Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

Three grilled chicken and pineapple skewers are served on a bed of white rice, garnished with chopped green onions, with a side of green onions and pineapple pieces nearby.

5 from 2 votes

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

🌸🍍😋 These kabobs include chicken that's been marinated in a sweet-and-savory sauce, juicy pineapple chunks, and grilled for AMAZING tasting kabobs! Half the marinade is reserved to use as a sticky-sweet sauce for serving. Perfect for summer holidays, casual entertaining, or easy weeknight dinners!

Prep Time15

Cook Time8

Marinating Time1

Course: 30-Minute Meals, Chicken, Grill

Cuisine: Chicken, Hawaiian

Keyword: chicken and pineapple kabobs, Hawaiian chicken kabobs, Hawaiian chicken with pineapple

Servings:

Calories: 312cal

Equipment

Ingredients

Marinade

¾ cup pineapple juice reserved from the canned pineapple below
⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup honey
¼ cup light brown sugar packed
3 cloves garlic finely minced
3 tablespoons olive oil (or use 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sriracha or to taste (reduce to 1-2 teaspoons, or omit, if sensitive to spicy food)
1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
¾ teaspoon ground ginger or to taste (or about 1 heaping teaspoon fresh ginger)
¾ teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika if preferred

Chicken + Pineapple

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (boneless skinless chicken breasts may be substituted)
20 ounce can pineapple chunks packed in juice (do not use tidbits and I find canned pineapple a better option the fresh)
Green onions optional for garnishing (or other fresh herbs if desired such as cilantro, basil, parsley)

Instructions

Marinade + Sauce – To a large bowl, add all the ingredients from pineapple juice through garlic, whisk to combine, and remove about HALF of the mixture and place it in a small saucepan. This is going to become the serving sauce for later. Set this aside and don't let it come into contact with the raw chicken.
To the mixture that remains in the bowl, add the chicken, toss and flip to coat evenly and submerge, cover, and place the bowl in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour, but not more than 3-4 hours. About 1-2 hours is ideal. Tip – The acid from the pineapple juice will degrade the protein structure and the chicken will be mushy if you allow it to go longer than 3-4 hours.
If you plan to use wooden skewers, soak them while the chicken marinates.
Preheating + Skewering - Preheat your grill to medium-high and while it's preheating, assemble the kabobs by making a pattern of 1-2 chicken pieces to every 1 pineapple chunk (or whatever pattern you desire). Reserve the marinade to baste the skewers while they cook.
Repeat the skewering process until all ingredients have been used. I make about 8 skewers but all skewers vary in length a bit.
Grilling – When ready to grill, place the chicken on the grill and sear it on the first side for about 3-4 minutes, flip, baste with the marinade in the bowl/bag, and sear the second side. Continue basting and flipping until chicken is done and cooked through until it’s done, which means 160-162F; and then rest it for 5-10 minutes off the heat so the internal temp rises to 165F,
Grilling Tip - Chicken on skewers tends to cook very quickly and I don't cook these skewers longer than about 7-8 minutes total, but all grills vary as do the size of the pieces of chicken.
Serving Sauce – Heat the sauce that's in the saucepan over medium-high heat until lightly bubbling, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and allow it to simmer for about 4-5 minutes and thickened and reduced to your liking.
Garnishing + Serving – Optionally, garnish with sliced green onions or your favorite herbs, serve with the reduced serving sauce, and enjoy.

Notes

Grill Pan: Preheat your grill pan over medium-high to high heat over your stove burners. Make sure you open your windows or ventilate your area. Indoor grilling is smoky business! When the grill pan is preheated properly, grill the chicken for about 4-5 minutes on the first side, flip, and grill for about 3-4 minutes on the second side, basting with the marinade. Because your stovetop will never get as hot as an actual grill, indoor cooking time on a grill pan may likely be longer. Always cook chicken until it’s done, which means 160-162F; and then rest it for 5-10 minutes off the heat so the internal temp rises to 165F, which is the safe temperature to consume chicken. Reduce the sauce as indicated in the recipe above.

Oven Baking: Preheat your oven to 375F, place the marinated chicken pieces in a 9×13-inch baking dish or casserole dish, discard the marinade, scatter the pineapple chunks among the chicken, and bake uncovered for about 18-20 minutes, or until chicken is done. Flip and toss everything once midway through baking for more even cooking. Chicken is done when the internal temp has reached 165F. Baking time will vary based on how hot your oven runs, how big the pieces of chicken are, etc. so make sure to cook it as long as necessary in your oven.

Storage: Leftover chicken/pineapple and the serving sauce, stored separately, will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in gently in microwave as desired, or eat chilled or at room temperature.

Adapted from Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

Nutrition