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Home » Weeknight Meals » Main Dish

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Kabobs

Posted: June 2, 2022 by lena gladstone | Updated: June 10, 2022

335 shares

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Kabobs are a must for your grilling menu! They’re bursting with savory and bright flavors, and loaded with juicy marinated chicken thighs. Brush the teriyaki and barbecue sauce over top and you have the best dinner for summer.

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close up on grilled chicken kabobs dressed in a sauce on a large serving platter.

Grilled chicken kabobs with pineapple

If you need a quick and easy meal for summer dinners and backyard barbecues, turn to these Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Kabobs. Featuring marinated chicken thighs, grilled pineapple, and simple vegetables, the flavorful skewers are easy to prep ahead of time and take almost no time to assemble.

grilled chicken kabobs dressed in a sauce on a large serving platter.

Skewers are a fun way of packing meat, veggies, and delectable marinades and sauces into one creative meal. Such is true of these chicken kabobs with pineapple, as well as my Greek Chicken Kabobs and Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Vegetables. Of course, they’re the perfect meal during summer grilling season, but also fit year-round. Besides, who could ever turn a juicy kabob away?

You’ll find a bunch of summer flavors in each bite thanks to the pineapple, bell peppers, and red onion. But it’s the teriyaki and barbecue marinade that really makes the skewers sing! All you need are a few simple ingredients and you have a saucy, sticky, and vibrant dinner that everyone is sure to enjoy.

ingredients for grilled chicken and pineapple kabobs in individual white bowls.

Ingredients needed

  • Chicken thighs – Boneless and skinless thighs are best but you can use chicken breasts instead. Alternatively, skip the chicken and make the kabobs with salmon, white fish, or shrimp instead.
  • Chicken marinade – This simple marinade is smoky, savory, and perfect on grilled chicken! It’s made with barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, ginger, garlic, and lime. Keep a batch in your fridge all summer long to use on grilled sirloin steak kabobs, Thai beef salad, and more.
  • Pineapple – Grilled pineapple is the perfect summer treat and complements marinated chicken thighs beautifully. If you can, try to use fresh pineapple instead of canned or frozen.
  • Bell pepper – Any color will do.
  • Red onion – A white or sweet onion can be used instead.
4 images showing how to marinate and cook chicken and pineapple kabobs.

How to make grilled chicken and pineapple kabobs

You can’t have chicken pineapple kabobs without a signature sauce! This recipe begins with a teriyaki and barbecue marinade, which soaks into the meat and coats the skewers. The kabobs are bursting with fresh and tropical flavors after grilling for just a few minutes.

Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Make the marinade: Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl or ziplock bag. Save a little extra on the side for later.
  2. Marinate the chicken: Toss the chicken in the marinade, then leave it to marinate in the fridge.
  3. Assemble the kabobs: Alternate threading the chicken, pineapple, bell pepper, and red onion onto the skewers. Brush each one with avocado oil and set them aside on a plate.
  4. Grill the chicken kabobs: Place the kabobs on a hot grill. Brush them with the reserved marinade before you flip them every 2 minutes for 6 minutes. Cook until the chicken is cooked through or reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.
  5. Serve and enjoy: Serve the sauce-covered pineapple chicken skewers with your favorite refreshing, Hawaiian-inspired sides, and enjoy!
cooked chicken and pineapple kabobs on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Tips and tricks

  • If using wooden skewers – Soak them in water for 1 hour or else they’ll burn on the grill.
  • Metal skewers – I like using these smaller skewers, makes them easy to serve.
  • You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs – Chicken breasts will need less time on the grill, so watch them carefully.
  • To check for doneness – Use a meat thermometer. Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.

Frequently asked questions

What goes well with Hawaiian chicken kabobs?

You can complement the layers of savory, smoky, and sweet flavors on the grilled kabobs by pairing them with grains, summer salad, and refreshing tropical side dishes. Serve each kabob next to coconut rice, mashed purple cauliflower, or watermelon salad, and wash it all down with a pineapple margarita!

How long can you marinate chicken thighs?

You can leave the chicken thighs in the teriyaki marinade for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 12 hours for maximum flavor.

Can you bake chicken kabobs instead?

Absolutely! Place the assembled kabobs on a baking sheet and bake in a 400ºF oven until the chicken is cooked through. Rotate the kabobs every 3 to 5 minutes to ensure each side cooks evenly.

grilled chicken kabobs dressed in a sauce on a large serving platter.

Storing

Store: Keep the leftover cooked kabobs in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.

Reheat: Toss them back on the grill for a few minutes or reheat them in a 350ºF oven instead. 

Looking for more summer dinner ideas?

  • Grilled Flank Steak with Corn and Peach Salsa
  • Citrus Grilled Shrimp and Avocado Salad
  • Greek Steak Salad with Tarragon Dressing
  • Chicken, Broccoli, and Mushroom Grilled Pizza

If you try these Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Kabobs let me know what you think! Rate and review this recipe in the comments below. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me on Instagram @lenaskitchenblog!

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Kabobs

4.4 from 5 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 6 minutes mins
Marinate Time: 1 hour hr
Total Time: 1 hour hr 16 minutes mins
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Lena Gladstone
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Kabobs are a must for your grilling menu! They’re bursting with savory and bright flavors, and loaded with juicy marinated chicken thighs. Brush the teriyaki and barbecue sauce over top and you have the best dinner for summer.

Ingredients

  • ⅔ cup barbecue sauce
  • ⅔ cup teriyaki sauce
  • 2 tablespoons ginger, grated
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium lime, zested and juiced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
  • 2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 cups pineapple, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 medium orange bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 medium red onion, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil

Instructions

  • Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl or ziplock bag. Set 1/2 cup of marinate aside after mixing together.
  • In a large bowl or ziplock bag, add chicken and marinate, toss together to combine. Let marinate for at least 1 hour to overnight. Remove the chicken from the marinade.
  • Alternate the chicken between the pineapple, bell pepper, and red onion onto skewers. Brush with avocado oil.
  • Preheat grill to 500F degrees.
  • Add skewers to grill, cook for 2 minutes, brush with marinade and flip, cook for another 2 minutes, flip and brush with marinade, flip the last time and cook for another 2 minutes. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165F degrees.
  • Serve immediately with your fvorite side.
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken, dinner, easy dinner, grill, grilled, grilled recipe, kabobs, summer, weeknight dinner, weeknight meal

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 148mg | Sodium: 2060mg | Potassium: 611mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 848IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg
335 shares

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4.41 from 5 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




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Comments

  1. Cindy

    at

    5 stars
    I made this Chicken & Pineapple Kabobs recipe and it turned out very good! I got two approving thumbs up from my picky teenager, so this recipe is definitely a keeper. 10 out of 10 would recommend!

    Reply
  2. Kristina

    at

    5 stars
    This was so delicious! Perfect summer staple to make for weeknight dinner. Thanks for the recipe Lena.

    Reply

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Welcome, glad you’re here!

Hi, I’m Lena Gladstone, the recipe developer and food photographer behind Lena’s Kitchen. Here you will find approachable food recipes to share with the whole family. Keto friendly, weeknight dinners all made with fresh ingredients. Click here to learn more!

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