1Thai Coconut Grilled Chicken Skewers

Thai Coconut Grilled Chicken Skewers are packed with bold savory flavor and grilled until tender and delicious. The chicken is marinated in a flavorful blend of creamy coconut fresh ginger garlic and soy sauce giving every bite a rich aromatic taste with a lightly smoky finish. Best of all this easy chicken skewer recipe comes together with minimal effort making it perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or summer grilling.

Thai Coconut Grilled Chicken Skewers

If you’re craving an easy chicken dinner with plenty of flavor, these Thai Coconut Grilled Chicken Skewers are a great choice. Tender pieces of chicken are soaked in a rich marinade made with coconut cream, soy sauce, fresh garlic, and ginger, then cooked on the grill until juicy and beautifully caramelized. Grilling adds a delicious smoky finish that pairs perfectly with the savory, slightly creamy Thai-inspired marinade.

Grilled Thai Coconut Chicken Skewers

To finish these Grilled Thai Coconut Chicken Skewers, brush them with a light coconut cream glaze just before serving. It adds a subtle touch of sweetness that pairs beautifully with the savory, smoky flavors of the grilled chicken. Serve the skewers alongside a creamy peanut satay sauce for dipping to make every bite even more flavorful.

Serving chicken on skewers also makes this recipe easy to share and gives it an inviting presentation. They’re a great choice for summer cookouts, backyard gatherings, family dinners, or as a simple party appetizer.

If you enjoy Thai-inspired flavors or want something different for your next grilling night, these coconut-marinated chicken skewers are definitely worth adding to your recipe collection. They’re juicy, flavorful, lightly smoky, and surprisingly simple to prepare.

Read on to learn exactly how to make this delicious chicken skewers recipe today!

What Are Chicken Skewers?

Chicken skewers are a simple and flavorful dish enjoyed in many cuisines around the world. They are made by cutting chicken into bite-sized pieces, threading them onto skewers, and cooking them until tender and nicely browned. Grilling is especially popular because it can give the chicken a delicious smoky flavor and lightly charred finish.

Before cooking, the chicken is often marinated with ingredients such as herbs, spices, aromatics, oils, or savory sauces. This helps add flavor throughout the chicken while keeping each bite juicy and satisfying.

One of the best things about chicken skewers is their versatility. They can be served as a main dish, party appetizer, or paired with rice, salads, vegetables, wraps, and dipping sauces. By changing the marinade, seasonings, and accompaniments, you can easily create everything from Thai-inspired chicken skewers to Mediterranean, Asian, or spicy grilled variations.These Grilled Thai Coconut Chicken Skewers are easy to prepare while delivering plenty of bold, satisfying flavor. The marinade brings together creamy coconut and Thai-inspired seasonings to give the chicken a delicious balance of savory, slightly sweet, and gently spicy notes.

Coconut cream adds richness and helps create a beautifully caramelized coating as the chicken cooks on the grill. Thai curry paste contributes warmth and aromatic flavor, while oyster sauce and garlic add an extra savory depth. Once grilled, the chicken becomes tender and juicy inside with lightly charred, flavorful edges.

The result is a simple but impressive skewer recipe that works equally well for weeknight dinners, summer grilling, or sharing with family and friends.

Why You’ll Love These Chicken Skewers

Full of Flavor: The combination of creamy coconut, Thai-inspired seasonings, and savory sauces gives the chicken a rich and satisfying taste. Grilling adds a lightly smoky, caramelized finish while keeping every bite tender and juicy.

Quick and Simple: These Thai Coconut Chicken Skewers are surprisingly easy to prepare. Mix the marinade, coat the chicken, thread the pieces onto skewers, and grill until beautifully golden, making this recipe suitable for beginners and experienced home cooks alike.

Easy to Serve: Pair the skewers with steamed rice, fresh vegetables, a crisp salad, or your favorite dipping sauce for a complete meal. They’re also a great addition to summer cookouts, casual dinners, and party menus.

Simple to Customize: Prefer extra heat or more vegetables? You can adjust the seasonings to your taste or add colorful vegetables between the chicken pieces to create your own variation.

Perfect for Sharing: With their juicy texture, smoky grilled edges, and sweet-savory Thai-inspired flavor, these Grilled Thai Coconut Chicken Skewers make an inviting dish for family dinners, gatherings, and special occasions.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Chicken Skewers

You only need a few simple, flavorful ingredients to prepare these Grilled Thai Coconut Chicken Skewers at home. Many of them are everyday pantry staples, making this an easy recipe to put together without a complicated shopping list.

Here’s a quick look at the ingredients used in this recipe. For the exact quantities and complete measurements, scroll down to the recipe card below.

Chicken: Boneless chicken thighs are an excellent choice for these Thai Coconut Chicken Skewers because they stay tender and juicy when grilled. You can purchase boneless thighs for convenience or remove the bones yourself and save them for homemade stock. Chicken breast also works well if you prefer leaner white meat, but keep an eye on the cooking time to help prevent it from becoming dry.

For the Marinade

Fresh Ginger: Fresh ginger brings a warm, aromatic kick to the marinade and complements the coconut and savory seasonings beautifully. Finely grate or mince it so its flavor distributes evenly throughout the chicken.
Garlic: Crushed or finely minced garlic adds a bold, savory aroma and gives the marinade another layer of flavor.
Light Soy Sauce: Light soy sauce provides saltiness and plenty of savory umami flavor, forming an important part of the marinade for these Thai Coconut Chicken Skewers.
Dark Soy Sauce: A small amount of dark soy sauce gives the chicken a deeper color and richer appearance as it cooks. If you don’t have it available, regular soy sauce can be used instead, although the finished color may be lighter.
Coconut Cream: Rich coconut cream gives the marinade a smooth, creamy quality with a hint of natural sweetness. It also coats the chicken beautifully, helping create a flavorful exterior when the skewers hit the grill.
Sugar: A little sugar balances the salty and savory ingredients while encouraging a delicious caramelized finish during grilling.
Oyster Sauce: Oyster sauce contributes another layer of deep, savory umami flavor to the marinade. If it isn’t available, you can use a little extra soy sauce with a small amount of sugar as an alternative.

For the Coconut Cream Glaze

Coconut Cream: Thick and creamy coconut cream creates a rich glaze with a noticeable coconut flavor. Its thicker consistency also helps the glaze cling nicely to the chicken. If coconut cream isn’t available, full-fat coconut milk is a good alternative; choose a thicker variety for the best results.
Honey: Honey adds gentle sweetness and helps the glaze develop a glossy, lightly caramelized finish during cooking. Since it blends easily with coconut cream, it also helps create a smooth glaze. Sugar can be used as an alternative if needed.
Soy Sauce: A small splash of soy sauce adds savory, salty notes that balance the sweetness of the honey and richness of the coconut cream, giving the finished glaze a more rounded flavor.

For the Peanut Sauce

Unsweetened Peanut Butter: Natural peanut butter creates the rich, creamy base of the sauce. A simple variety with minimal added ingredients works especially well and blends smoothly with the other flavors.
Rice Vinegar: Adds a light, tangy acidity that cuts through the richness of the peanut butter and helps keep the sauce balanced.
Thai Red Curry Paste: Brings warmth, spice, and aromatic Thai-inspired flavor, giving the peanut sauce more depth.
Maple Syrup or Honey: A little sweetness rounds out the savory and spicy ingredients. Either maple syrup or honey works well depending on your preference.
Water: Use water to loosen the sauce until it reaches your preferred consistency. Start with a small amount and gradually add more for a thinner, pourable sauce.
Sesame Oil (Optional): A small splash adds a toasted, nutty aroma and makes the overall flavor of the sauce more complex.
Chili Oil (Optional): Add chili oil when you want an extra spicy kick. Depending on the chili oil you use, it can also contribute additional savory or garlicky notes.
Crushed Peanuts (Optional, for Garnish): Sprinkle crushed peanuts over the finished sauce for extra crunch, nuttiness, and a nice finishing touch.
How to Make Chicken Skewers (Step by Step)
Making this incredible grilled Thai coconut chicken skewers recipe at home is super easy and will give you great results every single time. Here’s how to make it step by step:
Step 1: Marinate the Chicken

There’s no right or wrong way to prepare this coconut marinade.

You can use a mortar and pestle, a small food processor or you can chop the ginger and garlic finely by hand. Use the method that is easiest for you

Once the marinade is done, and the meat is mixed in with it – I let it marinade for approximately 1-2 hours. Sometimes if I know I need to make a huge batch for a big event, I will even pre-skewer the meat and marinate it overnight. It marinates fine pre-skewered with no issues.

Skewering is definitely the most tedious part of this recipe. Soak the ends of the skewers that will be exposed to the heat in a cup of water for a few minutes so that they don’t burn off. No need to worry about the pointy end, it will be covered with meat.

I personally like to keep the chicken skin on because it adds a bit of flavor and texture to the skewers but you can choose to remove the chicken skin if you want it to be a bit healthier. If you remove the chicken skin, it will definitely be a lot easier to skewer as I find the skin is the hardest part to pierce.

I also find it easier to keep the meat at the top 1-2 inches of the skewer and push the meat down as more get skewered on. You may need to skewer some pieces twice as you don’t want floppy bits of chicken dangling while you are grilling since those pieces can easily burn.

When it comes to chicken skewers, I find one of the best parts is the smoky flavor so I love using a charcoal BBQ for this and grilling this over direct heat.

However, if you do not have a charcoal BBQ, you can still use a gas BBQ as well.

Regardless of what type of BBQ you decide to use, you want to cook these over very high heat (500F), over direct heat.

Make sure to watch the meat and don’t walk away from it while you are cooking it.

When the meat is almost done, brush a few layers of the coconut glaze you prepared onto the chicken for a bit of sweetness and char.

You don’t want to keep the glazed meat on the grill for too long, or the sugars will burn. 2-3 minutes should be enough time to caramelize the glaze.

Quick and Easy Peanut Sauce

This chicken skewer recipe doesn’t really need a sauce but if you’re like me and like to dip everything, here is a great quick and easy Thai peanut satay sauce I usually like to throw together to dip my chicken skewers in.

The details of the ingredients are below in the recipe card as well.

If you are up for it, I also have a Thai peanut sauce recipe you can create from scratch as well which has a bit more texture to it.

Joyce’s Tips For Making the Best Chicken Skewers Every Single Time

Coconut Cream Substitute: I highly recommend using coconut cream for this recipe, but if you can’t find it, you can use full-fat coconut milk. I like to shake the can of coconut milk to listen to how thick it is before I buy it.

Marinate for Maximum Flavor: Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours, or overnight if possible. This will infuse the chicken with delicious Thai flavors and make sure it is tender and juicy when cooked.

Use Dark Meat with Skin On – For the best flavor, use boneless dark meat with the skin on. The fat will render out of the chicken skin and create smoke in the BBQ, which will give your chicken a delicious smoky flavor. The crispy skin is delicious as well.

Soak the Wooden Skewers: Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before threading the chicken onto them. This will prevent the skewers from burning on the grill. I like to soak the tips and ends in a cup of water because that is what will be exposed to the flame.

Preheat the Grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat before cooking the chicken skewers. This will make sure that the chicken cooks evenly and develops a nice char on the outside.

Thread Chicken Tightly: Skewer the marinated chicken onto the skewers tightly, making sure there are no gaps between the pieces. This will help the chicken cook evenly and prevent it from drying out or burning.

Rest Before Serving: After cooking, let the chicken skewers rest for a few minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute and helps to guarantee a more tender and delicious final result.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the grilled Thai chicken skewers on a bed of steamed jasmine rice or pad thai and top with chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime for a delicious and complete meal.
Create a Thai-inspired salad by tossing together shredded cabbage, carrots, and cucumber. Top with the grilled chicken skewers and drizzle with a peanut dressing for a refreshing and satisfying dish.
Wrap the grilled Thai coconut chicken skewers in lettuce leaves with rice noodles, red peppers, carrots, and cucumber salad and serve as lettuce wraps. Garnish with sliced red chili peppers, chopped peanuts, and a drizzle of sweet chili sauce or peanut satay sauce for a fun and interactive meal.
Make a tropical-inspired bowl by arranging the grilled chicken skewers on a bed of coconut-infused quinoa. Top with diced pineapple, sliced avocado, and a sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes for a burst of flavors and textures.
Serve the grilled chicken skewers as an appetizer or party snack with a side of peanut sauce for dipping. Garnish with chopped green onions and crushed peanuts for an extra layer of flavor.
Serve it with a side of Thai sweet and sour soups like Tom Yum or Tom Kha soup for a simple meal with lots of flavors.

Recipe Variation Ideas for Chicken Skewers

This delicious grilled chicken kabobs recipe is so flavorful and easy to make, you’ll want to try out some of these delicious variations! Here are some great ideas:

Spicy twist: Add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes or a tablespoon of sriracha sauce to the marinade for an extra kick of heat. This is perfect for those who enjoy spicy flavors and want to add some heat to their dish.

Veggies: You can easily add any veggies you like to the skewers or even alternate them with the chicken for a delicious chicken and veggie skewer combination! Bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and red onions all work great!

Meat: Switch out the chicken for pork for some delicious Thai pork skewers! I find pork shoulder or pork butt works best because of the marbling of fat-to-meat ratio. Make sure to adjust cooking time to ensure they’re cooked all the way through.

How to Store Leftover Chicken Skewers

To store the leftovers, first, allow the cooked chicken to cool down to room temperature. Then, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

When you are ready to eat the leftovers, you can reheat them by grilling them again for a few minutes or by using a microwave or oven. If you are using a microwave, place the chicken on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and heat in 30-second intervals until heated through.

If you are using an oven, preheat it to 350°F (175°C), place the chicken on a baking sheet, and heat for about 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.

It is not recommended to freeze these cooked grilled Thai coconut chicken skewers as freezing can cause the chicken to become dry and to lose its flavor and texture but to save time you can freeze the raw chicken with marinade in the freezer ahead of time and when you are ready to make it, fully thaw it in the fridge before you grill them.

Did You Make This Thai Chicken Kebab Recipe?

If you made this Thai Coconut Grilled Chicken Skewers recipe, leave me a comment to let me know how it went! I also want to see! Follow Pups with Chopsticks on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag and hashtag it with and #pupswithchopsticks. I love to know what you are making!

step1

½ kg chicken (dark meat preferably)

Marinade

▢2-2 ½ slices ginger (approx. 2 tablespoons)
▢1 cloves garlic (approx. 1½ tablespoons)
▢1 tablespoon soy sauce
▢½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
▢1 tablespoon coconut cream
▢1 tablespoon sugar
▢½ tablespoon oyster sauce

Coconut Cream Glaze

▢3 tablespoons coconut cream
▢¾ tablespoon honey
▢½ teaspoon soy sauce

Simple Peanut Sauce (Optional)

▢1 tablespoons coconut cream
▢⅛ cup natural peanut butter (unsweetened)
▢½ teaspoon rice vinegar
▢½ teaspoon Thai red curry paste
▢1 teaspoon maple syrup (or honey)
▢1 teaspoon soy sauce
▢1-1 ½ tablespoons water (or enough to thin it out to the consistency you like)
▢½ teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
▢½ teaspoon chili oil (optional)
▢crushed peanuts (optional, sprinkled on top)

step 2

1 kg chicken (dark meat preferably)

Marinade

▢4-5 slices ginger (approx. 2 tablespoons)
▢2 cloves garlic (approx. 1½ tablespoons)
▢2 tablespoons soy sauce
▢1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
▢2 tablespoon coconut cream
▢2 tablespoons sugar
▢1 tablespoon oyster sauce

Coconut Cream Glaze

▢6 tablespoons coconut cream
▢1 ½ tablespoons honey
▢1 teaspoon soy sauce

Simple Peanut Sauce (Optional)

▢2 tablespoons coconut cream
▢¼ cup natural peanut butter (unsweetened)
▢1 teaspoon rice vinegar
▢1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
▢2 teaspoons maple syrup (or honey)
▢2 teaspoons soy sauce
▢2-3 tablespoons water (or enough to thin it out to the consistency you like)
▢1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
▢1 teaspoon chili oil (optional)
▢crushed peanuts (optional, sprinkled on top)

step 3

2 kg chicken (dark meat preferably)

Marinade

▢8-10 slices ginger (approx. 2 tablespoons)
▢4 cloves garlic (approx. 1½ tablespoons)
▢4 tablespoons soy sauce
▢2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
▢4 tablespoons coconut cream
▢4 tablespoons sugar
▢2 tablespoons oyster sauce

Coconut Cream Glaze

▢12 tablespoons coconut cream
▢3 tablespoons honey
▢2 teaspoon soy sauce

Simple Peanut Sauce (Optional)

▢4 tablespoons coconut cream
▢½ cup natural peanut butter (unsweetened)
▢2 teaspoons rice vinegar
▢2 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
▢4 teaspoons maple syrup (or honey)
▢4 teaspoons soy sauce
▢4-6 tablespoons water (or enough to thin it out to the consistency you like)
▢2 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
▢2 teaspoon chili oil (optional)
▢crushed peanuts (optional, sprinkled on top)

step 4

4 kg chicken (dark meat preferably)

Marinade

▢16-20 slices ginger (approx. 2 tablespoons)
▢8 cloves garlic (approx. 1½ tablespoons)
▢8 tablespoons soy sauce
▢4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
▢8 tablespoon coconut cream
▢8 tablespoons sugar
▢4 tablespoons oyster sauce

Coconut Cream Glaze

▢24 tablespoons coconut cream
▢6 tablespoons honey
▢4 teaspoon soy sauce

Simple Peanut Sauce (Optional)

▢8 tablespoons coconut cream
▢1 cup natural peanut butter (unsweetened)
▢4 teaspoon rice vinegar
▢4 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
▢8 teaspoons maple syrup (or honey)
▢8 teaspoon soy sauce
▢8-12 tablespoons water (or enough to thin it out to the consistency you like)
▢4 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
▢4 teaspoon chili oil (optional)
▢crushed peanuts (optional, sprinkled on top)

Nutrition

Nutritional information is calculated using online tools and is an estimate

Quick & Easy Peanut Sauce (Optional)

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients from the peanut sauce ingredient list and mix well.
Set aside until the chicken skewers are ready to be served.

Marinating & Skewering the Chicken

If you are using wooden skewers, in a tall cup, add water and soak the back ends (the ends that are not pointy) so they don’t burn on the grill.
Cut the chicken up into 1×1 inch chunks and set it in a bowl

Using your preferred method (mortar and pestle, food processor, or finely chop by hand) chop the garlic and ginger up as finely as you can and add it to the chicken
Add the rest of the marinade ingredients from the ‘Marinade’ ingredient list into the bowl and mix everything together.

Let it marinade in the bowl for a minimum of 1-2 hours in the fridge. I like to marinate them overnight for more flavor.
Remove them from the fridge 30 minutes before you are about to grill them.
Skewer the chicken. You may need to skewer some pieces twice so that there are not a lot of loose pieces. The loose pieces usually burn the quickest, so you want the meat to be snug with the skewers. (Also make sure not to run your fingers along the skewers to prevent splinters. Salty marinade splinters are not fun. Use the meat as a shield to run them down the skewers

Making the Coconut Cream Glaze

In a small bowl, combine the coconut cream, honey and soy sauce and set aside for glazing the chicken at the very end.

Grilling

Set the charcoal or gas grill to approximately 500F (260C)
When the grill has reached the temperature, add the skewers on the grill. You want to cook them over direct heat.
Flip them every 2-3 minutes, 4-5 times, or for approximately 15-18 minutes. Do not leave them un-attended, they will burn quickly. Once the meat has browned and charred over the direct heat for 15 minutes, it should feel a bit more solid on the stick and should be cooked.