Summer goes out with a Bang
Kids are back in school and another summer is in the books. But there’s still some great BBQ weather left before Fall sets in. This Sambal Chicken Skewers recipe is the perfect way to say goodbye to my favorite season of the year.
Sambal Chicken Skewers has the perfect amount of bang! It’s a little bit sweet and a lot a bit spicy (you can adjust the heat to your liking). 
What’s in the Sambal Chicken Skewers recipe
- light brown sugar
- unseasoned rice vinegar
- chili paste (I use sambal oelek)
- sriracha
- fish sauce
- fresh ginger
- boneless skinless chicken thighs
I enjoy serving these skewers with a creamy garlicky dipping sauce. I think the sauce cools down the heat of the Sambal Chicken Skewers. It’s also a great sauce to use to top Chicken Fajitas or tacos. I love the lime flavor as it combines with the garlic in a smooth cool sauce.
“Rooster Sauce”–A good story
The main ingredients in this recipe are sriracha and sambal oelek. And one of the most popular brands making both sauces was created by David Tran of Huy Fong Foods.
David Tran’s Huy Fong Foods is named after the ship that brought him to America, and his rooster logo represents his birth year, 1945–the year of the rooster. Fans of the sauce have called it “rooster sauce” for as long as I can remember.
Mr. Tran came to California in 1980 from Vietnam looking for the perfect red jalapeno chili pepper to make a spicy hot sauce he used in Vietnam. He created his hot sauce with California-grown red jalapenos, selling it door to door to Chinese restaurants and markets. The popularity of his sriracha (see-rah-cha) sauce grew as did his company,
Huy Fong Foods now shares its famous rooster on t-shirts, shorts, coffee mugs…the list for ways to display fan devotion seems endless.
These days there are several brands producing sriracha. But with prices kept low (Mr. Tran never advertises his products) and brand loyalty, my tried-and-true “rooster sauce” looks like it’s here to stay.
Other Favorite Recipes
Sambal Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup chili paste (I use sambal oelek)
- 1/8 to 1/4 cup sriracha
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1½ to 2-inch pieces
- 8 bamboo skewers soaked in water for 1 hour
Instructions
- In a large bowl, WHISK brown sugar, vinegar, chili paste, sriracha, fish sauce, and ginger.
- ADD chicken to the bowl and STIR to coat chicken with sauce. Let MARINATE for 1 hour.
- THREAD the chicken onto a skewer, reserving the marinade.
- PLACE marinade in a small saucepan. Bring to a BOIL. REDUCE heat, and SIMMER for about 10-15 minutes. Sauce should be reduced by half (about 1 cup) and look thicker.
- GRILL the chicken over medium heat. TURN chicken every 1-2 minutes, brushing with the sauce each time.
- GRILL for about 8-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
- SERVE.
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