Chicken and Pineapple BBQ Skewers (Printable Version)

Tender chicken and pineapple chunks marinated in smoky BBQ sauce, grilled on skewers for a perfect summer meal.

# What You Need:

→ Meat & Protein

01 - 1.1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

→ Fruit & Vegetables

02 - 1 medium fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch chunks
03 - 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
04 - 1 large red onion, cut into 1 inch pieces

→ Marinade & Sauce

05 - ½ cup BBQ sauce (store-bought or homemade)
06 - 2 tbsp olive oil
07 - 1 tbsp soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
10 - ½ tsp black pepper
11 - ½ tsp salt

→ Garnish

12 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
13 - Lime wedges, to serve

# Method:

01 - In a large bowl, whisk together BBQ sauce, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt to make the marinade.
02 - Add chicken cubes to the marinade, toss to coat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).
03 - Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 20 minutes to prevent burning.
04 - Preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 400°F) or prepare a grill pan.
05 - Thread marinated chicken, pineapple chunks, bell pepper, and onion alternately onto the skewers, ending with a piece of chicken or pineapple.
06 - Grill skewers for 12–15 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with extra BBQ sauce halfway through, until chicken is cooked through and lightly charred.
07 - Remove from grill. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley and serve with lime wedges.

# Expert Tricks:

01 -
  • The combination of sweet pineapple and savory chicken creates this incredible smoky flavor profile that feels like summer on a plate
  • Everything cooks on skewers so cleanup is basically nonexistent and you can prep everything ahead of time
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking wooden skewers unless you want them to turn into charcoal before your chicken is done
  • Leave a tiny bit of space between ingredients on the skewers so heat can circulate and everything cooks evenly
03 -
  • Thread everything onto the skewers in the same order so each skewer gets the same variety of flavors and colors
  • If your chicken cubes are slightly different sizes, put the larger ones closer to the center of the skewer where they'll get more heat

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