Sriracha Glazed Chicken Skewers with Peaches and Basil

I’ve decided this is fetishist week on Domesticate ME!

(Fingers crossed the above sentence doesn’t confuse Google. Things are already bad enough when you search #domesticateme on any form of social media. It’s mostly S&M interspersed with a handful of my food photos, which is inappropriate.)

So, yesterday we discussed my tiny food obsession, and today I’d like to delve into my deep and somewhat masochistic love affair with Sriracha.

I’ve always loved spicy food, a quality I most likely inherited from my father, who regularly sweats during meals due to his appreciation for things with “a good kick.” I adore pretty much all chili peppers, and to be honest, I weirdly enjoy when my tongue goes all tingly/numb from the heat.

Don’t judge me, this is a safe space.

For better or worse, I didn’t start experimenting with hot sauce until college, and it quickly became an addiction. I was pretty non-discriminatory with my saucing at first, but over the years I’ve developed very strong preferences when it comes to firing up my food.

All hot sauces are not created equal.

First of all, I’m vehemently anti-Tabasco. It’s the worst, and it makes me legitimately angry that it’s the only option at most restaurants. (Yes, I’ve considered traveling with hot sauce in my purse, but I don’t want to be that girl.) Frank’s Red Hot is the only thing I want on wings/Buffalo flavored thangs, and Cholula is my go-to for enhancing any sort of Mexican fare. When it comes to everything else? Gimme dat Rooster sauce. Sriracha FOREVER.

I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is that makes Sriracha so superior to other hot sauces, so let’s just say that I am picking up what Huy Fong Foods is putting down. The blend of red jalapeño peppers, garlic powder, vinegar and HFF’s secret ingredients is pure magic, and I’m only mildly embarrassed to admit that I put Sriracha on/in about 75% of the things I eat. See: eggs, avocado toast, chili, salad dressings, chicken fingers, stir fry, and ketchup (to name a few). Can’t stop, won’t stop.

You can imagine how upset I was last fall when various media outlets reported that there was going to be a national shortage of Sriracha if Huy Fong Foods was forced to shut down production at their California factory. (Apparently, the smell was giving neighboring residents watery eyes and throats, and these pussies people filed a complaint in a Los Angeles court.) I’m not an alarmist, but I do have a panic disorder, and the threat of Srirachapocalypse was almost too much for me to bear. My hoarding tendencies immediately kicked in, and I bought several bottles, but the crisis was mercifully averted, and Sriracha never disappeared from shelves. Thank you, Jesus.

A Sriracha shortage would have actually been devastating for this blog, since I use the miracle sauce in a number of my recipes. To be honest, I didn’t realize just how flagrant my obsession with Sriracha was on the site until a couple of months ago, when my friend Lara called to tell me that that she had discovered 15 bottles of Sriracha in her parents’ pantry. When she inquired as to what her mother was doing with so much Sriracha (which she had never seen her buy before), Mrs. Nadosy replied, “Serena uses it in so many of her recipes, I figured I should stock up!”

When I first heard that, I was both flattered (thanks for reading, Mrs. Nadosy!) and embarrassed (do I really use Sriracha that much?). As a result, I feel like I subconsciously reigned in my Sriracha use on the blog for a while.

Then I realized that I was taking the wrong approach. What if there were others out there like Mrs. Nadosy who had stockpiled Sriracha because of me, and now it was just languishing in their cupboards? Such a waste!

Armed with this excuse to indulge my fetish, I set to work brainstorming Sriracha-laced recipes to share with all of you potential hot sauce hoarders. It was tough to pick just one for today, but I feel solid about this Sriracha Glazed Chicken Skewers with Peaches and Basil choice. It’s going to blow your mind.

Light, fresh, and made on the grill, these skewers are everything I want in a summer meal. If you’ve never grilled peaches before, please mentally prepare yourself for the deliciousness that’s in store. The fruit gets beautifully caramelized and the smoky sweetness is, in a word, unreal. Paired with juicy, citrus-Sriracha marinated chicken and bright basil, each bite is an explosion of sweet and savory flavor with just the right amount of heat. I die.

While I like to serve these delightful skewers with a simple salad and some grilled bread for low-key summer dining, please feel free to get a little weird with them. I left a pile of these in the fridge for my roommate when I went out of town last weekend (lest he starve to death/subsist entirely on hot dogs), and I received several texts about the wraps and ’dillas he whipped up. I don’t want to know the details of what else was in these creations because they will probably just upset me, but I actually like the Dude’s ideas. (Snaps for Logan.)

In fact, I think that the contents of the skewers would be delicious in a quesadilla with a little mozzarella and goat cheese, or in a whole grain tortilla with some fresh greens. Oh, and butter lettuce wraps would also be a bomb and incredibly wonderland body-friendly way to crush these babies.

Summa summa summa tiiiiime.

Sriracha Glazed Grilled Chicken Skewers with Peaches and Basil: (Serves 4)

Ingredients:
8-16 bamboo skewers (You may want to use 2 per skewer for extra stability.)
1½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 lime, juiced and zested
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon Sriracha (plus more for serving)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds total)
2 peaches, cut into 16ths
24 fresh basil leaves

Preparing your Sriracha Glazed Grilled Chicken Skewers with Peaches and Basil:

-Start by soaking the bamboo skewers in a shallow dish filled with water for 30 minutes. (Do not skip this step people, or your skewers will catch fire on the grill, which is terrifying.)

-In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice and zest, honey and Sriracha. Briefly set aside.

-Slice your chicken breasts into approximately 1-inch chunks.

-Place them in a large Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over them. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (Obviously, the longer you let the chicken marinate the more it will soak up the glorious flavors, but 30 minutes will do in a pinch.)

-Slice your peaches into 16ths. Just to break it down: Cut each peach in half (removing the pit, duh). Then slice each half into four segments. Slice each of those four segments in half. Voila!

-Once the chicken is marinated, it’s time to assemble the skewers. Thread a piece of chicken, followed by a basil leaf, and a peach segment onto a soaked bamboo skewer. (Fold large basil leaves in half before threading them onto the skewers.)

-Repeat this pattern about 3 times per skewer. (You should be able to get 4 pieces of chicken, 3 peaches, and 3 leaves of basil on each skewer, but you can do less if you prefer, okay?)

-Heat a clean, oiled grill or grill pan over medium heat. When hot add the skewers and cook, rotating occasionally until the chicken is cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.

*KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR SKEWERS, PLEASE! The honey in the marinade burns easily, so you need to watch them carefully. If they start to brown too quickly, turn the heat down a little bit, okay?

Get down with your summery skewers.

You should probably get some extra Sriracha involved…

Sriracha Glazed Chicken Skewers with Peaches and Basil

Author - Serena Wolf

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Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 8-16 bamboo skewers You may want to use 2 per skewer for extra stability.
• 1½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 lime juiced and zested
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha plus more for serving
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1½ pounds total
• 2 peaches cut into 16ths
• 24 fresh basil leaves

Instructions

• Start by soaking the bamboo skewers in a shallow dish filled with water for 30 minutes. (Do not skip this step people, or your skewers will catch fire on the grill, which is terrifying.)
• In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice and zest, honey and Sriracha. Briefly set aside.
• Slice your chicken breasts into approximately 1-inch chunks.
• Place them in a large Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over them. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (Obviously, the longer you let the chicken marinate the more it will soak up the glorious flavors, but 30 minutes will do in a pinch.)
• Slice your peaches into 16ths. Just to break it down: Cut each peach in half (removing the pit, duh). Then slice each half into four segments. Slice each of those four segments in half. Voila!
• Once the chicken is marinated, it’s time to assemble the skewers. Thread a piece of chicken, followed by a basil leaf, and a peach segment onto a soaked bamboo skewer. (Fold large basil leaves in half before threading them onto the skewers.) Repeat this pattern about 3 times per skewer. (You should be able to get 4 pieces of chicken, 3 peaches, and 3 leaves of basil on each skewer, but you can do less if you prefer, okay?)
• Heat a clean, oiled grill or grill pan over medium heat. When hot add the skewers and cook, rotating occasionally until the chicken is cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately with extra Sriracha.