Chili-Lime Mango Chicken Skewers

These sweet and spicy skewers feature tender chicken and sweet juicy mango all grilled up with a sweet and tangy fresh lime marinade. We love this recipe with lime-cilantro rice or sweet and savory coconut rice. While I do prefer the smokiness from a traditional outdoor grill, feel free to use an indoor grill pan, or pop them under a broiler if you need to. TIP: Look for large mangos so there is enough fruit to cut a big enough chunk for the grill, and opt for ripe but slightly firm fruit so it will hold up in the heat. I also suggest buying an extra mango or 2 because sometimes there’s a learning curve to cutting it effectively.

Ingredient Notes

Mango – Look for LARGE mangos because you’ll need larger chunks. The little yellow varieties simply don’t have enough flesh on them to get large enough pieces. Look for the red/green ones as pictured here. Also use them before they get too soft. A ripe, but slightly firmer mango will hold up better on the grill.
Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breast.
Marinade
- Olive Oil
- Lime Zest
- Lime Juice
- Chili Powder
- Cayenne Pepper
- Salt
- Sugar

A mango and mango chunks on a cutting board.

Chili-Lime Mango Chicken marinating in a bowl.

How to Make Chili-Lime Mango Chicken Skewers

Prep your mango: If you’ve never cut a fresh mango, there’s a little bit of a learning curve, but it’s not hard! Click here for a little tutorial on how to pick and cut a mango. Cut your mango into large cubes. Aim for 1 1/2 inches if you can.
Marinate your chicken in Chili-Lime Marinade: The chicken chunks (and the mango) get a little dip in a sweet and savory mix of fresh lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, and a touch of sugar (don’t leave that part out, it helps caramelize the mango!).
Thread your skewers: Thread everything onto skewers, while being careful to not overcrowd things. Your chicken chunks should be the same size, or slightly smaller than your mango to help facilitate everything cooking at the same time.
Grill your Chili-Lime Mango Chicken Skewers: Pop them on the grill, turning once or twice, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

Storing and Other Tips

Leftover Chili-Lime Mango Chicken Skewers should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container and eaten within 3-5 days.
Leftovers are delicious served cold over a salad or gently reheated in the microwave.

Tips for Working with Skewers

If you’re using wooden or bamboo skewers, don’t forget to soak them in water for 20-30 minutes before you use them so they will hold up to the heat of the grill.
When you’re making any type of skewer, make sure not to smash everything together tightly. In order for the food to cook thoroughly and evenly, it needs a little room! The pieces threaded on should just barely touch each other.

Do I have to use mangoes?

While I haven’t tried any other fruits personally, there are several that I grill in other ways that would probably work very well here. If you’d like to switch things up, pineapple would probably work well. Flavor-wise peaches or nectarines would be delicious but you might have to be creative in cutting them to get large enough pieces and they would need to be a little under-ripe to hold up to the heat on the grill.

Can I make these ahead of time?

You can definitely cut up your mango and chicken a day ahead of time. You could prepare your marinade early as well. For best results, I suggest waiting until no more than 8 hours before cooking to marinate your chicken and mangoes.