Pineapple Chicken Kabobs (Printable version)
Grilled chicken and pineapple skewers with honey-lime soy marinade, tropical, quick and ideal for summer grilling.
# What you need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
→ Fruits
02 - 1 medium fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
04 - 1 large red onion, cut into wedges and separated
→ Marinade
05 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free if needed)
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons honey
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
11 - ½ teaspoon salt
12 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
# How To:
01 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, olive oil, honey, lime juice, minced garlic, grated ginger, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
02 - Place the chicken cubes in a resealable plastic bag or shallow bowl. Pour half of the marinade over the chicken, toss to coat evenly, and refrigerate for 15 minutes to 2 hours for deeper flavor. Reserve the remaining marinade for basting during grilling.
03 - Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, approximately 375°F to 400°F.
04 - Thread the chicken, pineapple chunks, bell pepper pieces, and onion wedges alternately onto skewers, repeating the pattern until each skewer is full.
05 - Place the skewers on the preheated grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with the reserved marinade, until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F and the vegetables are lightly charred.
06 - Remove the kabobs from the grill and let them rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The marinade does double duty, half for flavoring the chicken and half for basting, so nothing goes to waste and every bite is layered.
- Pineapple caramelizes on the grill and creates this candy like crust that makes people think you are some kind of barbecue genius.
02 -
- Soak wooden skewers for a full thirty minutes or they will catch fire and you will be serving charred sticks instead of beautiful kabobs.
- Reserve half the marinade before it touches raw chicken so you have a safe basting liquid that has not been contaminated.
03 -
- Pat the chicken dry before marinating so the soy mixture actually penetrates instead of sliding off wet surfaces.
- Baste in the last five minutes of grilling rather than from the start, otherwise the sugars burn before the chicken cooks through.