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Grilled Thai Coconut Chicken Skewers

Thai chicken skewers in a creamy coconut-lemongrass marinade, grilled hot until lightly charred. The coconut milk glaze clings to tender 1-inch chicken pieces and pairs with a peanut sauce dip.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
marinating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 32 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Thai
Calories: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breasts
  • 2 lb chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
Coconut milk
  • 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
Fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
Brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
Lemongrass
  • 2 lemongrass, minced
Fresh ginger
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
Garlic
  • 3 garlic, minced
Curry powder
  • 1 tsp curry powder
Wooden skewers
  • 1 wooden skewers, soaked
Peanut sauce for serving
  • 1 peanut sauce for serving
Fresh cilantro and lime wedges
  • 1 fresh cilantro and lime wedges

Equipment

  • 1 grill

Method
 

Make the coconut-lemongrass marinade
  1. Combine coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and curry powder in a bowl until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks smooth and creamy.
Marinate the chicken
  1. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade, toss to coat, and refrigerate for 1-4 hours so the surface looks evenly coated.
Skewer and grill
  1. Thread the marinated chicken onto soaked skewers, leaving a little gap between pieces so they cook through evenly.
  2. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat until it reaches a steady sizzle when you hold your hand close over the grates.
  3. Grill the skewers for 5-6 minutes per side until the chicken is cooked through and you see light char on the edges with the marinade turning glossy in spots.
Serve
  1. Serve the grilled skewers with peanut sauce for dipping, and finish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

Notes

Pro tip: thread the chicken snugly but not tightly, and pat off excess marinade before grilling so it caramelizes instead of steaming. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; freeze chicken skewers (without cilantro/lime) for up to 2 months and reheat until hot. For a dairy-free option, this recipe already is dairy-free; for gluten-free, use a gluten-free fish sauce or substitute tamari-based seasoning where applicable.