Name: Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or breasts if you prefer; 1/4 cup honey; 1/4 cup lime juice; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons ginger, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 3/4 teaspoon white pepper, or black pepper, finely ground; 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/2 - 1 teaspoon chili oil or Sriracha; 1 wedged lime, to garnish; 2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped, to garnish

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Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers by Baking The Goods

These Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers start with a deeply flavorful marinade that comes together in 5 minutes. Freshly squeezed lime juice, naturally sweet honey, umami infused soy sauce and a healthy dose of fresh ginger and garlic give this quick marinade undeniable freshness. The turmeric layers in a slightly bitter earthiness, while the pepper packs a punch of spice. All of those ingredients join forces and sink deep into the chicken so the flavor stays strong through grilling.

I know this isn't Grilling The Goods. But, after unintentionally developing what might be my best grilled chicken skewer recipe ever, I'm wondering if I should start a grilling blog. I created this recipe for Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers kind of by accident while working on a photography project for a client.

I needed some simple chicken skewers in a shot, and wanted to convey a real summery vibe in the imagery. So ginger, lime and honey initially came to mind. Then the thought of amping up the orange tones with turmeric struck. Turns out, this summery chicken skewer recipe shot to the top of my BBQ season list. It may have even surpassed than my legendary Feta Brined Chicken Skewers with Herby Feta Sauce. Which became an instant classic for so many of my friends and IG buds back in the summer of 2017. If you haven't tried that feta brined chicken recipe yet, do it up ASAP!

More summery recipes from Baking The Goods

The accidental development of this Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers recipe has been the highlight of my summer recipes so far. These juicy skewers are flavor forward and straight up succulent. The easy marinade takes all of 10 minutes to prepare. After a few hours in the fridge, the simple chicken kebabs are transported to a haven of tropical flavors.

The secret sauce to the easy Ginger Honey Lime Marinade

Freshly squeezed lime juice brings brightness
Honey adds a natural sweetness and help with that coveted caramelization
Fresh ginger gives it a zesty and spicy fresh bite
Garlic grounds with earthy sweetness
Soy sauce adds a deeply rich umami base
Turmeric brings a slightly bitter earthiness
White pepper warms with mild spice
Olive Oil gives the marinade depth
A pinch of salt rounds out the flavors
Optional chili crisp or Sriracha brings a welcome heat, if you like it like that

You don't need many ingredients to make these Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers. But, the ingredients pack a punch of flavor.

How to make quick & easy Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers

When the warm weather hits, a quick and easy chicken skewer recipe is essential. These Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers are dead easy but full of flavor. They come together in a few simple steps so you have more time to enjoy to kick back and make the most of your evening.

Make the Ginger Honey Lime Marinade

To make the marinade, you just mix everything together and pour it over the chicken. Which, takes almost no time at all. All of those ingredients join forces and sink deep into the chicken so the flavor stays strong through grilling. There is a sweet spot with the Ginger Honey Lime marinade to keep in mind though; the chicken needs at least an hour to soak up the juices but marinating longer than 6+ hours could make the chicken toughen up from the acid in the lime. So, you need to plan ahead but not too far ahead. Which is kind of perfect, if you ask me.

While the chicken marinates, soak the bamboo skewers in a shallow bed of water. This prevents the skewers from burning. Alternatively, use metal skewers. Thread marinated chicken onto soaked wooden skewers or metal skewers. Discard the used marinade.

Ginger Honey Lime marinade ingredients — These Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers feature a flavor forward marinade that's loaded with lime, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, turmeric, white pepper and a bit of salt.

How to peel ginger with a spoon — These Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers feature a flavor forward marinade that's loaded with lime, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, turmeric, white pepper and a bit of salt.

Soaking the wooden BBQ skewers in water while the chicken marinates, keeps them from burning away on the grill.

Ginger Honey Lime marinade mix — The easy peasy Ginger Honey Lime marinade for these skewers mixes together in moments in a single bowl or a liquid measuring cup.

Marinating Ginger Honey Lime Chicken — The easy peasy Ginger Honey Lime marinade for these skewers mixes together in moments in a single bowl or a liquid measuring cup.

Grill the Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers

Preheat a grill over medium heat to about 375°F and coat grill with oil. Place chicken kebabs on grill and cook until grill marks appear and center is cooked through, approximately 5-6 minutes per side. Baste occasionally with the reserved marinade to boost the flavor. The skewers are ready when the chicken registers 165°F in the center.

How to serve the Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers

BBQ skewers are a casual affair and these Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers are the chillest of chill. No need to get fancy when serving these skewers. Just set them out on the sticks alongside some complementary sides and let people at it! I always serve these skewers the same way with a couple of simple sides.

Top the Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers with fresh cilantro and just before serving and set up some lime wedges for a fresh and zesty squeeze.
Serve with warm, fluffy white rice.
My Quick Pickled Cucumber Salad is the perfect companion for these flavorful chicken skewers. It boasts big, bold flavors with just a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of prep. The tangy, shallot laced rice vinegar dressing adds zip to thinly sliced cucumbers topped with crunchy black sesame seeds.
A side of optional chili oil is always a welcome addition.
You can't go wrong when you serve these sweet and spiced skewers with a crispy Lager or Kölsch, a clean and mineral driven white wine or Yuzu or Calamansi flavored sparkling water.

Grilling those Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers is quick, just a 5-6 minutes on each side and dinner is done!

Can I make Ginger Honey Lime Tofu instead?

Yes you can! And it is phenomenal. This is great news for any other veg heads out there, you can tofu this Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewer recipe and it is a 10/10. Those bold flavors of the marinade translate perfectly to tofu and serve as a solid stand in for the meat.

How to make Grilled Ginger Honey Lime Tofu

Using the original chicken skewer recipe a simple swap for tofu is easy. Here is how make it in just a few simple changes.

Sub in 2 blocks of extra firm tofu for the 2lbs of chicken.
Drain the tofu and squeeze out the excess moisture by wrapping the tofu in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, and placing it between two large plates. The weight of the top plate will help press out the moisture. I then stack a cast iron skillet or heavy wood cutting board on top of the upper plate. Then I let it hang for 30 minutes or so while I prep the marinade and other parts of the meal.
The marinade is the same but that tofu really only needs or so to soak up the flavor.
Slice the tofu into ½” thick slabs and nestle into that marinade to do it’s drinky/soaky thing.
To grill the tofu, get that grill fired up and going on a medium hot heat. Brush the grill with some oil, and grill the tofu slabs until grill marks appear, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Serve with leftover marinade, soy sauce and chili oil if you like it spicy like me! Alongside fluffy white rice, my Quick Cucumber Salad for a refreshing contrast and maybe some charred broccoli if you’re into it.

Grilled Ginger Honey Lime Tofu by Baking The Goods — Make this Grilled Ginger Honey Lime Tofu instead of chicken and serve it with rice, your favorite grilled veggies and my Quick Pickled Cucumber Salad.

These Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers are great wrapped in a pita, served over a salad, or even picked straight from the stick. My favorite way to serve these skewers is with fluffy white rice and my Quick Pickled Cucumber Salad. The crisp cucumbers and vibrant zing of the rice vinegar seamlessly compliment the smoky, ginger and citrus laced sweetness of the grilled chicken skewers. There is some kind of summer magic that happens between the skewers, rice and cucumber salad that just screams backyard BBQ. I always lay out a side of crunchy, spicy chili oil and if I've got em, pickled red onions. You can't go wrong with serving a crisp, lager or ice cold Kolsch on the side.

Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Kabobs — Once the Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers come off the grill, I like to hit them with a bit of lime and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro to liven them back up a bit just before serving.

This is the low key, easy summer meal you need in your life this season. I find myself making these Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers weekly and I'm still wanting more. Make this almost effortless meal as soon as you can and I have a feeling you'll be incorporating it into your weekly meal plan in no time.

Ginger Honey Lime Chicken Skewers