Go Back
Sweet and Spicy Guava Chicken Skewers www.pineappleandcoconut.com

Sweet and Spicy Guava Chicken Skewers

Shanna
Sweet and Spicy Guava Chicken Skewers - my take on Disneyland's Bengal BBQ chicken skewers.

Ingredients
  

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut in 2 to 3 pieces depending on how big they are
  • 3-4 bunches of green onion, light and dark green parts only, cut into 2 ½”-3” lengths

Guava Sauce and Marinade:

  • 3 C guava nectar
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 3 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • ½ C ketchup
  • ½ C honey
  • 3 tablespoon Shoyu, soy sauce or tamari. I like using Aloha shoyu for this recipe
  • 2 ½ tablespoon tamarind paste
  • C rice vinegar
  • 2-3 teaspoon sriracha

Cornstarch slurry:

  • 3 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 ½ tablespoon water

Instructions
 

  • Make the Guava sauce/marinade first.
  • Combine everything in a medium saucepan except for the cornstarch slurry. Stir until combined then bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 15-20 min until slightly reduced. Strain out the garlic and ginger root solids then return to the pan and bring back to a simmer.
  • Combine the cornstarch and water to create the slurry then add to the sauce, stirring well while its added in. Continue cooking the sauce until it is thickened. Tasted and add more sriracha if a spicier sauce is desired. Let cool completely before marinating chicken
  • Place prepared chicken into a large bowl and pour over a cup to a cup and a half of the sauce. Mixing well. Marinate for 4-6 hours up to overnight. Bring to room temperature when ready to grill.
  • Preheat the grill to medium low.
  • Skewer the chicken and green onion alternating with a piece of chicken and three pieces of the green onion. Skewer through each chicken piece 2-3 times folding it as you go. Each skewer should have 4 pieces of chicken and three bundles of green onion. Repeat with remaining chicken and green onions.
  • Grill skewers on low. Start basting with the guava sauce when the chicken is about halfway cooked. With the higher sugar content in the sauce from the juice, honey and ketchup the sauce will tend to char before the chicken is cooked. Baste every time you flip the skewers, every few minutes. The skewers should take about 25 min to grill. More for thicker pieces of chicken.
  • If your grill has hot spots, keep the skewers over the cooler parts. You want nice, even cooking.
  • Once cooked, transfer to a serving platter and liberally brush the chicken with more sauce.
  • Serve with sticky rice sprinkled with soy sauce and some green onion slices.

Notes

I get guava juice in cartons or glass bottles from a local international grocery store. Can't remember the brand name off the top of my head right now but I always look for juice with minimal ingredients. No other fruit juices, corn syrups or thickeners. Usually just the fruit, water and maybe some added sugar. I want the flavor of the guava to really shine in this marinade.
You can find tamarind paste at any international or well stocked Asian market. I have found it at Whole Foods before.