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Fire up those grills, because this Korean-inspired Chicken Skewers recipe is so simple and oh-so flavorful!
Frankly, this Korean BBQ-inspired marinade is going to blow you away, and it all comes together by simply combining delicious layers of flavor. One of the most important ingredients being gochujang, which is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented red chili paste that is very common in Korean cooking. I love the layers of flavor it easily adds to any dish so I try to always keep it on hand in my pantry (this is the brand I use).
The other thing about these skewers that I love is the use of boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. In my opinion, the thighs stand up better to the high heat of the grill to ensure a juicy chicken skewer. You can, of course, swap for chicken breast, but the thigh really does keep these skewers super moist and prevents them from drying out. The other thing to note is that you can really use any protein with this Korean-inspired BBQ sauce. Try cubed steak or shrimp to shake things up!
You can also shake things up by serving these Korean-inspired Chicken Skewers in a variety of ways. Here are a few pairing ideas!
- Variety of grilled vegetables
- Ginger Scallion Rice
- Alternatively, you could make Ginger Scallion Cauliflower Rice
I can’t wait to see how you all serve these up!
Korean-Inspired Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 4 tbsp gochujang, I use Mother In Law’s brand
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thigh
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 6 [12-inch] wooden skewers
For the Grilled Scallions:
- 1 bunch scallions, root ends trimmed
- 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the gochujang, coconut sugar, rice vinegar, coconut aminos, toasted sesame oil until well combined and smooth. Transfer â…“ cup of the marinade to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Trim excess fat off of the chicken, and cut into 1 inch cubes. Add the cubed chicken, salt, and pepper to the remaining marinade and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate to marinate for at least 2 hours (can marinate overnight if you’d prefer).
Cook the Skewers and Scallions:
- About 10-20 minutes prior to grilling, soak your skewers in hot water. This helps prevent them from catching fire. When the chicken has marinated and the skewers have soaked, thread the chicken onto the skewers.
- Heat grill over medium-high heat (350-400 degrees F) and oil the grill grates (to do to this, dip a wadded paper towel in a little oil and, using tongs, wipe the oil evenly over the grate. Be careful not to use too much oil, because that's a sure fire way to start a good flare-up—a little goes a long way here.)
- When hot, place the skewers on the grill and cook on the first side for 3 to 4 minutes , or until nice grill marks have formed. Flip the skewers and then baste the grilled side generously with the reserved marinade, Continue to cook until chicken is cooked through and nice grill marks have formed on both sides, 3-4 more minutes. The grill should be closed as much as possible as you are cooking the chicken.
- Transfer the cooked chicken skewers to a tray and brush once more with remaining sauce, if you have any. Set aside to rest while you prepare the grilled scallions.
- Drizzle the scallions with the oil. Lay the scallions on the medium-high heat grill and grill until you see girl marks, about 2 minutes. Flip the scallions and continue to cook on the other side, until you see grill marks, 1 to 2 more minutes.
- To serve, slice the scallions and sprinkle over the grilled chicken skewers. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Serve as desired and enjoy! I served mine with grilled zucchini and steamed jasmine rice.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made this twice – Fist time for guests as skewers (which presented nicely) and second time just my wife and me just a grilled chicken. Both were great – the skewer-less version was a lot less work.
Glad you loved it!!!
Super tasty & very easy to make. A bit of heat, but not so much that our kids couldn’t handle it. Making again tonight!
I left this chicken marinating overnight for 2 nights, I don’t think it was spicy enough and think it was lacking perhaps something like soy sauce ? Since I bought specific ingredients for this dish I will re-make again in the future but will modify the recipe a bit.
I used this marinade on chicken thighs and salmon for a big group dinner – it was a hit! Seconds and thirds were had and everyone asked for the recipe
I think this might be our favorite DD recipe yet! Super easy, not a ton of cleanup and SO delicious. Next time I’m doubling the skewers to add to a salad for lunch the next day!
I’m dying to try this but don’t have a grill – any suggestions?
You could use a cast-iron skillet or grill pan on your stovetop!
So good! Made it for dinner last night and it was a hit!