Grilled Chicken Skewers With Tangy Green Curry Sauce

What You’ll Need

Here are some notes to keep in mind for the ingredients. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions.

For the Chicken and Marinade:

• Olive oil – Oil helps the marinade coat and soak deeper into meat, which means your chicken skewers will be extra flavorful.
• Lime juice – Use freshly squeezed, not bottled, for the best lively flavor.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic adds an incredible amount of earthy, pungent flavor – feel free to add even more if you like!
• Brown sugar – Balances the lime juice acidity, adds a touch of contrasting sweetness, and helps the chicken brown and char a bit on the hot grill grates. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
• Seasonings – Dried oregano, ground cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper.
• Chicken – I use boneless skinless chicken breast fillets, sliced into strips, against the grain. Cutting the chicken this way means increased flavor, as there is more surface area for the marinade to grab hold – and cutting against the grain makes the chicken more tender and easier to chew.

For the Green Curry Yogurt Sauce:

• Yogurt – Whole milk Greek yogurt provides a creamy, tangy base.
• Basil, cilantro, parsley, and mint – These fresh herbs add wonderful flavor that make the sauce taste vibrant and fresh.
• Scallions – For a mild fresh onion flavor.
• Garlic – This amps up all the flavors in the sauce.
• Green curry paste – The secret to this sauce’s complexity and deliciousness. I use and recommend Thai Kitchen brand green curry paste.
• Jalapeño – Adds a little kick of heat; serrano peppers can be used for a spicier version. If you have some random hot peppers growing in your garden, this sauce is a great way to use them too!
• Lime zest – Brightens the sauce with citrus notes, without watering it down.
• Rice vinegar – It’s tangy and sour, but a more mellow vinegar – lovely in this sauce!
• Olive oil – Adds richness to the sauce.
• Salt – For some savory balance.

How to Make Grilled Chicken Skewers

While the chicken marinates, whip up the sauce and prep the grill.

• Marinate the chicken. Whisk together the oil, lime juice, garlic, brown sugar, and seasonings in a shallow bowl that will fit the chicken. Add the chicken slices, coat them in the sauce, and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Make the sauce. Blend all of the ingredients in your blender until smooth. 
• Prepare for grilling. Preheat your grill to medium-high, then clean and oil the grates. Thread the marinated strips of chicken onto skewers in an accordion shape.
• Grill the chicken. Set the skewers on the hot grill grates and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Serve. Plate the grilled chicken skewers with the green curry yogurt sauce + fresh lime wedges for squeezing over the top.

Tips & Variations

Here are some tips and variations to help you customize this recipe and make it your own.

• Use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Our family loves chicken thighs – we grill them at least a couple times a week. They’re extra moist and flavorful.
• Slice against the grain. In this recipe, I slice the boneless skinless chicken breasts against the grain into long, thin strips. Slicing against the grain ensures that every bite is tender.
• Soak wooden skewers. If you’re using wood or bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least an hour before adding the chicken. This helps to keep them from burning on the grill.
• Make sure the grill is preheated. Adding chicken to an under-heated grill means longer cooking time, and a longer cooking time means your chicken is more likely to be tough and rubbery. Plus, this prevents that initial hot sear on the chicken, which gives the lovely char marks.
• Add some vegetables. Feel free to make some skewers with bell peppers, onions, zucchini, mushrooms, or cherry tomatoes. You can simply brush them with oil and season with salt and pepper (then drizzle them with the yogurt sauce before serving!), or you can double the marinade and marinate the veggies too.

Serving Suggestions

I drizzle some of the sauce over the grilled chicken skewers before setting them on the table, but feel free to just serve the sauce alongside – especially if you’re not sure that everyone at the table will be a fan of its obvious-to-you-and-me deliciousness.

For a side, simple Grilled Vegetables and Cilantro Lime Rice are perfect. (With more of that delicious yogurt sauce drizzled over the top, of course!)

Other sides that would pair well with this chicken include Grilled Pineapple and my favorite Cucumber Salad.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Grilled chicken skewers: Store any leftover grilled chicken skewers (I like to remove the chicken from the skewers first) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up 4 days. When reheating, I like to warm up the chicken in a skillet with a little bit of oil, although if you prefer not to reheat, they’re great added to a salad with the Greek yogurt sauce as the dressing.
• Green curry yogurt sauce: The sauce is great to have on hand and it will keep well for up to 4 days in the fridge. Just store it in an airtight container and give it a good stir before using. Spoon it over proteins or salads, or simply use it as a dip for crunchy fresh veggies.