate a knob of ginger to equal approximately 3 tbsp. (Hint the more ginger you use the more pungent fresh zesty flavor) Cut and squeeze juice out of 1 lime, reserve some for later.
- Cut chicken thighs into roughly 1 inch sized cubes. Absolute consistency is not needed, however try and make roughly the same size for uniform cooking throughout.
- Grab a large bowl or zip lock bag for marinating. Add in coconut milk. Measure and add soy sauce and sesame oil. Add in the garlic, ginger, Thai basil, and lime.
- Marinate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and thread the pieces one by one onto the skewers.
- Time to grill. Cook the chicken for about 12-16 mins, turning once halfway through. Cook until chicken is golden brown with some char marks and the juices run clear when cut into. (Note chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees F)
- Let the chicken rest. Garnish with a spritz of reserved lime and a sprinkle of finely sliced Thai basil.
- Serve while they are still moist, warm and juicy!
