Name: Hawaiian Chicken Skewers with Cilantro Coconut Rice
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes; 1/4 cup canned pineapple juice; 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon ketchup; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger; 1 clove of garlic; Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste; 2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces; 1 red onion, cut into 1 inch pieces; 2 cups cubed fresh pineapple; 1 cup uncooked rice; 1 cup canned light coconut milk; 1 cup water; 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro; Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Jump to Recipe

Hawaiian Chicken Skewers with Cilantro Coconut Rice are perfect for an easy and healthy grilled dinner! Made with delicious marinated chicken, fresh pineapple, bell peppers and red onions. Super flavorful and a must make this summer!

This recipe and photos have been updated since the original post on 7/8/2015

Summer is in full force and I’m loving it! I could do without the never ending 90+ degree days we’ve been having all month, but at least it still cools off at night. With the heat still coming on strong, I’ve been doing as much cooking on the grill as I can. Chicken skewers are always a favorite of ours and these Hawaiian Chicken Skewers with Cilantro Coconut Rice are especially delicious during the summer months.

Ingredients Needed to Make Hawaiian Chicken Skewers

Chicken breasts
Canned pineapple juice
Low sodium soy sauce or tamari
Ketchup
Honey
Fresh ginger and garlic
Bell peppers, colors used are up to you
Red onion
Fresh pineapple
Rice
Canned light coconut milk or full fat
Cilantro

How to Make the Hawaiian Chicken Skewers

Making these chicken skewers is easy and unlike some marinated chicken, this one only needs an hour to get infused with all the flavor.

Cut the chicken, vegetables and pineapple into bite sized piece. Place the chicken into a large resealable freezer bag. Place the vegetables and pineapple into a large bowl. Drizzle the vegetables with a little olive, salt and pepper, toss together and then set aside.
Whisk together the soy sauce, canned pineapple juice, ketchup, honey, garlic, ginger, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour half the marinade in with the chicken, vegetables and pineapple. Reserve the remaining marinade to brush onto the skewers while they are grilling. Seal the bag, pressing out the air as you do. Massage the marinade into the meat, then refrigerate it for an hour.
Thread the chicken, vegetables and pineapple onto metal or wooden skewers. Preheat your grill to about 400° F. While the grill heats, start the rice. Add all of the ingredients except the cilantro to a saucepan. Bring it to a boil then lower the heat, cover with a lid and simmer until the rice is cooked. Remove from the heat, stir in the cilantro, then cover with the lid again and let it rest for 10 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, grill the skewers. Grill for 5 minutes then flip them over with metal tongs and grill another 4-5 minutes or until the chicken registers 165° F. in the center. During the last few minutes of grilling, brush the remaining marinade all over the skewers. Serve the skewers with the cilantro coconut rice.

Why Doesn’t the Marinade Use Fresh Pineapple Juice?

You might be wondering why the marinade calls for canned pineapple juice when you could just squeeze the juice from the fresh pineapple. Well lucky for you, the first time I made these I made the mistake use doing just that. Turns out, the enzyme bromelain found in fresh pineapple ruins the texture of the chicken.

It breaks it down and almost cooks it in the marinade. The end result is mushy and pretty disgusting. In canned pineapple the bromelain is extracted so you’ll get that wonderful flavor without the gross texture.

Can I Use Canned Pineapple Instead of Fresh?

I don’t recommend using canned pineapple for the skewers. It doesn’t hold up well on the grill and the flavor doesn’t come close to that of fresh. I know it might seem like a pain to be buying both a fresh pineapple and a can of pineapple for this recipe, but it’s a must for these skewers to be successful. Don’t waste the canned pineapple, use it and make this Baked Pineapple French Toast for breakfast over the weekend.

Can I Make the Hawaiian Chicken Skewers in the Oven?

Yes. If you don’t have a grill set your oven to broil. Thread the skewers as you would if you were grilling them. Line a sheet pan with foil and spray it with cooking spray. Place the skewers on the pan in a single layer being careful not to over crowd them. lined with foil. Broil for 5 minutes, then flip them and broil another 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.