These chili lime chicken skewers have vibrant, tropical flavors with a chili lime rub and a sweet mango dipping sauce! The perfect easy-cleanup summer recipe for your grill.
Is it just me, or does food on sticks just taste better? We love chipotle grilled shrimp skewers with maple glaze and fajita chicken skewers, as well as these chili lime chicken skewers!
Fresh, vibrant, tropical flavors is exactly what I'm craving when summer hits, and these chicken skewers deliver big on those flavors!
With a simple chili lime spice rub, and a sweet mango dipping sauce, they are easy to prepare, and simple to cook on the grill. Serve with crispy grilled potatoes or grilled sweet potatoes, and you have yourself a meal!
Reasons to ♡ chili lime chicken skewers
- they are the perfect summer grill recipe for easy clean up
- they have vibrant, tropical flavors
- they are made with simple ingredients and are easy to get on your table in just 30 minutes
Ingredients we'll need
- Chicken breast- cut into 1-inch cubes. You can swap for chicken thighs or pork tenderloin
- Olive oil- to help the chicken brown and develop flavor on the grill
- Spices- chili powder, brown sugar, and salt deliver a blend of sweet, savory and slightly spicy. You could also swap for fajita chicken seasoning
- Lime juice- adds acid to balance and brighten the flavors of the spice rub
- Veggies- bell peppers and onion are pictured, but feel free to swap them for your favorites: zucchini and mushrooms are two of my favorites
Mango sauce
- Mango- cubed. See how to cut a mango
- Lime- juiced to add some acidity and depth of flavor to the sauce
- Brown sugar- add to taste; some mangoes are sweeter than others and may not need added sweetener
- Water- start with 2 tablespoons to thin and add more as needed
Mango sauce
You will want to get the mango sauce prepped first because once you start grilling the chicken, you will need to keep an eye on it. Using an immersion or stand blender, blend together the mango, water, lime juice, and sugar. Taste and adjust the sugar as needed.
Prepping the chicken
This recipe is great because you get tons of flavor without marinating the chicken. We start by tossing cubed chicken breast in olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, brown sugar, and salt. This blend of savory, sour and sweet is so good on the chicken, and if you'd like to add spicy into the mix, you can add ½ - 1 teaspoon of red chili flakes.
Once coated in the mixture, you can start threading the chicken and vegetables onto skewers*. Alternate chicken with bell peppers and onions to create rainbow skewers.
*if you are using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them for 30 minutes before grilling, otherwise, they may burn and break on the grill.
Grilling the skewers
Heat the barbeque to medium-high heat (400°F). Make sure it is nice and clean when starting, and brush with oil to prevent the skewers from sticking. Arrange the skewers 2 inches apart on the grill and cook with the lid down, turning every 2 minutes for a total of 10 minutes. At this point, you can check if your chicken is cooked through by inserting a digital thermometer into the thickest part of a chicken piece. When chicken registers 165°F, it is ready to come off the grill.
Serving + Storage directions
These chicken skewers go great with carbohydrate or vegetable side dish:
- Unbelievably Crispy Grilled Potatoes
- Coconut Rice
- Coconut Cauliflower Rice
- Grilled Naan Bread
- Grilled Sweet Potato Rounds
These skewers are the best served fresh, but they can be stored in the fridge for several days:
- Store leftover chicken and vegetables in an airtight container for up to 4 days
- Reheat in the microwave or a frying pan until steaming hot
Variations
- Swap the mango sauce for cilantro lime dressing
- Swap the chicken breast for chicken thighs, pork tenderloin or cubed salmon
- Swap the spice rub for one of these rubs
- Swap the bell peppers and onion for zucchini, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts or eggplant
More healthy recipes for the grill
- Low Carb Wasabi Grilled Salmon Bowls
- Perfect Grilled Chicken Breast
- Balsamic Grilled Zucchini with Parmesan
- Grilled Cauliflower with Jalapeño Lime Butter
- Grilled Broccoli with Lemon & Parmesan
- 40 Healthy Grill Recipes for Summer
- Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Butter
Chili Lime Chicken Skewers with Mango Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast cubed; roughly 2 large chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ lime juiced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 bell peppers cut into cubes
- 1 red onion cut into large chunks
Mango Sauce:
- 1 mango
- ½ lime juiced
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
Chicken Skewers
- Heat grill to medium-high heat (425°F)
- In a large bowl, stir together the chicken cubes with the olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, brown sugar and salt.
- Using large metal skewers, thread the chicken, alternating with bell pepper and red onion slices. See note 1
- Grill the skewers for approximately 10 total minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. You may check with an instant read thermometer that the chicken has reached 165°F
Mango Sauce
- Place all ingredients in the base of a blender, and blend for a minute, or until smooth.
Lisa
These look so amazing! I tell you, I cannot wait until I have my own place and can cook again. Can't rate this recipe yet, since I don't have a way to cook at the moment, but I'll be back, and I've got you bookmarked.
Denise
I hope you enjoy them, Lisa!
Karly
Oh my gosh, YUM. Talk about flavor on a stick!! Love that I can eat this sans carbs and throw out some tortillas for the kids. Totally trying this soon!
Denise
Thanks Karly! Hope you like it!
Alyssa @ My Sequined Life
I need to make these! Now that we have a grill in our very own backyard (!) we've been grilling maniacs. These chicken skewers are on the list! I love that mango sauce!
Denise
YAY for having a grill! You are going to want to grill all of the things. No dishes!!
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor
You can't go wrong with chicken skewers! I love any excuse to grill this time of the year and definitely need to add these to my dinner menu soon. I probably won't be able to stop eating that mango sauce. So good!
Denise
Thanks so much, Ashley! I am not turning the oven on anytime soon 😉
Danielle
These chicken skewers look delicious, Denise! Maybe it's just me, but I think food is so much better served on a skewer. Definitely an easy way to add in some extra veggies and that mango sauce sounds phenomenal.
Denise
YES totally! More fun that way!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
I was literally just telling my husband the other day that we need to make skewers soon! These look so good, Denise! I love the chili lime flavor, definitely sounds like a perfect combination...especially with that mango sauce, too!
Denise
We have been eating so many skewers...I need to stop LOL. Or not 😉
Jen V.
Those look amazing! We don't have a grill currently 🙁 I bet I could adapt this recipe to use with chicken I make on the stovetop. I am printing the recipe so I can play around with it. Thanks for sharing!
Denise
Hi Jen, I definitely think they'd be really good baked, too! I'm not sure on the cook-time, though. Hope you like them!
marcie
I love eating skewers during the summer -- all the colors are so fun! These flavors sound delicious, Denise, and I'm especially loving that mango sauce!
Denise
We are LIVING off of skewers...just too easy to grill that way! Thanks so much, Marcie!
Ashley - The Recipe Rebel
I am so excited to try these! These are happening REAL soon. I know the husband will love them and I get so lazy in my grilling and just resort to burgers and hot dogs :S Plus we are LOVING chicken and mango lately (I'm making a chicken and mango dish today too! Lol) so I know these will go over well. I just need to get me some more mangoes!
Denise
I hope you like them Ashley! I've been loving mangoes this year, and have another recipe I'm testing for dinner with them. They just feel so summery and fun!