Honey Lime Chicken Skewers

In my book, summertime meals have one rule – they must be as easy as possible.  And I award bonus points if a meal can be cooked on the grill.  So these Honey Lime Chicken Skewers scored big points with me.

I love using skewers when grilling chicken, because it takes much less time for the chicken to cook when it’s cut into smaller pieces.  Cutting the meat into pieces this way is also a great idea when you’re using a flavorful marinade.  It allows the marinade to permeate more surface area than if the chicken breasts were left whole so you get more flavor per bite.  Not that I’ve studied such things…

For a long time I used wooden skewers for all of my grilling needs, and they work great if you remember to soak them in water before letting them hit the grill.  I almost always forgot, and ended up with charred remnants of wood scattered throughout my food.  I finally got wise and bought some basic metal skewers I found at my grocery store.  Oh how I love those metal skewers.  The best $4.50 I’ve ever spent.

The marinade for these Honey Lime Chicken Skewers is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy.  It’s easy to customize too – add more red pepper if you want more heat, or more honey if you want it on the sweet side.  In my case I separated my chicken into two smaller batches – one for the adults and one for the kids.  The adults had lots of spice while the kids were a bit sweeter with just a pinch of red pepper.  Everyone was happy and I didn’t have to make a separate meal for the kids just because I was in the mood for something with a kick.  I guess that means that this meal gets another bonus point!

Honey Lime Chicken Skewers
serves 4

1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken – either breasts or thighs
salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons high quality canola oil
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey
2 limes, zested and juiced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (for cilantro haters you can substitute fresh parsley)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Cut chicken into approximately 2″ pieces.  Place chicken into a gallon size zip-top bag or large bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

In a small bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients.  Pour over chicken and toss to coat well.  Seal the bag or cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.  The longer you marinate it the better the flavors will be.

Preheat grill.  While grill is heating thread chicken onto 4 skewers.

Grill over medium high heat for about 5 minutes on each side, or until chicken is completely cooked through.  The internal temperature should be at least 165 degrees. Serve warm.

Serving suggestion: I served these Honey Lime Chicken Skewers over rice with a fruit salad of blueberries, pineapple, and cantaloupe on the side.

You may also like:

1. Chile Lime Chicken with Black Beans and Rice
2. Big Taste Small Budget – Carne Asada and Cilantro Lime Corn
3. Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce
4. Creamy Honey Balsamic Dressing
5. Lager and Lemon Chicken