Enjoy these Chicken Kabobs with tender chicken, mangos, onions, tomatoes, and spicy sriracha sauce. They’re packed with protein and flavor!
author’s note
Chicken Kabobs with a Sweet Sidekick!
The minute warm weather hits, I’m firing up the grill and tossing on just about anything I can. A few summers ago, I attended BUSH’S BBQ Bootcamp with master griller Steven Raichlen, author of 28 grilling books and a Harvard instructor.
One of the biggest surprises was grilled mango. Grilling brings out the mango’s natural sweetness and adds a smoky, slightly caramelized flavor that pairs perfectly with chicken and veggies.
This has become my family’s most requested summer dinner.
Chicken Kabobs Ingredients
- Chicken Marinade: Don’t marinate the chicken for more than 6 hours, or it can get too dry.
- Chicken: Cut chicken into small pieces for even cooking and a better mix of chicken and veggies/fruit on the skewer.
- Veggies/Fruit: Swap veggies or fruit based on what’s in season or what you like.
- Sriracha Dipping Sauce: Adjust the spice level by adding more or less sriracha.
How To Make Chicken Kabobs
- Mix Marinade: Combine olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, sriracha, salt, and pepper.
- Marinate Chicken: Cut chicken into pieces, place in a bag with marinade, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 6 hours.
- Prep Grill: Heat the grill to medium-high and oil the grates.
- Prepare Veggies/Fruit: Chop mango, red onion, zucchini, and keep cherry tomatoes ready.
- Assemble Kabobs: Skewer chicken, mango, onion, zucchini, and tomatoes.
- Grill: Cook kabobs on the grill for 6-8 minutes, turn once.
- Serve: Remove from grill and serve.
Quick Tip
If you do happen to add all the marinade to the raw chicken, you can boil it in a saucepan to make it safe again. More details here.
Tips For Success
- Use a ripe mango for better grilling and caramelization. Check ripeness by gently squeezing; it should be soft like a ripe peach or avocado.
- Honey Mangos (Ataulfo mangoes) are recommended for their sweetness and creaminess.
- Cut vegetables and chicken into even sizes for uniform cooking.
More Grilled Chicken Recipes:
Chicken Kabobs
These Chicken Kabobs are loaded with juicy marinated chicken, sweet mango, crisp onions, and cherry tomatoes, all served with a spicy sriracha sauce. Flavor-packed and protein-rich!
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade (See Note 1)
Veggies/Fruit
- 1 large mango or 2 honey mangoes
- 1 red onion
- 3/4 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 small-medium zucchini
- Chopped cilantro optional
Sriracha Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 2 large limes
- 3 teaspoons Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar optional
Instructions
- Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Add 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice. Remove about 1/2 cup (put in an airtight container in the fridge for later) and pour the rest into a large resealable bag.
- Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces (1 to 1 and 1/2 inches) and put in the resealable bag with the marinade. Seal the bag or cover tightly and place in the fridge. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes—preferably 2–3 hours up to 6 hours. Do not exceed 6 hours, as the acidity will start to dry out the chicken.
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 400–450°F). Clean and oil grill grates by generously dipping a paper towel in olive oil and using tongs to rub it on the grill grates.
- Peel and chop a mango into 2-inch cubes; chop the red onion to thick 1–2 inch pieces; and cut a zucchini into half moons.
- Once chicken has marinated, place the chicken pieces on a skewer, alternating with (see note 1) prepared fruits and veggies (cubed mango, red onion pieces, and zucchini). Add cherry tomatoes to the skewers as well.
- Place the kabobs on the oiled hot grill and cook for 6–8 minutes, flipping once or until chicken is cooked through. Chicken should reach 160°F or juices run clear. The carryover heat will take chicken to the safe 165°F. When turning the kabob sticks, brush the chicken with all but 2 tablespoons of the reserved marinade. Save those last 2 tablespoons for a finishing “dressing.”
- Add kabobs to a plate and evenly drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of marinade over everything. Serve with the sriracha dipping sauce and additional chopped cilantro if desired.
Sriracha Dipping Sauce
- Zest part of 1 lime to get about 1/2 teaspoon lime zest and juice 2 limes to get about 3–4 tablespoons lime juice.
- Combine the mayo, lime juice, lime zest, sriracha, and (if desired) sugar in a bowl. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and taste, adding additional lime or sriracha to personal preference.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: The marinade is separated into three parts: one part for marinating, one for basting while cooking, and one for drizzling at the end as a sort of dressing.
Nutrition Note: Nutrition information is a bit tricky here, because the marinade doesn’t actually contribute all those calories, but it does contribute some. These nutrition facts reflect all ingredients, even though a lot of marinade is discarded or cooks off the chicken.
Storage: Store leftover kabobs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the chicken, veggies, and dipping sauce separate for the best freshness. If you have extra marinade, store it separately and drizzle it on when serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 599kcal | Carbohydrates: 39.1g | Protein: 18.9g | Fat: 44g | Cholesterol: 62.7mg | Sodium: 395mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 24.6g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This may be a stupid question but will chicken tenderloins work instead of chicken breasts?
Not a stupid question 🙂 They will work great; if the pieces are smaller than indicated, just grill for less time. Enjoy 🙂
The marinaded chicken is so juicy – makes the flavor pop.
Why does everything taste better on a stick? My whole family loves kabobs. These look amazing with all the great veggies. All in one meal for the win!
That marinade was incredible! It was such a great flavor for the chicken.