Pineapple Chicken Kabobs
These Hawaiian pineapple chicken kabobs boast tons of flavor and make a fantastic main course to grill on the barbecue.
Servings: 12
Calories: 270kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon
- 1 fresh pineapple
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili lime seasoning, (we like Trader Joe’s brand)
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the strips of bacon on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes. You are only “par-cooking” the bacon. We will finish cooking it on the kabobs, but it needs a jump start. Cut into 2-inch strips.
- Cut the top and bottom, and peel the outer skin from the pineapple. Slice around the core and cut chunks into 1½ to 2-inch pieces. Set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, combine ½ cup of pineapple chunks, 1 cup of BBQ sauce, and 1 teaspoon of chili lime seasoning. Blend together to form a marinade.
- Cut the chicken breasts into large chunks of 1½ to 2-inch cubes. Pour the marinade over the chicken pieces and toss to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate chicken and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours (and up to overnight).
- Using metal skewers or bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water, place chicken, pineapple, and bacon pieces on the skewers to make the kabobs.
- Grill for 8 to 10 minutes on each side or until the kabobs have char marks and the chicken is cooked through to 165°F. Brush with extra BBQ sauce as the kabobs finish cooking, as desired.
Notes
- You have to pre-cook the bacon partially, or it will not cook fully on the grill. Leave some space between the chunks on the kabobs. When they are squished together, the heat cannot get in between, and the inside of the chicken and bacon will be raw while the outside gets charred.
- You can also simply marinate the chicken in straight BBQ sauce. The chili lime seasoning adds a little zing. You can use pineapple juice instead of pureed pineapple. When you thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers, go ahead and get some of the marinade on the pineapple and bacon pieces. It’ll add flavor. But once you start cooking the chicken and pineapple kabobs, dispose of the marinade that the raw chicken was soaking in. Use uncontaminated BBQ sauce to brush over the finished kabobs.
- If using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water before using them for grilling so that they don’t burn.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the doneness of the chicken before removing it from the grill.
Nutrition
Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 529mg | Potassium: 322mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 127IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg