Chinese Chicken Skewers
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Chinese Chicken Skewers – a delicious Asian inspired recipe for Chinese Chicken skewers that’s going to knock your socks off! Simple but full of flavor and tender chicken!
I’m so excited for sharing today’s post with you guys because today I have a special guest. You know I don’t often have guests here on Jo Cooks, as a matter of fact this is the second time I’m doing this. But today I’d like to introduce you to Australia’s #1 food blogger Nagi from RecipeTin Eats.
Even though we’ve only known each for a short time, in that short time we’ve become close friends having found that we have so many things in common, not only our love for dogs but we’ve been sharing our growing pains together where food blogging is concerned, learning from each other and teaching each other.
I encourage you to check out RecipeTin Eats for some amazing and mouthwatering recipes and get to know Nagi. But right now, let’s get cooking these delicious Chinese Chicken Skewers from Nagi!
Chinese Chicken Skewers
Thanks for the introduction Jo! Beyond excited to be here on one of my all-time favorite blogs! I was following Jo even before I started my blog, RecipeTin Eats, and it used to astound me – still astounds me – that everything she posts I love.
Our taste in food is so similar it’s almost comical. We both believe that cheese is one of the greatest inventions in this world, homemade bread deserves to be its own food group, and that bacon makes everything better.
Plus she’s a dog person. That’s a big bonus in my books. 🙂 Here’s my dog, Dozer. We have had many conversations about how much we spoil our dogs!
I also really admire Jo as a professional food blogger. The way she conducts herself, that she only shares food she really loves rather than following trends, that her recipes are no-fail and that she truly understands food that tastes great. No bland food here on Jo Cooks!
Ingredient Notes
Marinade
- Aromatics – Fresh garlic and ginger minced.
- Soy sauce – Low sodium so that we can control the salt content of our dish.
- Oyster sauce – Feel free to ax this ingredient if you’re allergic to shellfish but otherwise this is a great flavorful addition!
- Sugar – We’re using white sugar for a clean sweet flavor to counteract all the bright, savory, acidic notes.
- Cooking wine – We want to use some Chinese cooking wine which you can pick up in a specialty store if it isn’t at your local grocer. See “FAQs & Expert Tips” for more info.
- Sesame oil – Sesame oil is an absolute must, no ifs ands or buts about it! Super nutty, toasty, and with a glorious mouth feel. This is a staple for the pantry.
- Heat – I used sriracha sauce today, but you can use your favorite hot sauce! Red pepper flakes are also a tasty hot addition.
Skewers
- Chicken – Skinless and and boneless chicken thighs for tons of flavor, moisture, and tender chew.
- Oil – Just some mild vegetable oil to cook up our protein in, something with a nice mild flavor.
- Wooden skewers – 16 inch skewers, it’s important to soak your skewers before popping them on the grill to ensure they don’t scorch.
How To Make Chinese Chicken Skewers
- Cut the chicken into 1 – 1.5” pieces.
- Marinate the chicken: Combine the Marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the chicken and set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight. Thread chicken onto skewers.
- Cook the chicken: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet (big enough to fit the skewers) over medium high heat. Cook half the skewers for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until deep golden brown, using spatula to press them so they cook through evenly. Repeat with remaining skewers.
- Serve immediately, garnished with finely sliced scallions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Else Can I Make Chinese Chicken Skewers?
These can also be cooked on the BBQ or broiled. To broil, heat the broiler on high, place the skewers on a tray and cook each side for 5 minutes or until dark golden brown and cooked through.
How To Serve
I served them with a crunchy asian salad, but you can serve them over some cooked rice such as brown rice, jasmine rice, or white rice, with some steamed veggies!
Can I Make This Without Skewers?
I made these as skewers but this is fabulous made with whole chicken fillets. This is best made with skinless, boneless thigh fillets, but you can make it with chicken breast. You won’t get quite the same amount of caramelisation you see in the photos because chicken breast has less fat. But the flavor is there!
Tips
- This recipe doesn’t necessarily require this Chinese cooking wine, as dry sherry can be used in its place. You could also use Mirin (Japanese cooking sake) but if you do, do not use the 1 tsp of sugar as Mirin is sweeter than Chinese cooking wine.
- These can also be cooked on the BBQ or broiled. To broil, heat the broiler on high, place the skewers on a tray and cook each side for 5 minutes or until dark golden brown and cooked through.
Storing Leftovers
These chicken skewers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. The sauce can be stored separately in the fridge and should last for 1 week.
Freezing
If you’d like to freeze your cooked chicken just freeze in an airtight container. Just allow to thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to eat. The sauce can be frozen indefinitely. Perfect for other dishes in the future!
More Great Recipes To Try
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Chinese Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
Marinade
- 3 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine (or dry sherry *)
- 2 teaspoon sriracha sauce (or 1 ½ tsp dried chili flakes, optional)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 ½ teaspoon fresh ginger (finely grated)
Skewers
- 1½ pound chicken thighs (skinless and boneless)
- 12 bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes)
- 2 tablespoon vegetable ( or other cooking oil)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into 1 – 1.5” pieces.
- Combine the Marinade ingredients in a bowl.
- Add the chicken and set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
- Thread chicken onto skewers.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet (big enough to fit the skewers) over medium high heat.
- Cook half the skewers for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until deep golden brown, using spatula to press them so they cook through evenly. Repeat with remaining skewers.
- Serve immediately, garnished with finely sliced scallions.
Notes
- This recipe doesn’t necessarily require this Chinese cooking wine, as dry sherry can be used in its place. You could also use Mirin (Japanese cooking sake) but if you do, do not use the 1 tsp of sugar as Mirin is sweeter than Chinese cooking wine.
- These can also be cooked on the BBQ or broiled. To broil, heat the broiler on high, place the skewers on a tray and cook each side for 5 minutes or until dark golden brown and cooked through.
- These chicken skewers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. The sauce can be stored separately in the fridge and should last for 1 week.
- If you’d like to freeze your cooked chicken just freeze in an airtight container. Just allow to thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to eat. The sauce can be frozen indefinitely. Perfect for other dishes in the future!
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.