Hawaiian Turn Turn Chicken Kebabs (Printable)
Tender chicken marinated in sweet pineapple-soy sauce, grilled with colorful peppers and fresh pineapple chunks on skewers.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1¼-inch cubes
→ Marinade
02 - ½ cup pineapple juice
03 - ¼ cup soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
04 - 2 tbsp brown sugar
05 - 2 tbsp ketchup
06 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
09 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
10 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Skewer Vegetables and Fruit
11 - 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1¼-inch pieces
12 - 1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 1¼-inch pieces
13 - 1 red onion, cut into large wedges
14 - 1 medium pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1¼-inch cubes
# How To Make It:
01 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, minced garlic, grated ginger, vegetable oil, and black pepper until well combined.
02 - Add the chicken cubes to the marinade, tossing to ensure each piece is thoroughly coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight for maximum flavor penetration. Reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons of the marinade before adding the raw chicken for basting during grilling.
03 - If using wooden skewers, submerge them in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning on the grill.
04 - Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat, approximately 400°F.
05 - Thread the marinated chicken, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, red onion, and pineapple cubes onto the skewers in an alternating pattern, distributing the ingredients evenly across each skewer.
06 - Place the kebabs on the preheated grill and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating every 4 minutes for even charring. Baste occasionally with the reserved marinade. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and has a lightly charred exterior.
07 - Remove the kebabs from the grill and let them rest for 2 minutes. Serve hot alongside steamed rice, coconut rice, or a fresh green salad.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The marinade doubles as a glaze if you reserve a few spoonfuls before the raw chicken goes in, and that little trick changes everything.
- Pineapple fresh off the grill tastes like candy crossed with sunshine, and it makes everyone at the table eat more vegetables without complaining.
02 -
- Never reuse marinade that has touched raw chicken as a finishing sauce, always reserve separately before contact.
- If your pineapple is very ripe and juicy, pat the cubes with a paper towel before threading or they will drip and cause flare ups that blacken the chicken unevenly.
03 -
- Cut all your vegetables and pineapple to the same size as the chicken cubes so everything finishes cooking at the same rate.
- Let the marinade come to room temperature for 10 minutes before tossing with cold chicken so the sugar blends in smoothly instead of seizing.