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These delicious, Asian Grilled Chicken Veggie Skewers employ a secret shortcut to make the recipe SO easy! They’re sweet, sticky and have a bit of heat. Make them for rave reviews!
If you’re looking for a super delicious, easy grilled dinner option, you’ve definitely clicked yourself to precisely the right place! Not to mention, these Asian Grilled Chicken Veggie Skewers are also a super-economical way to feed a hungry crowd!
I came up with these Asian Grilled Chicken Veggie Skewers one evening several years ago when, at 5 o’clock, I had no idea what dinner would look like. I’d thawed out a few chicken breasts but wasn’t really in the mood for our regular grilled chicken. Earlier that day I’d been to the grocery store and had picked up lots of fresh summer veggies, so I started rolling around my options.
Hmmm… Asian sounded good, and we love anything grilled, so I decided to combine the two. I pulled out soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic and began tinkering with what I hoped would work as a combo marinade, glaze and sauce. I wasn’t thrilled with my results at first; the sauce was good but fairly nothing special. I opened the fridge and scanned the condiments, looking for something that would add a bit of pizazz. Suddenly, my eyes spotted a bottle of hickory-smoked barbecue sauce, so I pulled it out.
I added a generous squirt, stirred my concoction and took a little taste. Much better … but it still needed a touch of heat to balance the sweetness. That didn’t take much contemplation. I just reached for the Sriracha, one of my favorite spicy chili sauces. Sriracha adds a delicious dimension to so many dishes. You can go as mild or spicy as you like, depending on the amount you use. We like things medium spicy, so I don’t add a whole lot, but that little addition was the perfect heat – my sauce was ready to roll!
A delicious secret ingredient
I like to think of this sauce as a fusion sauce. It employs an old-fashioned American favorite that most of us have in our pantries. Barbecue sauce! Combine the smoky barbecue sauce with honey, olive oil, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil and garlic for an unbelievably delicious (and easy) sauce.
I’ve made these skewers many times over the last few years, and they always receive oohs, aahs and a ton of compliments.
A small amount of the sauce is combined with the chicken in a bowl or zippered bag for a marinade. An hour or two is fine, although you could go as long as four hours if you’ve got plenty of time. The chicken is then threaded on skewers along with red onions, zucchini and bell peppers. I like to use a rainbow of colored peppers, but you can also go with just one hue. The skewers are cooked on a medium-hot grill and brushed frequently with the delicious sauce.
The leftover sauce is used for drizzling and dipping. This is such a versatile condiment, did you notice? The same sauce is used as a marinade, a brushing sauce and lastly, a dipping sauce to serve at the table,
So, next time you’re at the market, pick up a package of boneless chicken breasts and some fresh veggies. You probably have most everything else you need. You’ll be on your way to an unforgettable spring or summer dinner!
Café Tips for making these Asian Grilled Chicken Veggie Skewers
- I love to serve these Asian Barbecued Chicken and Veggie Skewers with a simple side of jasmine rice and a little bowl of that sweet, spicy sauce for a delightful, easy summer meal.
- Feel free to substitute other veggies for the zucchini and peppers. Look for veggies that are in season and ones that look the prettiest.
- This recipe calls for Sriracha, an Asian-inspired chili sauce. Sriracha is available at most larger groceries in the Asian section of the international aisle. If you’re not familiar with Sriracha, start out with a small amount as it is fairly spicy. You can always add more but you can’t take away the heat.
- Because this recipe uses chicken breasts, don’t cook them too long or the meat will be dry. Let them get just a bit of char.
- Sometimes we substitute chicken thighs for the breasts. The nice thing about thighs is you can let them get a nice deep char without drying out the chicken.
- We love these metal skewers for grilling. They’re inexpensive and clean up beautifully in the dishwasher. It’s nice to not have to worry about soaking wooden skewers or having them burn on the grill.
Thought for the day:
You alone are the Lord.
You have made the heavens,
The heaven of heavens with all their host,
The earth and all that is on it,
The seas and all that is in them.
You give life to all of them
And the heavenly host bows down before You. Nehemiah 9:6
What we’ve been listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoy chicken on the grill, you’ll also love these Mexican Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken Breasts and these Peruvian Grilled Chicken Skewers.
These delicious, Asian Grilled Chicken Veggie Skewers employ a secret shortcut. They're sweet, sticky and have a bit of heat. Make them for rave reviews!
- ¼ cup smoky barbecue sauce We like Sweet Baby Rays
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce more to tasate
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 to 1½-inch pieces
- 3 medium zucchini cut into ½-inch slices
- 1 large red onion cut into 1¼ to 1½-inch pieces
- 3 medium bell peppers cut into 1¼ to 1½-inch pieces )I used red, yellow and orange.)
Combine all sauce ingredients and stir well to combine. Set aside.
- About 2-4 hours before serving, place chicken and 3 tablespoons sauce in a zippered bag. Squeeze bag gently to coat chicken with sauce. Refrigerate till ready to assemble skewers.
- If using wooden skewers, soak in water while chicken is marinating. (The skewers will still char, even with soaking, but this will prevent them from igniting.)
Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high. Clean the grates and oil lightly.
Remove chicken from the refrigerator and thread with the veggies onto skewers. Leave at least 1-inch space on both ends of skewers for handling.
Remove ½ cup of the sauce and reserve the rest for the dipping sauce.
Place skewers on the hot, clean, oiled grill, turning about every 2-3 minutes. Baste with the sauce with each turn. Cook until golden and lightly charred, 10-15 minutes.
Remove from grill and tent with foil for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with the remaining sauce for dipping or drizzle skewers with some of the sauce.
See Café Tips above in the post for further instructions and more detailed tips.
Chris Scheuer says
You’re welcome, Vivian! Your adaptation sounds wonderful!
vivian says
Made these with chicken and with tofu (also marinated in the sauce) for our anniversary dinner, and they were delicious. Served with ramen noodles. Thanks for another great recipe!