Chicken skewers get slathered in a sweet, herby, salty, bright cilantro honey lime marinade and grilled until perfectly charred. The marinade then doubles down as a sauce to slather all over or use as a salad dressing! There are so many ways you could eat these, so be sure to read the recipe notes.
Ingredient highlight
Fresh herbs! All fresh herbs contain essential oils that aid in digestion, improve circulation, reduce the risk of heart disease, and phytonutrients that fight inflammation (to name a few!).
Read my full blog post about fresh herbs here!
Servings 4 -6
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 15 minutes Ingredients
- 2 heaping cups loosely packed cilantro (stems and leaves)
- 2 limes, zested
- 1/4 cup lime juice (about 4 limes)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2-1 jalapeno (optional)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1.5-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 or 2-inch pieces
- No grill? ~ Bake these in the oven with two options. First, you can broil them on high for about 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway (place the rack about 4-inches from the broiler). Second, bake them in a 450F oven (convection is best) until charred and cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on them in both scenarios to make sure they aren’t burning too much.
Instructions
- Heat your grill on high for at least 10 minutes.
- In a high speed blender, add the cilantro, lime zest and juice, oil, honey, garlic, jalapeno (if using), salt, and pepper. Blend on high until smooth. Transfer about ¼ cup of the sauce to a small bowl to brush onto the raw chicken.
- Skewer the chicken, then brush the ¼ cup reserved sauce all over the skewers, making sure to get all sides and into the nooks and crannies.
- Place skewers on the grill and cook, covered, for about 4-5 minutes.. Flip the skewers over (use a metal spatula to help release it if it’s sticking) and brush more cilantro sauce generously over top. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-high and grill for 6-8 more minutes or until cooked through.
- Serve with remaining cilantro honey lime sauce for dipping or drizzling.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Skewer the chicken
- Make the cilantro lime sauce
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, use tofu cubes! I’ve never tried grilling tofu, so I would make these in the oven at a high temperature (450F or 425F convection for about 15-20 minutes).
- To make vegan, see above and substitute with maple syrup.
- Any herbs can be used in place of cilantro (parsley, mint, basil, scallions)
- Use any protein in place of chicken
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge:
- Chicken: up to 4 days
- Cilantro honey lime sauce: up to 6 days
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Use leftover sauce as a salad dressing for salads or bowls
- Stir some yogurt into the cilantro honey lime sauce for a creamy dip or sauce
- Use skewers as taco filling, on top of a salad or bowl, stuffed into pita bread with grilled veggies and cheese (with cilantro lime sauce on top).
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