These easy Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs are a delicious dinner that the entire family will love! Easy to make with fresh pineapple, red onion, bell pepper and the BEST marinated chicken. Perfect grilling recipe to keep in your menu rotation.
This recipe is based off my my Grilled Pineapple Chicken, which is a must-try!
This post was originally published June 8, 2012. It has since been updated to include fresh photos and helpful tips.
RECIPE FEATURES
- Easy Beginner Grilling Recipe
- Make-Ahead
- Easy to Customize
Ya’ll. I am the grilling master.
Ok, so that is not true. More like a grilling novice. For every recipe success I have there are two that are just ok. That being said, I am not giving up. With every new recipe my grilling skills are improving and I am addicted.
Grilled chicken, steak, pork… We’re making it all and I am bringing you along for the ride. First up? This super simple and amazingly delicious kabob recipe. Chicken is marinated and combined with fresh fruits and vegetables. From there it is grilled to perfection giving you a quick and tasty summer dinner recipe.
HAWAIIAN CHICKEN KABOBS MARINADE
The secret to this recipe is in the marinade. It is loaded with flavor thanks to the pineapple juice, coconut milk, and soy sauce. It gives the chicken and vegetables so much added flavor and takes less than 5 minutes to assemble with no special ingredients. Here is what you need:
- Soy Sauce: I opt for low sodium soy sauce for my marinades. This gives you the classic flavor of soy but allows you to keep control over the salt in the recipe.
- Coconut Milk: Subtle flavor but big impact. Coconut combines amazingly well with the soy and pineapple in this recipe. My secret ingredient that makes these the BEST chicken kabobs.
- Pineapple Juice: I purchase small cans of pineapple juice and keep them on hand for summer recipes, like my Pineapple Margaritas.
- Brown Sugar: Just a touch. This balances out the tart citrus of the pineapple.
- Garlic: Truth be told, I measure garlic with my heart. It is my all-time favorite flavor. Feel free to add more or less depending on your preferences.
HOW TO MAKE HAWAIIAN KABOBS
The beauty of this recipe is that you are in control of which vegetables go onto the skewers. Pick your favorites and roll with it. Here is a breakdown of how we make ours:
- PREP: Chop the chicken and vegetables. Place the chicken in a shallow dish, or zip top bag, and save the vegetables for later.
- MARINADE: Whisk together the marinade ingredients. Reserve 1/2 cup for later and pour the remaining over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 8.
- ASSEMBLE: Be sure you soak wood skewers, if using, and assemble by threading chicken, peppers, pineapple and onion through.
- COOK: Heat the grill to 400 °F (200°C). Cook the skewers for 5 minutes, brush with half of the reserved marinade. Turn and cook an additional 5 minutes, brushing with the remaining 1/4 cup of marinade.
- ENJOY: The chicken is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C).
HELPFUL TOOLS
- Skewers: Wooden skewers (affiliate) are relatively inexpensive. You can find a set of 100 for around $6. Just be sure to soak them in water to avoid them burning on the grill.
- Tongs: You don’t want to reach your hand across the hot grill to turn or pick up your kabobs. Tongs (affiliate) will come a long way in helping with the cooking process.
- Grill Basket: OR, if you want to avoid turning each kabob individually, you can use a grill basket (affiliate). One of my newest favorite cooking tools.
RECIPE FAQs
YES! Since we live in Utah, and grilling isn’t an option all year long, I did alter the recipe cooking process to give you a new option.
1. Soak your wooden skewers. Place all of the ingredients onto the skewers.
2. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
3. Place your skewers on a misted foil lined baking tray.
4. Bake 15 minutes, flip and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Wooden skewers are cheap to use but if they are not prepared properly they could cook right along with your food. To avoid burning be sure to soak your skewers in water before threading the food onto the stick. It is best to soak your skewers overnight. If that is not an option, soak for a minimum of 30 minutes.
This recipe calls for chopped pepper, pineapple, and tomatoes. We have also used mushrooms, zucchini, squash, and onion. You can mix it up and use any vegetables you desire.
This recipe is an all-in-one meal. That means you could easily skip the sides all together and only eat the kabobs. However, I have a growing nine year old that craves substance and requires all of the food. Here are a few ideas of what to serve with chicken kabobs:
– Baked Potatoes
– Salad
– Pasta Salad
– Potato Salad
– Rice
– Macaroni and Cheese
MORE MUST-TRY GRILLING RECIPES
- Easy Chicken Kabobs
- Salmon Rosemary Kabobs
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Skewers
- Grilled Chicken Fajitas Recipe
- Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
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Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs Recipe
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice from a can
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3-4 minced garlic cloves
Kebabs:
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch cubes
- 2 cups fresh pineapple cubed
- 1 large green pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 red onion cut into 1 inch pieces
Instructions
- Combine the soy sauce, coconut milk, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and minced garlic in a shallow dish or zip top bag. Mix to combine.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of marinade for later use.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.
- Toss the peppers and onion in 2 teaspoons of oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Assemble the skewers by threading the chicken, peppers, onion, and pineapple.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
- Grill: Heat the grill to 400 °F (200°C). Cook the skewers for 5 minutes, brush with half of the reserved marinade. Turn and cook an additional 5 minutes, brushing with the remaining 1/4 cup of marinade.
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking tray with foil and mist with non-stick spray. Cook your kabobs 15-20 minutes flipping once halfway through.
Cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C)
Video
Notes
- Soak wooden skewers in water before grilling to avoid burning.
- Adjust the vegetables per your families preference.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Terry says
We love these! We make them often.
Sarah says
If freezing do you freeze before or after griling
Jesseca says
I actually would not recommend freezing this recipe. If you still would like to proceed I would suggest freezing the raw chicken in a ziplock bag with the marinade.
Kelli says
This recipe was a hit! We’ve probably made it 10+ times and it’s in our regular rotation for dinner recipe.. it never disappoints. Thank you!
Kelli says
This is my 2nd time making these, such a great and easy recipe! Thank you!
Heather says
Made these tonight and they were sooo yummy!! I think next time I will make double sauce and marinate all 3 meats 🙂
Jesseca says
I’m glad you enjoyed them heather! They are in my top favorite summer recipes. :0)
Shelbie says
How many does this feed?s
Jesseca says
it makes 6 kabobs. So assuming two per person, 3 servings!
Jesseca says
They are SO good! Thanks SO much for featuring me! I try every week, so I’m glad it was a good recipe that caught your eye :0)