Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs
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Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs are so delicious and the perfect grill food to make this summer. Made with juicy and tender chicken, crisp and fresh red bell peppers and onions, and sweet pineapple. Chicken is marinated in a sweet and tangy marinade made with barbecue sauce and pineapple juice. Grilled to a perfect char.
Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs
Grilling season is one of our favorite time of the year. We are heavy grillers in this house and we love to throw just about everything on the grill once spring and summer roll around. Needless to say, we love anything we can grill and love getting creative with the kinds of foods we make during this time.
These Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs have been on top of our grilling list over the last couple of summers. They are so delicious and are always a hit when we make them at any barbecue. Made with juicy and tender chicken, crisp and fresh red bell peppers and onions, and sweet pineapple. Chicken is marinated in a sweet and tangy marinade made with barbecue sauce and pineapple juice. Grilled to a perfect char. You will find yourself making these over and over again this summer.
Ingredients needed to make Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs:
- Chicken Breasts– Boneless and Skinless.
- For Marinade– Barbecue sauce, pineapple juice, coconut aminos, honey, garlic, and ginger.
- Spices– Pink sea salt and black pepper.
- For Kabobs– Red bell pepper, red onion, and pineapple.
Equipment needed to make Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs:
- Grill– If you don’t have a grill use a griddle or a cast iron skillet with ridges.
- Skewer Sticks– Either stainless steel or wooden ones.
- Mixing Bowls– A large one and a small one.
- Whisk– To whisk marinade.
- Pastry Brush– To rub marinade over Hawaiian chicken kabobs as they grill.
- Saran Wrap– For covering chicken as it marinates.
- Pineapple Corer– To easily remove core from pineapple.
How to make Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs:
- Step 1– In a small mixing bowl combine barbecue sauce, pineapple juice, coconut aminos, honey, garlic, ginger, pink sea salt, and black pepper. Whisk together until well combined. Set to the side.
- Step 2– Pat dry chicken breasts and cut into 1/2 inch bite size cubes. Place in a large mixing bowl. Pour in barbecue-pineapple marinade. Give chicken a good toss making sure it’s well mixed with the marinade. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate chicken for a couple of hours to marinade. Prefrebly overnight if you have time.
- Step 3– In the meantime, prep red bell peppers and onions. Slice both into 3-4 inch squares. Cut skin off of pineppale and remove core. Cut pienapple into 1-2 inch cubes.
- Step 4– Preheat grill for about 10 minutes on medium-high heat.
- Step 5– Remove chicken from fridge and start assembling kabos; I like to start with a red bell pepper and an onion, then a piece of chicken, then a pineapple cube. Then continue alternating with this pattern. I like to use about 4-5 pieces of chicken with bell peppers, onions and pineapple in between. You can assemble your kabobs using any pattern you wish. repeat until all chicken, veggies, and pineapple have been assembled into kabobs. Reserve the leftover marinade from the chicken.
- Step 6– Once kabobs are assembled and grill is preheated, place kabobs on grill. Brush some of the leftover marinade over each kabob while on the grill using a pastry brush. Close grill and grill for 7 minutes. Turn kabobs over and brush more marinade over them. Grill again for another 7 minutes. Discard any leftover marinade.
- Step 7– Serve kabobs while they are warm. Enjoy!
Tips and Substitutions:
- Refrigerate chicken for a couple of hours to marinade. Preferably overnight if you have time– The longer you marinade your chicken, the more flavorful and tender it will become. Resulting in juicy, tender, and flavorful kabobs.
- Soak wooden skewers for at least one hour- this will prevent wooden sticks from burning while grilling your kabobs.
- Preheat grill- Don’t skip this step! This will prevent your chicken, veggies and pineapple from sticking to the grill.
- Use any preferred barbecue sauce- I like to use one that is low in sugar and not too sweet. More on the tangy side. The natural sweetness from the pineapple and pineapple juice is plenty of sweetness for me. And the contrast of sweet and tangy is delicious. If you like more sweetness, then use a barbecue sauce that is on the sweeter side.
- Substitute for coconut aminos- You can use tamari sauce or soy sauce if you are not gluten-free.
What to serve Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs with:
- Rice
- Quinoa
- Cauliflower Rice
- Corn on the Cob
- Grilled Summer Veggies
- Beet Potato Salad
- Classic Macaroni Salad (Gluten-Free)
- Cucumber Herb Salad
- Easy Veggie Pasta Salad
How do you know if a pineapple is ready to be cut?
There are a few ways you can tell if a pineapple is ready to be cut open.
- Color and the texture- If the pineapple is a yellowish color yet still has hints of green then it’s good to go. When it’s too green it’s not ready. Too yellow, hinting at a brownish color, means it’s starting to go bad.
- Smelling it- If you smell the bottom of a pineapple and it has that sweet pineapple smell then it’s a good sign it’s ready.
- Tugging on its leaves- If you gently tug the leaves and they easily come off then that also means the pineapple is ripe enough to be cut open.
How to cut a pineapple:
The easiest way to cut a pineapple is by using a pineapple corer. Cut the top of the pineapple off, then proceed to insert the corer inside of the pineapple. Then you just have to twist it up and the skin will be removed from the fruit. This tool will also remove the pineapple’s core. Hence it being a corer. Then just cut pineapple into cubes.
Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs FAQ’s:
Can Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs be prepped in advance?
Yes. Making them in advance will actually make these kabobs even more flavorful. Prep your marinade and add it to your prepped chicken. Let your chicken sit in the fridge and marinate for up to 24 hours. Once you are ready, prep your Hawaiian chicken kabobs and grill them.
Can I use chicken thighs instead?
Yes. You can also use chicken thighs. Just make sure they are boneless and skinless chicken thighs.
Can I bake Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs instead of grilling?
Yes. I have never baked these kabobs because we love them on the grill. However, you can certainly bake them. Place them on a baking sheet pan and stick them in a preheated oven at 400 degreed Fahrenheit. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Sotring and Reheating:
Wrap any leftover Hawaiian chicken kabobs in Saran Wrap or aluminum foil. Keep them refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. Reheat by placing back on the grill. You can also remove the chicken, pineapple and veggies from the skewers and place them in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave.
Did you like this Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs recipe? You may also like these other kabob/skewers recipes:
Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs
Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs are so delicious and the perfect grill food to make this summer. Made with juicy and tender chicken, crisp and fresh red bell peppers and onions, and sweet pineapple. Chicken is marinated in a sweet and tangy marinade made with barbecue sauce and pineapple juice. Grilled to a perfect char.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 clove of garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp pink sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 pineapple
Instructions
In a small mixing bowl combine barbecue sauce, pineapple juice, coconut aminos, honey, garlic, ginger, pink sea salt, and black pepper. Whisk together until well combined. Set to the side.
Pat dry chicken breats and cut into 1/2 inch bite size cubes. Place in a large mixing bowl. Pour in barbecue-pineapple marinade. Give chicken a good toss making sure it's well mixed with the marinade. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate chicken for a couple of hours to marinade. Prefrebly overnight if you have time.
In the meantime, prep red bell peppers and onions. Slice both into 3-4 inch squares. Cut skin off of pineppale and remove core. Cut pienapple into 1-2 inch cubes.
Preheat grill for about 10 minutes on medium-high heat.
Remove chicken from fridge and start assembling kabos; I like to start with a red bell pepper and an onion, then a piece of chicken, then a pineapple cube. Then continue alternating with this pattern. I like to use about 4-5 pieces of chicken with bell peppers, onions and pineapple in between. You can assemble your kabobs using any pattern you wish. repeat until all chicken, veggies, and pineapple have been assembled into kabobs. Reserve the leftover marinade from the chicken.
Once kabobs are assembled and grill is preheated, place kabobs on grill. Brush some of the leftover marinade over each kabob while on the grill using a pastry brush. Close grill and grill for 7 minutes. Turn kabobs over and brush more marinade over them. Grill again for another 7 minutes. Discard any leftover marinade.
Serve kabobs while they are warm. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Refrigerate chicken for a couple of hours to marinade. Preferably overnight if you have time– The longer you marinade your chicken, the more flavorful and tender it will become. Resulting in juicy, tender, and flavorful kabobs.
- Soak wooden skewers for at least one hour- this will prevent wooden sticks from burning while grilling your kabobs.
- Preheat grill- Don’t skip this step! This will prevent your chicken, veggies and pineapple from sticking to the grill.
- Use any preferred barbecue sauce- I like to use one that is low in sugar and not too sweet. More on the tangy side. The natural sweetness from the pineapple and pineapple juice is plenty of sweetness for me. And the contrast of sweet and tangy is delicious. If you like more sweetness, then use a barbecue sauce that is on the sweeter side.
- Substitute for coconut aminos- You can use tamari sauce or soy sauce if you are not gluten-free.
*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.
**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used.
**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family.
