Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs are one of the greatest things to ever happen to a skewer. Juicy and flavorful marinated chicken, complemented by bell peppers, fresh pineapple, and red onions, all grilled to perfection. Each bite is filled with flavor and screams summer! If you love recipes full of flavor like this one, make sure to check out my Surf & Turf Kebabs and Bang Bang Chicken Skewers, too!
Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs
I have always been a big fan of pineapple. So adding it to a savory dish, for me at least, wasn’t much of a stretch. People put pineapple on pizza all of the time! This should work too, right? Right.
The result was clear instantly: it does work and you need to try it as soon as humanly possible. The sweet and savory nature of this dish is complete summer perfection. You will barely get the food off the skewer before it is devoured.
How to Make Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs
There are essentially two parts to making Hawaiian chicken. The marinade and the skewers.
The Marinade
Mix all ingredients (recipe below) together until the mixture is smooth. Take about 1/2 cup of the mixture out and put it in a separate container. You will use this to baste the skewers later. In the original bowl, add the cubed chicken and cover it with plastic wrap (or use a ziplock bag). Make sure the chicken is completely covered by the marinade and refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes. You can do this overnight too if you want to prepare ahead of time.
The Skewers
Once the chicken has had time to marinate, you can start to assemble your skewers. There are essentially two primary options available for skewers. Metal or Wood. If you go with a wood skewer it is important to let them soak for a minimum of 20 minutes prior to grilling. This allows the water to create a moisture barrier inside of the skewer which prevents it from burning on the grill. No matter which you choose, the next step is the same. Just alternate the ingredients on each skewer leaving about 1 inch of space on each side.
The skewers are now ready to be put on the grill. I recommend oiling the grill grates lightly before cooking.
How to Oil Grill Grates
Just be safe about it. Don’t spray cooking spray on the grates or pour oil on the grates. This will cause the flame to ignite and could blow back at you. The safest method of oiling a grill grate is to dip a cloth or handful of bunched-up paper towels into cooking oil (like canola). Do not saturate the clothes, they should not be dripping. You want enough oil on it to coat the grill grate, but you don’t want it dripping everywhere. With a protected hand (use an oven mitt or glove), lightly brush the hot grill grates with the cloth.
What to Serve With Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs
These are so good on their own, but if you are looking to stretch the meal a bit further. I would serve them with:
More Kebab Recipes
Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs
Ingredients
Marinade
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Kebabs
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups cubed pineapple
- 1 red onion, quartered, layers separated
- 3 bell peppers, red, orange, and yellow, cubed
- Grilling skewers
Instructions
- If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 1 hour before using to prevent burning.
- Preheat grill to medium heat (about 425°F).
Marinade
- In a large bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce, soy sauce, honey, sriracha, oil, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper until completely combined. Remove ½ cup of the mixture and place in an airtight container (this will be used for basting later).
- Add chicken to the remaining marinade and combine, cover and chill for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Kebabs
- Once marinated, build skewers by alternating chicken, pineapple, peppers, and red onion.
- Place skewers on an oiled and preheated grill, and brush with reserved marinade.
- Cook 5 minutes and flip, brushing the other side with marinade as well.
- Cook 5-10 more minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Did you make this recipe?
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Can you do the marinade overnight or does it make the chicken break down too much?
This was amazing! The only thing different I did was use thighs instead of breasts. Also used the same sauce for some veggie skewers.
Can you make these in the oven if you don’t have a grill?
These kabobs are amazing and a great hit with the friends/family I’ve served at dinners.
I also wonder if it would work as well in the oven?