Enjoy these delicious Chicken Kabobs, featuring tender marinated chicken, ripe mangos, crunchy onions, and juicy tomatoes, served with a simple, spicy sriracha sauce. They’re not only flavorful but also packed with protein and nutrients for a fulfilling meal.

Gorgeous, vibrant chicken kabobs on a plate, grilled, and ready to eat.

The Best Chicken Kabobs

Chicken Kabobs are an easy remix on traditional summer kabobs, thanks to the unique marinade and the addition of fresh mango. You don’t see mango in many grilling recipes, but I’ll tell you that once you grill mango, you’ll never want to go back. Grilling enhances the natural sweet taste of mangos and adds a fun flavor twist to the chicken and other vegetables. The mango becomes juicy, smoky, and slightly caramelized, adding a delicious component to the dish.

If you’re hesitant about the whole fruit, veggies, and chicken ordeal we’ve got going on, try adding just the mango to separate kabobs and enjoying it as a side dish to this meal.

Creating the marinade, adding chopped chicken, and marinating it in a large bowl.

Chicken Kabobs Ingredients

Marinade:

  • Olive Oil: Makes the chicken moist and keeps it from sticking to the grill.
  • Orange and Lime Juice: Makes the chicken tender and gives a fresh, tangy taste.
  • Cilantro: Adds a fresh, green flavor.
  • Soy Sauce: Makes the chicken savory.
  • Honey: Adds sweetness.
  • Garlic and Ginger: Gives a spicy and strong flavor.
  • Sriracha Sauce: Makes it spicy.
  • Salt and Pepper: Adds basic flavor.

Kabob Ingredients:

  • Chicken: The main part of the dish.
  • Fruits/Veggies (Mango, Red Onion, Cherry Tomatoes, Zucchini): Adds sweetness and crunch; makes the dish colorful.

Bright, vibrant, fresh fruit and vegetables on a plate before being grilled.

How To Make Chicken Kabobs

  1. Mix Marinade: Combine olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, sriracha, salt, and pepper.
  2. Marinate Chicken: Cut chicken into pieces, place in a bag with marinade, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 6 hours.
  3. Prep Grill: Heat the grill to medium-high and oil the grates.
  4. Prepare Veggies/Fruit: Chop mango, red onion, zucchini, and keep cherry tomatoes ready.
  5. Assemble Kabobs: Skewer chicken, mango, onion, zucchini, and tomatoes.
  6. Grill: Cook kabobs on the grill for 6-8 minutes, turn once.
  7. Serve: Remove from grill and serve.

Quick Tip

If you do happen to add all the marinade to the raw chicken, you can boil it in a saucepan to make it safe again. More details here.

Uncooked chicken kabobs recipe, prepared and ready for grilling.

Tips For Success

  • Use a ripe mango for better grilling and caramelization. Check ripeness by gently squeezing; it should be soft like a ripe peach or avocado and have a fruity smell at the stem.
  • Honey Mangos (Ataulfo mangoes) are recommended for their sweetness and creaminess.
  • Cut vegetables and chicken into even sizes for uniform cooking.
  • If using chicken thighs, skewer them separately from the veggies and mango to avoid overcooking the vegetables, as thighs take longer to cook.A piece of the grilled meat being dipped in creamy, delicious sauce.

More Grilled Chicken Recipes

5 from 4 votes

Chicken Kabobs

These Chicken Kabobs are loaded with juicy marinated chicken, sweet mango, crisp onions, and cherry tomatoes, all served with a spicy sriracha sauce. Flavor-packed and protein-rich!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade (See Note 1)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 2 limes
  • 2-1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger or 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Veggies/Fruit
  • 1 large mango or 2 honey mangoes
  • 1 red onion
  • 3/4 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 2 small-medium zucchini
  • Chopped cilantro optional
Sriracha Dipping Sauce
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 2 large limes
  • 3 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar optional

Instructions 

  • Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Add 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice. Remove about 1/2 cup (put in an airtight container in the fridge for later) and pour the rest into a large resealable bag.
  • Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces (1 to 1 and 1/2 inches) and put in the resealable bag with the marinade. Seal the bag or cover tightly and place in the fridge. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutesโ€”preferably 2โ€“3 hours up to 6 hours. Do not exceed 6 hours, as the acidity will start to dry out the chicken.
  • Preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 400โ€“450ยฐF). Clean and oil grill grates by generously dipping a paper towel in olive oil and using tongs to rub it on the grill grates.
  • Peel and chop a mango into 2-inch cubes; chop the red onion to thick 1โ€“2 inch pieces; and cut a zucchini into half moons.
  • Once chicken has marinated, place the chicken pieces on a skewer, alternating with (see note 1) prepared fruits and veggies (cubed mango, red onion pieces, and zucchini). Add cherry tomatoes to the skewers as well.
  • Place the kabobs on the oiled hot grill and cook for 6โ€“8 minutes, flipping once or until chicken is cooked through. Chicken should reach 160ยฐF or juices run clear. The carryover heat will take chicken to the safe 165ยฐF. When turning the kabob sticks, brush the chicken with all but 2 tablespoons of the reserved marinade. Save those last 2 tablespoons for a finishing โ€œdressing.โ€
  • Add kabobs to a plate and evenly drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of marinade over everything. Serve with the sriracha dipping sauce and additional chopped cilantro if desired.

Sriracha Dipping Sauce

  • Zest part of 1 lime to get about 1/2 teaspoon lime zest and juice 2 limes to get about 3โ€“4 tablespoons lime juice.
  • Combine the mayo, lime juice, lime zest, sriracha, and (if desired) sugar in a bowl. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and taste, adding additional lime or sriracha to personal preference.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: The marinade is separated into three parts: one part for marinating, one for basting while cooking, and one for drizzling at the end as a sort of dressing.
Nutrition Note: Nutrition information is a bit tricky here, because the marinade doesnโ€™t actually contribute all those calories, but it does contribute some. These nutrition facts reflect all ingredients, even though a lot of marinade is discarded or cooks off the chicken.

Nutrition

Serving: 4servings | Calories: 599kcal | Carbohydrates: 39.1g | Protein: 18.9g | Fat: 44g | Cholesterol: 62.7mg | Sodium: 395mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 24.6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

 

 

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”I hope you find something delicious to make!

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5 from 4 votes

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5 Comments

  1. Mandy says:

    This may be a stupid question but will chicken tenderloins work instead of chicken breasts?

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Not a stupid question ๐Ÿ™‚ They will work great; if the pieces are smaller than indicated, just grill for less time. Enjoy ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. alisha says:

    5 stars
    The marinaded chicken is so juicy – makes the flavor pop.

  3. Krissy Allori says:

    5 stars
    Why does everything taste better on a stick? My whole family loves kabobs. These look amazing with all the great veggies. All in one meal for the win!

  4. Stephanie says:

    5 stars
    That marinade was incredible! It was such a great flavor for the chicken.