Grilled Teriyaki Chicken with Pineapple Skewers: A Sweet & Savory Summer Favorite
As soon as the weather starts warming up, I start craving the smoky, charred flavor of food prepared on the grill. One of my favorite things to throw on the barbecue is teriyaki chicken skewers loaded with sweet, juicy pineapple chunks and sizzling veggies like bell peppers and red onions.
The caramelized sugars in the pineapple mingle with the salty-sweet teriyaki glaze coating each tender morsel of chicken. At the same time, the peppers and onions provide a nice crunch and savory contrast. These Hawaiian-inspired kabobs are so fresh, vibrant, and delicious – they truly encapsulate the essence of summer for me.
They taste amazing, and teriyaki chicken skewers are a super easy and fun dish to whip up for a weeknight dinner or backyard bash. They come together quickly, satisfy a range of palates, and look impressive without requiring any fancy cooking skills.
In this article, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to make these crowd-pleasing chicken skewers at home, from how to cut and prep the ingredients properly to get even cooking times, all the way to grilling tips that will help avoid the dreaded “sticking and tearing” issues that can plague kabobs.
I’ll also share my favorite homemade teriyaki marinade recipe so you can easily whip up a batch rather than relying solely on store-bought varieties. And if you want to take these skewers over the top, wait until you hear about the extremely delicious chimichurri sauce I like to serve them with!
Trust me when I say these amazing grilled teriyaki chicken skewers with sweet, tangy pineapple will become your new go-to summer cookout recipe. So let’s get started!
The Importance of Proper Ingredient Prep
- Before we dive into the teriyaki chicken and pineapple skewer recipe, I want to touch on a very important point regarding grilling kabobs: the prep.
- Having evenly and properly cut ingredients is key for achieving skewers that cook at the same pace. You don’t want some pieces getting dried out and overdone while others remain undercooked.
- So take a minute or two to slice your chicken, fruit, and veggies into 1-inch chunks. Going with that standard size helps ensure similar cooking times across the board.
- And while square shapes aren’t necessarily required, try cutting your ingredients relatively the same thickness. Super thin or super thick pieces won’t fare as well.
- When prepping the chicken breasts specifically, I highly recommend cutting them into cubes before marinating. Doing this little step ahead of time allows more surface area for the teriyaki sauce to penetrate and flavor the meat.
- Plus, it cuts down on the mess and chaos of trying to slice already-saucy chicken. Trust me, it’s a much smoother process this way!
- As for the pineapple, if you’ve never cut one before, here’s a super short video tutorial that shows an easy technique for prepping fresh pineapple into cubes or spears.
- For the onion, cut it width-wise into approximately 1-inch rounds, and then quarter or halve those to get nice even pieces for skewering. And finally, seed and slice the bell peppers into 1-inch chunks.
- Once all your ingredients are ready, we can move on to the fun part – making and grilling up these delicious teriyaki chicken skewers!
The Best Teriyaki Marinade for Grilled Chicken Kabobs
To infuse the chicken pieces with mouthwatering Japanese-style flavor before they hit the grill, I will share my easy homemade teriyaki sauce recipe that you can quickly whip up from common pantry staples.
But if you’re pressed for time or ingredients, store-bought teriyaki marinades can do the trick, too. I prefer the flavor and control I get from making it myself.
Here’s what you’ll need to put together a tasty homemade teriyaki marinade that’s perfect for basting chicken destined for the barbecue:
Homemade Teriyaki Marinade Ingredients
- 1⁄2 cup soy sauce
- 1⁄3 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha or Asian chili-garlic sauce (optional for spicy)
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk vigorously until the sugar fully incorporates and dissolves into the liquid sauce.
You’ll likely need to let it sit for about 5 minutes and then give it another good stir or whisking to get there. But once the sauce looks uniform, your homemade teriyaki marinade is ready for the chicken!
Transfer the marinade to a sealable plastic bag along with the prepped chicken pieces. I like to use gallon-sized freezer bags, so there’s plenty of room for the chicken to move around and soak up that delicious sauce.
Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, and give it some squishing and smoothing to coat all the meat evenly.
Pop it in the fridge for at least one hour, but ideally, let it marinate overnight or for up to 24 hours for the deepest flavor penetration. The longer, the better!
Just know that the vinegar’s acidity will start to cook the chicken at a certain point, so I don’t recommend going past a day.
When ready to grill, drain the excess marinade from the bag and thread your perfectly sauced chicken pieces onto soaked wooden skewers, alternating with the fresh pineapple, onion, and bell pepper pieces.
Continue assembling skewers until you’ve used all the ingredients, threading things accordion style for the prettiest presentation.
Oiling the Grill Grates is a Key
Before placing those beautiful skewers loaded with chicken and produce onto the hot grill, it’s essential that you first brush or rub down the grilling grates with oil.
This helps prevent foods from sticking and tearing when flipping them halfway through. It allows you to easily slide and rotate the skewers as needed during cooking without the dreaded “velcroing” effect.
My oil is olive oil because I love the flavor, but vegetables, canola, and other neutral cooking oils work great, too. Even nonstick spray can do the trick in a pinch.
Grab a grill brush or balled-up paper towel, dip it in your oil, and thoroughly coat the hot grates before grilling. Reapply more oil whenever you turn the skewers around for best results.
If you skip this vital step, don’t be surprised when you go to pick up or rotate those beautiful kabobs only to have half the ingredients slide right off the skewers and through the grates! It’s not a fun scenario, so properly oiling the bars is crucial.
Grilling Tips for Perfect Teriyaki Chicken & Pineapple Skewers
We’ve assembled dozens of impressive skewers brimming with tasty marinated chicken, sweet pineapple, crisp bell pepper, and onion. The grill is hot, the grates are oiled, and we’re ready to cook up these bad boys!
Here are some helpful grilling tips and tricks to ensure your teriyaki chicken pineapple skewers come out perfectly charred on the outside while remaining tender and juicy on the inside:
- Get your grill nice and hot before placing any skewers down. I prefer a medium-high temperature, but anywhere from medium to high heat works. You want plenty of sear power.
- Remember to oil those grates! This helps prevent sticking issues when trying to turn the skewers.
- For wooden skewers, always soak them for at least 30 minutes before threading ingredients on and grilling. This prevents the wood from burning.
- Place the assembled skewers perpendicular to the grates rather than parallel. This allows you to get more direct heat contact for better charring.
- Resist the urge to move or flip the skewers at first constantly. Let them sear for at least 2 minutes per side before rotating or touching them. The chicken pieces need time to caramelize.
- Use tongs rather than a fork for turning the kabobs. Fork piercing can lead to moisture loss. Gentle tong turning is best.
- Cook the skewers for approximately 4-6 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the veggies have nice char marks.
- Check that the thickest chicken pieces have reached an internal temperature of at least 165°F for safety and doneness.
- Transfer the finished teriyaki chicken pineapple skewers to a serving platter and tent loosely with foil. Let them rest for 5 minutes before enjoying. The juice retention and texture will benefit.
- And that’s it! Follow the tips above, and in no time at all, you’ll have professional-looking grilled chicken skewers basted in sweet and salty teriyaki sauce with ample fresh pineapple and veggies.
- I like to wow guests by garnishing each kabob with freshly chopped cilantro. But that step is optional.
- The skewers straight off the grill are already impressive enough on their own!
- Insane Chimichurri Sauce for Dipping
- As if these skewers weren’t drool-worthy enough already, I will send them over the top by introducing my favorite chimichurri sauce for dipping.
- This vibrant green, herby sauce originates from Argentina and boasts a mouthwatering combo of olive oil, parsley, cilantro, garlic, onions, vinegar, and spices.
- It’s fresh, tangy, and highly addicting – especially when paired with smoky grilled meats. The sauce perfectly cuts through the sweet char of the kabobs for the ultimate flavor contrast.
- And while chimichurri is great with just about any grilled protein, it takes these teriyaki chicken skewers next level.
- I recommend serving it tableside for dipping the skewers in before each tasty, saucy bite. And watch the sauce disappear faster than you can grill up additional kabobs!
Next Level Side Dishes
While these chicken skewers are stellar all on their own, I also like serving them alongside simple white rice or fluffy brown rice. The rice soaks up any stray teriyaki or chimichurri sauce and drips for the ultimate flavor infusion in each bite.
Grilled pineapple salsa featuring the same produce used in the skewers also makes for a delicious pairing. Dice up any leftover fruit and veggies, toss with some lime juice and cilantro, and enjoy that fresh pico-style salsa with the smoky chicken.
Easy grilled corn on the cob or charred broccoli florets complement the skewers beautifully. Anything coming hot off the barbecue is fair game!
Leftover Skewers Make Excellent Meal Prep Items
Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how phenomenal these grilled chicken skewers are for easy, protein-packed meal prep and on-the-go lunches.
Stash any leftovers in the fridge and reheat or enjoy them chilled. They make excellent ready-to-grab items for busy work days when you don’t have time to prep an elaborate lunch.
You can even toss the skewered ingredients into salads, sandwiches, bowls, and more. Think chicken teriyaki pineapple pitas, spinach salads topped with reheated kabobs, or rice bowls loaded with the goods.
Endless quick and healthy lunch options await!
So fire up those grills and get ready to wow your family and friends with these restaurant-quality teriyaki chicken and pineapple skewers all summer.
Loaded with so much sweet, salty, smoky flavor and vibrant colors, these kabobs will be the star of any cookout spread. Just be prepared for the recipe requests to come flooding in!
If you’re looking for another fast, flavor-packed chicken skillet recipe, try this Southwest Chicken Skillet loaded with spicy and smoky flavors to complement the sweet teriyaki notes in these skewers.
