This easy recipe for Asian Marinated Chicken Kabobs is delicious, low-carb, and it’s definitely kid-approved! And summer may be winding down, but you still have quite a few weeks left of grilling weather so enjoy!

PIN the Asian Marinated Chicken to try it later!

Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Asian Marinade finished kabobs on serving plate

I love chicken kabobs, and this recipe for Asian Marinated Chicken Kabobs were hit when I made them for my niece Kara’s family, so I can report that they’re not only healthy and low in carbs for the adults, they’re definitely kid-friendly as well. If you’re looking for an idea for end of summer grilling, I can heartily recommend this recipe.

And although some people treat Labor Day as the unofficial end of summer, I like to stretch out summer as long as I can. My garden is still giving me zucchini and tomatoes, and I’m still grilling outside, so there might be a few more summer food ideas coming before we switch to casseroles and baked dishes!

How do you feel about the arrival of cooler weather? Are you still celebrating summer, like me? Or are you one of those people who’s already thinking about (gasp) pumpkin recipes?

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What Asian flavors are in the Asian Marinated Chicken Kabobs?

I am not claiming this is an authentic Asian recipe, but with soy sauce, Asian sesame oil, garlic, and ginger, there are a lot of Asian flavors going on here.

What skewers did I use for Asian Marinated Chicken Kabobs?

This recipe uses those beautiful blade-type skewers I got in Turkey, and if you’re making kabobs I highly recommend using either thicker blade-type skewers (affiliate link) or double skewers (affiliate link) to prevent the meat from spinning around on the skewers. But if you don’t have any skewers like that, make sure you squeeze the food together to hold it in place.

How to make Asian Marinated Chicken without an outdoor grill:

If you don’t have an outdoor grill (or it’s not grilling weather) the grilled chicken kabobs can be cooked on a stove-top grill pan with ridges or George Foreman Grill as well. (affiliate links) Remember the George Foreman Grill cooks both sides at once, so adjust the grilling time.

Want more ideas for low-carb kabobs?

Check out Amazing Recipes for Grilled Kabobs if you want to see some other options for low-carb dinners cooked on a skewer! And if you’re not grilling, check out Low-Carb and Keto Baked Chicken Recipes.

Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Asian Marinade process shots collage

How to make Asian Marinated Chicken Kabobs:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. Mix together the oil, soy sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link), sesame oil (affiliate link), garlic puree, ginger puree, fresh lime juice, and curry powder to make the marinade.
  2. Trim chicken breasts (or use 8 skinless, boneless thighs if you prefer) and cut in 4 or 5 pieces crosswise.
  3. Put chicken and marinade in a Ziploc bag and let it marinate all day in the fridge.
  4. When it’s time to cook, drain the chicken pieces while you preheat the grill to medium-high.
  5. Thread chicken on to skewers, folding each piece over so it won’t spin around on the skewer.
  6. Cook chicken about 8 minutes on the first side, or until you see nice grill marks and the chicken is starting to feel firm.
  7. Then turn skewers over and cook about 5 minutes more on the second side.
  8. For best results, use an instant-read meat thermometer (affiliate link) and take the chicken off when it reaches 165F/75C. (See more about safe temperatures for food.)
  9. Serve hot and enjoy.

Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Asian Marinade shown on skewers on serving plate

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

This Asian Marinated Chicken would taste great with Crunchy Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw, Green Beans with Tahini and Lemon, Cucumber Salad with Avocado and Feta, Grilled Eggplant Salad, or Thai Cucumber Salad for a low-carb meal! If you have any leftover chicken, make Asian Chopped Chicken Salad the next day.

More Tasty Chicken for Dinner:

thumbnail image of grilled chicken kabobs with asian marinade finished kabobs on serving plate
Yield: 4 servings

Asian Marinated Chicken Kabobs

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Additional Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 33 minutes

These Asian Marinated Chicken Kabobs are perfect for grilling weather, and when I tested the recipe out on some kids it was a hit.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (see notes)

Marinade Ingredients:

  • 1/8 cup peanut oil (see notes)
  • 1/8 cup olive oil (see notes)
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce (see notes)
  • 1 T Asian sesame oil
  • 1 T garlic puree
  • 2 tsp. ginger puree
  • 3 T fresh lime juice (see notes)
  • 1 tsp. Madras Curry Powder or any curry powder you like will work
  • salt, pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Mix together the peanut oil (or more olive oil), olive oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic puree, ginger puree, fresh lime juice, and curry powder to make the marinade.
  2. Trim chicken, removing all visible fat and tendons.
  3. Cut chicken breasts into 4 or 5 crosswise strips. (For thighs, cut into two pieces each.)
  4. Arrange chicken in single layer in Ziploc bag, pour marinade over and marinate at least 8 hours in the refrigerator. If you’re going to be home, turn it a few times, but it’s not essential.
  5. To cook, drain chicken in a colander in the sink and let it come to room temperature while you preheat gas or charcoal grill to medium high.
  6. Spray the grill with non-stick spray or brush with oil before you heat. (You can also brush a little oil directly on the kabobs after you’ve assembled them.)
  7. Thread chicken on to skewers, folding each piece over so it won’t spin around on the skewer. I like blade shaped skewers (affiliate link) or double skewers (affiliate link) to prevent the meat from spinning.
  8. Put chicken on grill and cook about 8 minutes, rotating a partial turn a few times for maximum grill marks.
  9. Then turn chicken over and cook about 5 minutes more, or until chicken feels firm but not hard to the touch.
  10. For best results, use an instant-read meat thermometer (affiliate link) and take the chicken off when it reaches 165F/75C. (See more about safe temperatures for food.)
  11. Serve hot.
  12. Leftover grilled chicken would be great on a salad like this one.

Notes

You can use 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs if you prefer. I liked this with a combination of olive oil and peanut oil, but just use 1/4 cup olive oil if you don’t have peanut oil or don’t want to use it. I used my fresh-frozen lime juice for this recipe. Use Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link) if needed.

This recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 363Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 1111mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 39g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Square image of Asian Marinated Chicken Kabobs shown on serving platter.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Asian Marinated Chicken would be great for a low-carb or Keto diet, or any phase of the original South Beach Diet.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Grilling Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for Asian Marinated Chicken cooked on kabobs was first posted in 2008. The photos were updated in 2016 and the recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.

 
Pinterest image of Asian Marinated Chicken Kabobs

Share This: