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.
