Grilled Hawaiian-Style Chicken Skewers
Chicken is marinated in a semi-homemade Hawaiian-style bbq sauce, then threaded onto skewers with peppers, pineapple, and onions, then grilled to perfection!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 328kcal
Ingredients
Marinade/Sauce
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp honey mustard
- 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
Skewers
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 medium red onion cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 medium-sized fresh pineapple peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch pieces
- sliced green onions for garnish, optional
Instructions
Marinate chicken
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the BBQ sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, honey mustard, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and onion powder. Remove about 2/3 cup of the marinade, transfer it into a separate bowl, cover, and store in the fridge.
- Add chicken pieces to the large mixing bowl with the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for up to an hour.
Prepare
- If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes. If using metal, there's no need to soak.
Assemble skewers
- Thread chicken, bell peppers, red onion, and pineapple pieces onto skewers in an alternating pattern (or however you'd like), until you're out of ingredients. I usually get about 6 (12" long) skewers out of this recipe). Discard the marinade that's left over after assembling the skewers.
Grill
- Brush grill grates and preheat grill over MED HIGH heat (if your grill has a temperature sensor on it, you're shooting for around 375°F).
- Once grill is preheated, add the skewers to the grill grates and grill for about 10 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.
- As the skewers are cooking, brush them with the reserved marinade from earlier, liberally on both sides.
- Chicken skewers are finished cooking when chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F, and the veggies are golden.
Garnish and serve
- Remove skewers to a platter or plate, sprinkle with sliced green onions if desired, and serve hot.
Notes
- I've estimated this recipe serves 6, but you're free to divide it up into as many servings as you'd like.
Indoor cooking method (grill pan or griddle):
- Heat grill pan or griddle over MED HIGH heat and brush the pan with an oil that can stand high heats, like vegetable or avocado oil.
- Add skewers and cook about 10-15 minutes, turning every few minutes and brushing with reserved marinade, until all sides are a little charred and chicken is cooked through (to an internal temperature of 165°F). The exact time may vary a bit, depending on the pan used and your stovetop.
Indoor cooking method (oven):
- Preheat oven to 375°F, and arrange skewers in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (or parchment paper), and bake for 20 minutes, flipping over halfway through, and brushing with reserved marinade on both sides, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Indoor cooking method (air fryer):
- Make sure the skewers you're using will fit into your air fryer basket.
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F, then add skewers to the basket of the air fryer (this may need to be done in batches - you want the skewers to have a little room around each other, and be in a single layer).
- Air fry for 15-16 minutes, turning the skewers over halfway through and brushing both sides with reserved marinade, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Nutrition
Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 872mg | Potassium: 737mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 239IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
