Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs Recipe

This chicken kabobs Hawaiian grilled recipe is a family favorite. The chicken is marinated perfectly in a pineapple juice and soy sauce marinade. This gives the chicken so much flavor when grilled to perfection.

If you like this recipe, you may like Blackstone Pineapple Chicken, Grilled Hawaiian Pork Chops, or Grilled Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Recipe.

Why We Love This Recipe

Kabobs are so fun and easy to make. We love the sweet and salty combination that the Hawaiian marinade gives the chicken. Combined with the sweet pineapple and added vegetables this kabob recipe is always on rotation.

This is a summertime staple recipe. It takes minutes to prepare the kabobs which makes dinnertime a breeze. Make these for your next BBQ and add your favorite sides.

What is Hawaiian Chicken made of?

Hawaiian Chicken is made up of simple pantry ingredients. The pineapple juice and brown sugar adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the marinade.

Mix in soy sauce, ginger and garlic for the perfect combination for your Hawaiian Chicken recipe.

Ingredients

• Skinless Chicken Breasts – Cut into 2″ cubes

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.

Variations Ideas

• Change the Seasoning – You can easily change the seasoning. We like to add in sesame oil if we have it.
• Chicken – We used cut up chicken breast in this recipe, but you can boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. You may need to allow the chicken kabobs to cook a little longer.
• Veggies – Add corn on the cob, broccoli, or zucchini for added flavor. Use what you prefer.
• Add Other Meat – Kabobs can be made with a variety of meats. Add beef or shrimp to the chicken skewers for added flavor.

How to Make Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

• Step 1 – Prepare Skewers – Soak bamboo skewers in a shallow pan filled with warm water. Let soak for 30 minutes.

• Step 2 – Marinate Chicken – In a shallow dish or large bowl, add the pineapple juice, brown sugar, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic powder, ginger, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add chicken to the dish and stir well to coat. Let marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.

• Step 3 – Prepare Grill – Preheat the grill on medium high heat (approximately 400 degrees F). 

• Step 4 – Thread chicken, pineapple, vegetables – Thread chicken, green pepper, pineapple chunks, onion and another piece of chicken onto the skewer. Repeat until all ingredients are used.

• Step 5 – Cook Kabobs – Cook on medium high heat for 15 minutes (rotating the kabobs frequently so that they are cooked evenly). We cook directly on the grill grate but you can also cook in a grill pan.

Recipe Tips

• Preparing Grill – Prepare the grill by heating the grill to medium heat and oiling the grill gates. This prevents the kabobs from sticking to the grill.
• Meat Thermometer – Use an instant-read meat thermometer to make sure that the chicken is cooked to safe temperature before eating.  Also that this chicken is no longer pink.
• Flip the Kabobs – Makes sure to flip the grilled Hawaiian chicken kabobs as you cook them to make sure all sides are cooked.
• Skewers – We used wooden skewers instead of metal skewers.
• Reserved Marinade – We like to reserve some of the remaining marinade to pour over the kabobs when I serve over rice. We recommend thickening the sauce with a cornstarch slurry.
• Cut Vegetables – Cut vegetables and chicken to about the same size pieces. This ensure that they cook evenly and about the same time.
• Pineapple – We recommend using fresh pineapple when making this recipe. Canned pineapple doesn’t cook as well and the pieces are not as large as fresh pineapple.
• Baste Kabobs – With the reserved marinade, you can baste the kabobs while they are grilling. This adds moisture and flavor to the kabobs.
• Serving – These Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs are best prepared then served. We do not recommend preparing and freezing the kabobs as the vegetables and pineapple will turn to mush.

How long to Grill Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

After preparing the Hawaiian Chicken and threading the vegetables and chicken on the wooden skewers, they are ready for the grill.

Place the kabobs on the grill, it takes about 15 minutes turning to grill kabobs. Make sure to rotate the kabobs so they cook evenly.

Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. The temperature should be 165 degrees when the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

What to Serve with Chicken Kabobs?

• White Rice
• Bake Potatoes
• Cauliflower Rice
• Roasted Vegetables
• More Grilled Chicken Side Dishes
• See What to Serve with Chicken kabobs for more side ideas.