Description
Grilled Thai Coconut Chicken Skewers are bursting with Thai-inspired flavor. Juicy chicken is marinated in a coconut cream, garlic, and soy sauce mix, grilled to smoky perfection, and glazed with a sweet coconut sauce. Serve with optional peanut sauce and crisp lettuce for DIY wraps. A quick, delicious dish for weeknights or summer BBQs—easy to prep, full of flavor, and guaranteed to impress!
Ingredients
For the Chicken Skewers:
1 kg dark meat chicken, diced into 1×1-inch pieces
Wooden or metal skewers
Marinade:
4–5 slices fresh ginger (about 2 tbsp, finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (about 1½ tbsp, finely chopped)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp coconut cream
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp oyster sauce
Coconut Cream Glaze:
6 tbsp coconut cream
1½ tbsp honey
1 tsp soy sauce
Optional Peanut Sauce:
2 tbsp coconut cream
¼ cup natural peanut butter (unsweetened)
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp Thai red curry paste
2 tsp maple syrup or honey
2 tsp soy sauce
2–3 tbsp water (to thin)
1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
1 tsp chili oil (optional)
Crushed peanuts (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Make the peanut sauce (optional):
- In a small bowl, whisk together coconut cream, peanut butter, rice vinegar, red curry paste, maple syrup (or honey), soy sauce, and water until smooth.
- Stir in sesame and chili oils if desired. Taste-test and adjust thickness by adding more water.
- Set aside until ready to serve.
- Prep chicken and marinade:
- If using wooden skewers, soak non-pointy ends in water to prevent burning.
- Dice the chicken into 1-inch pieces and transfer them to a large bowl.
- Finely chop garlic and ginger (use mortar/pestle, food processor, or knife).
- Add chopped garlic‑ginger, soy sauces, coconut cream, sugar, and oyster sauce to the bowl.
- Mix thoroughly so every piece is coated.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 to 2 hours—overnight marinating enhances the flavor even more.
- Skewer the chicken:
- Thread chicken cubes onto skewers snugly—snug pieces cook evenly and don’t flop.
- Tip: Slide meat to protect fingers from splinters when pushing onto wooden skewers.
- Make coconut cream glaze:
- In a small bowl, whisk together coconut cream, honey, and soy sauce.
- Reserve for glazing later.
- Grill:
- Preheat grill (gas or charcoal) to ~500 °F (260 °C).
- Place skewers over direct heat and cook for 15–18 minutes total.
- Rotate every 2–3 minutes to ensure even browning—watch carefully to avoid flare-ups.
- When chicken is cooked through and nicely charred, switch to indirect heat or lower flame, brush generously with glaze, and rotate every minute for 2–3 passes until glossy and caramel‑sticky.
- Serve:
- Arrange skewers over crisp green lettuce—perfect for mini lettuce wraps.
- Drizzle or serve peanut sauce on the side.
- Sprinkle with chopped/crushed peanuts if desired.
- Enjoy!
Notes
For best flavor, marinate chicken overnight.
Use dark meat for juicier skewers.
Substitute almond butter or tahini in the peanut sauce if preferred.
Glaze burns quickly—watch closely when grilling.
Peanut sauce and glaze can be prepped 1–2 days in advance and refrigerated.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes Marinate Time: 2 hours (or overnight for best flavor)
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Main, Snack
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Asian, Thai, Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 skewer
- Calories: 190 kcal
- Sugar: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Protein: 15g