Mango Lime Chicken Skewers (Printer-friendly)

Tender chicken marinated in mango-lime sauce, skewered with peppers and onions, grilled to juicy perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Marinade

01 - 1 large ripe mango, peeled and diced
02 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
03 - 2 teaspoons lime zest
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 2 tablespoons honey
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
08 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - ½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

→ Skewers

12 - 600 grams boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1.25 inch (3 cm) cubes
13 - 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1.25 inch (3 cm) pieces
14 - 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1.25 inch (3 cm) pieces
15 - 1 small red onion, cut into chunks
16 - Mango cubes from 1 additional ripe mango
17 - Fresh cilantro, for garnish
18 - Lime wedges, for serving

# Steps:

01 - Combine diced mango, fresh lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, honey, minced garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, optional chili flakes, salt, and black pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth.
02 - Reserve ¼ cup of the blended marinade for basting. Place chicken cubes in a bowl or zip-top bag, pour remaining marinade over, toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours for enhanced flavor.
03 - Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high temperature, or preheat oven broiler if using.
04 - Thread marinated chicken, red and yellow bell peppers, red onion chunks, and mango cubes alternately onto soaked wooden or metal skewers.
05 - Cook skewers on the preheated grill for 10 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally. Brush with reserved marinade in the last few minutes. Grill until chicken is cooked through with slight char marks.
06 - Remove skewers from the grill and let rest for 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve alongside lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The mango-lime marinade creates a sweet-tart glaze that tastes like you spent hours developing the flavor profile, but it takes 10 minutes in a blender.
  • Grilling time is short enough that you can actually enjoy your guests instead of being tethered to the grill.
  • It feels special and tropical without requiring any hard-to-find ingredients or fancy techniques.
02 -
  • Don't skip the 30-minute marinade time thinking you'll save time—those minutes are when the acid and spices actually do their work, and it's the difference between tender chicken and rubber.
  • Reserve that marinade before the chicken touches it; raw chicken marinade is not safe to brush on at the end, which is why we keep some back untouched from the start.
  • If your mango pieces fall apart on the grill, they weren't quite ripe enough to begin with, or your grill was too high—fruit needs gentler heat than chicken does.
03 -
  • Brush the grate with oil before heating it, not after—hot oil doesn't coat evenly and creates flare-ups, but cold oil soaks in and prevents sticking.
  • The mango glaze wants to burn, so keep the heat at medium-high rather than screaming hot, and always brush in the last few minutes, never at the beginning when it will char black.
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