What’s a summer BBQ without grilled chicken kabobs?
With a sauce inspired by our favorite huli huli chicken recipe, these kabobs have chicken, pineapple, and vegetables with hints of ginger, soy, and brown sugar.
Perfect for a backyard BBQ or any weeknight dinner, these kabobs add a touch of tropical with every bite.
Ingredients & Variations
CHICKEN: Boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts are great in this recipe. Chunks of beef or shrimp can be used in this recipe, but cook them separately from the vegetables since they’ll cook at different rates.
VEGETABLES: Bell peppers, red onions, and pineapple chunks are sweet and colorful, but why not try whole mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, or thick zucchini rounds? Potatoes and carrots should be par-cooked prior to adding to kabobs, however.
MARINADE: The marinade makes the meal! These Hawaiian-inspired chicken Kabobs use a sauce very loosely based on Huli Huli chicken, which is a Hawaiian specialty created by Ernie Morgado in the 1950s. While this recipe isn’t cooked in the style of Huli Huli chicken, which is chicken that is turned on the grill or a spit, it is flavor packed and delicious.
How to Make Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs
- Prepare marinade per the recipe below & marinate chicken for up to 4 hours.
- Add prepared vegetables to a large bowl & toss with 3 tablespoons of marinade.
- Thread chicken and vegetables onto skewers.
- Grill Hawaiian chicken kabobs until cooked through, brushing them with remaining marinade and rotating as needed.
PRO TIP: Always discard leftover marinade that has come in contact with raw meat to avoid harmful bacteria that may have developed.
In the Oven:
Baked Hawaiian chicken kabobs come out perfectly in the oven, too!
- Prepare chicken kabobs up to Step 3 and bake them in the oven set to 375°F for 12-16 minutes, basting and turning them over halfway through.
- Broil them for about 2 minutes for an extra char-grilled exterior.
Tips for Juicy Kabobs
- Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from splintering or burning.
- For uniform cooking, cut chicken and veggies into equal sizes.
- Leave a small amount of space between each piece on the skewer. This allows heat to circulate evenly and helps everything cook at the same rate.
- Chicken kabobs cook quickly; use a meat thermometer to ensure they reach 165°F without overcooking.
- For the best results, pull them off the grill a few degrees early since they will continue to cook as they rest.
Storing Leftovers
- For best results, separate the leftover chicken and vegetables and store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Chop up leftovers and serve them over rice or in a chicken and noodle stir fry.
- Hawaiian chicken kabobs freeze beautifully! Scoop portions into zippered bags and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating on the stove or in the microwave.
More Grilled Chicken Favorites
Did you make these Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breasts cut into 1" cubes
- 1 red bell pepper diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 orange bell pepper diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup pineapple diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 green bell pepper diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 red onion diced into bite-sized pieces
Marinade
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger root minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
Instructions
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl or freezer bag. Set aside ½ cup of the mixture for the vegetables.
- Add the chicken to the remaining marinade, ensuring it is well-coated and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 4 hours.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high (400°F).
- In a large bowl, combine the diced bell peppers, pineapple, and onions and toss with 3 tablespoons of the reserved marinade.
- Thread the chicken and vegetables onto skewers.
- Grill for 12 to 16 minutes or until cooked through, turning the skewers frequently. Brush the skewers with the remaining marinade while cooking.
Notes
- Soak wooden skewers in water during preparation to keep them from burning or charring on the grill.
- Cut meat and vegetables into uniform sizes for even cooking.
- A meat thermometer should read 165°F when chicken is done. Remove from grill promptly.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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What can you use if you cannot find the kc masterpiece bbq sauce dry rub?
Julie, you could try a dry rub (like the one for my Instant Pot Ribs) mixed with a small amount of BBQ sauce (in addition to the pineapple juice). This would change the taste, but still be good! Enjoy!
How much (in Tbl or cups) is 1 pouch of that BBQ sauce? Or do you mean to use tge whole bottoe? How much dry rub (tsp or Tbl) do you want us to use? Do I just cover each chicken breasts in dry rub and go from there? Thanks beforehand! I’m excited to make this.
The BBQ Sauce & Dry Rub is a powder, each pouch being 2 ounces (weight). You could use another BBQ dry rub of your choice. 2 ounces of dry rub is mixed with ¾ cup of pineapple juice and set aside. For the marinade, 2 ounces of rub is mixed with 1 cup pineapple juice. Hope that helps!
This looks amazing although I’ve yet to make it. I was wondering how chunks or pork might substitute in this?
Hi KSun, I think chunks of pork would taste great! Just be sure to cook them to an internal temp of 145°F and let them rest for 3 minutes before digging in!
Awesome recipe. There are some foods that call for Pineapple and this is one.
Now to find a Wine with an intriguing label to pair it with the Kabobs…
If chicken marinates longer than 30 minutes, is that ok? Thanks
The pineapple juice may start to make the chicken too soft if it marinates much longer than about 30 minutes Denise. Enjoy!
Can I use the KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce and add a little pineapple juice to it? I can’t find the rub.
Hi Karen, you could try a dry rub (like the one for our Instant Pot Ribs) mixed with a small amount of the KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce as well as pineapple juice. It would taste a little different but still so yummy!
Delicious!!! I couldn’t find the KC dry rub either, I used a rib dry rub with KC BBQ sauce and pineapple juice….amazing. I love that it can all be prepped ahead of time… this was a trial run, and it’s unanimous, we will serve this at our next party…
Hi! This looks absolutely delicious but I cannot find the dry rub and sauce mix packs ANYWHERE. :( Do you have a new link to the sauce or a substitution that is just as good? I looked through the comments and have seen that others tried using other kinds of sauce and it wasn’t good, so I’d like to get it right the first time! Thank you!
Hi Chantelle, I would use a BBQ sauce you already love if you can’t find these pouches. You could also try making your own BBQ sauce.
These look amazing!! I was wondering, besides rice, what other sides go well with these??
I’ll eat these with almost anything! They would go great next to any grilled side dish, like these delicious grilled potatoes or a classic macaroni salad.
Woooow…..Homemade!!! It’s the only thing that taste good! And so easy to do… Thank you for sharing!
Dang Thai from Embeya !
What can you use to substitute the KC Masterpiece dry rub? I cannot find it anywhere! Thank you.
Chris, you could try a dry rub (like the one for my Instant Pot Ribs) mixed with a small amount of BBQ sauce (in addition to the pineapple juice). This would change the taste, but still be good! Enjoy!
I used the KC bbq sauce, but couldn’t find the honey dry rub so used a brown sugar dry rub, it just didn’t work for me. They ended up tasting like bbq kabobs. Are they suppose to taste like bbq kabobs? May have been because I didn’t use the right rub.
KC Masterpiece® BBQ Sauce Mix and Dry Rub is a powder that you mix with pineapple juice for this recipe. If you used BBQ sauce, it would definitely change the taste. Thank you for trying the kebabs Karen.
Can I mix the honey bbq sauce I found since I couldnt find the package with some pineapple juice and if so how much do I mix of what.
Hi Johnny, for our sauce, we mix 1 ¾ cup of pineapple juice with one package of the BBQ sauce and dry rub mixture. I hope that helps!
Great flavor. Plan to make again.
Thanks Sue! So happy you enjoyed them!
Needs more recipes for the family
Here are a few that always go over well with my family that you might want to check out Renee:
https://www.spendwithpennies.com/hamburger-casserole/
https://www.spendwithpennies.com/creamy-tuna-pasta-salad/
I made these and they are delish!
Thanks Terri! :)
Will canned pineapple chunks and the juice work in this recipe?
We have only made this recipe as listed, but that should work just fine. Enjoy!
Yummy
Decided to pre-make these and take them camping! So delicious!!
I am so glad you enjoyed the kabobs Samantha!
The KC BBQ Sauce and Rub is not available in Canada. Would BullsEye BBQ Sauce work?
You could try another dry rub to mix with the pineapple juice Cheryl. Enjoy.
Hi Holly, looks delish! I was wondering if you can make this in the oven.
While I haven’t tried making these in the oven, I think you could bake them at 450, turning at 10 minutes, baking for about 22 minutes. Bake until meat cooked through. Let me know how it works out for you Christina!
Aloha…Looks yummy, but pineapple does not make this Hawaiian. Hawaiian food is an actual cultural food group and pineapple was introduced to Hawai’i by Haole settlers. A better name for dishes like this would be “Tropical” but not “Hawaiian”. That being said, I would definitely make this recipe, it does look delicious!
I do agree, as stated in the write up of this recipe it is adapted from my favorite local Hawaiian pizza however it is certainly not a traditional Hawaiian dish.
Excellent! I couldn’t find the KC so I used Jack Daniels Teriyaki/Honey sauce and added pineapple juice.
Grilled pineapple is so good! It’s my favorite fruit and grilling it in a savory dish is the best! I love when my favorite BBq spot,makes grilled fruit.
I love grilled fruit too, such a great addition to a summer meal!