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Total Time
30 minutes (plus 2 hours for marinating)
These grilled chicken skewers are flavorful, spicy, and full of citrusy pep, all without having to juice a lemon. The secret ingredient? Sprite. I took a note from chicken inasal, a Filipino barbecued chicken dish, and marinated the chicken breasts in the lemon-lime soda along with fish sauce, garlic, and Thai chili sauce to tenderize the meat and infuse it with punchy flavor. The result is succulent, spicy, sweet-sticky chicken skewers. Bonus: You can use up any half-empty bottles of Sprite for this marinade (you don’t need the fizz).
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Ingredients
6–8 servings
8
garlic cloves, finely grated
1
12-oz. can or 1½ cups Sprite
1½
cups Thai chile sauce, divided
½
cup plus 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
2
tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
3
lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ pieces
Vegetable oil (for grill)
Juice of 3 medium limes
⅓
cup finely chopped cilantro
Special Equipment
Eight 10″-long bamboo skewers, soaked 30 minutes, or metal skewers
Preparation
- Step 1
Mix together 8 garlic cloves, finely grated, one 12-oz. can or 1½ cups Sprite, 1 cup Thai chile sauce, ½ cup fish sauce, and 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a 1-gal. resealable plastic bag or large baking dish. Add 3 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ pieces, and turn to coat. Seal or cover; chill, turning occasionally, at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours. (Marinate at least 4 hours if you can.)
Step 2
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; oil grate with vegetable oil. Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip back into bag or dish; discard marinade. Thread chicken onto skewers (about 8 pieces each) and grill, turning once, until cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the a piece should register 160°), 10–12 minutes. Transfer skewers to a platter and let rest 5 minutes.
Step 3
Whisk juice of 3 medium limes, ⅓ cup finely chopped cilantro, remaining ½ cup Thai chile sauce, and remaining 1 Tbsp. fish sauce in a small bowl to combine. Taste sauce and season with salt if needed. Spoon sauce over chicken skewers to serve.