These Vietnamese Sticky Chicken Skewers balance all the flavors—sweet, salty, sour, and savory! Great as a party appetizer or a fun weeknight dinner.
There’s a lot to love here with these sweet, sour and tangy chicken nuggets on a skewer – grilled if the weather is kind, or roasted in the oven if it’s not.
They’re real crowd pleasers (super bowl food competitor watch out, this one’s in the running!) but they’re so good you’ll want to put them on the menu every week!
Chili sauce and ginger bring some spiciness, clear acidity comes from rice wine vinegar, and then the whole thing is rounded off with some spicy coriander. Fresh mint or Thai basil are also good.
There is more than enough here to excite your taste buds and make you reach for just another skewer.
Street stalls all over Vietnam sell grilled meat and fish, and they always, always serve them with rice – either in the form of rice noodles or boiled rice. I suggest you do the same!
When making this for a weeknight dinner, I like to remove the meat from the skewers and serve it on a bed of rice noodles that I toss with a little rice vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce. A crisp salad, which is served with it, completes the meal.
You can do the same for a party or just serve them on skewers.
Really, you can serve these any way you like – the only thing that matters is that you prepare them!
Tips for Success!
- Look for special ingredients such as rice wine vinegar and fish sauce in Asian grocery stores or in large urban markets. If you’re having trouble finding palm sugar, then brown sugar is a good substitute.
- Chicken thighs are practically impossible to overcook, so that they can withstand the intense heat of the grill or in the oven. I do not recommend substituting chicken breasts for this recipe.
- If you use bamboo skewers, they must first be soaked. However, I find that they almost always burn a little. You can also use metal skewers if you like.
Vietnamese style sticky chicken skewers
Double or triple this recipe as needed when making skewers for a larger crowd.
Grill Instructions: Light a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Grill the chicken on each side, 4 to 6 minutes, or until cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken should read 165 degrees F).
ingredients
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1/2 Cup palm sugar (alternatively brown sugar)
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1/2 Cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
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1/4 Cup fish sauce
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1/3 to 1/2 Cup chili saucelike sriracha, to taste
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1 clove garlicchopped
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2 tablespoon fresh gingerpeeled and chopped
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1 1/2 lb Skinless and boneless chicken thighscut into 2 inch pieces
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vegetable oil (for the baking sheet)
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leaves of 1/4 bunch corianderfor garnish
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2 to 3 spring onionsthinly sliced for garnish
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Cooked rice or rice noodles to serve
method
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Soak the skewers:
If using bamboo skewers, soak them in warm water for 30 minutes.
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Marinate Chicken:
In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, vinegar, fish sauce, chili sauce, garlic, and ginger. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature for at least 10 minutes, but no longer than 30 – otherwise the flavors will become too pungent.
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Heat grill:
Place an oven rack 4 inches from the grill element and turn the grill to high.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Oil lightly or spray with vegetable oil. (This is important—the marinade tends to burn on the pan but not the chicken, and you save yourself a tedious clean-up job.)
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Thread the chicken onto the skewers:
Place 3 to 5 pieces of chicken on each skewer, depending on whether you are using small or large skewers. Don’t crowd the chicken pieces too tightly together; They brown better if there’s a little space between each piece.
Place the skewers on the baking sheet. Pour the excess marinade into a small pan.
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Boil the excess marinade:
In a small skillet over medium-high heat, bring the excess marinade to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Brush the chicken all over with the reduced marinade.
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Fry the chicken skewers:
Grill for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned on top. Turn skewers with tongs and brush with more marinade.
Grill for an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until browned and cooked through on the other side. The exact time depends on the heat of your particular broiler; When done, the chicken should no longer be pink in the center.
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Serve skewers:
Place the skewers on a platter, or remove the chicken from the skewers and serve the pieces on a platter without the skewers, whichever you prefer. Sprinkle with coriander and spring onions and serve with rice or rice noodles.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 449 | calories |
| 17g | Fat |
| 32g | carbohydrates |
| 43g | protein |
