Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Skewers will be your go-to dinner this summer! Flavored with chili garlic sauce and sweetened with honey, these tasty chicken skewers are perfect for a protein packed, healthy dinner!
If you love these chicken skewers, give these Hawaiian chicken skewers with cilantro coconut rice a try!
This post has been updated since it was originally published on 6/27/2018
Why you’ll love them
Sweet and spicy – If you love a sweet and spicy flavor combination then you’ll love these chicken skewers! They get their spicy kick from chili garlic sauce, such as sambal oelek. Then, honey is used to sweet the spicy flavor for a perfectly balanced marinade.
Meal prep – This recipe makes a good amount, so if you meal prep it’s a good option. The grilled chicken and pineapple will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Great for barbecues – Any kind of skewer or kabob is always a hit at summer barbecues. You can portion the skewers to be individual servings so they’re easy for guests to grab.
Balanced meal – The chicken and pineapple skewers are a great source of protein, plus some carbs from the fruit. Pair them with rice and either a salad or grilled vegetables.
The ingredients
- Chicken – Chicken breasts are my go-to for skewers, but boneless skinless chicken thighs can also be used.
- Pineapple – I recommend fresh pineapple for the best flavor, but canned pineapple can be used in a pinch.
- Low sodium soy sauce – I always opt for low sodium soy sauce or tamari so that I can control the sodium. I find regular soy sauce to be too salty.
- Chili garlic sauce – This is an Asian condiment made of chili peppers, garlic rice vinegar, and salt.
- Rice vinegar – A mild and sweeter vinegar. Apple cider vinegar can be used as a substitution.
- Honey – Used to sweeten the marinade. Maple syrup can be used as well.
- Lime – Always use fresh squeezed lime juice if possible. The flavor is superior.
- Smoked paprika – Adds a nice smoky element to the marinade.
- Olive oil – Avocado oil can be used as well. Balances the acid in the marinade.
How to make sweet and spicy grilled chicken and pineapple skewers
Marinate the chicken – Cut the chicken breasts into bite sized chunks, about 1 – 1 1/2 inch cubes. Season them with salt and pepper and add them to a resealable bag.
Combine the soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, vinegar, oil, honey, lime juice, and smoked paprika in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whisk together until well combined.
Reserve a 1/4 cup of the marinade for brushing onto the skewers as they cook. Pour the remaining marinade in with the chicken and seal the bag pressing out the air as you do. Massage the marinade into the chicken and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 1-4 hours.
Assemble the skewers – Just before grilling, thread the chicken and pineapple onto metal or soaked wooden skewers. You can alternate the chicken and pineapple or put them on separate skewers.
You don’t want to do this too far in advance because the enzymes from the fresh pineapple will change the texture of the chicken.
Grill the skewers – Preheat your grill to 400° F. and clean and oil the grill grates. Place the skewers onto the grates and close the lid. Grill for 3-4 minutes and then flip them over and grill another 2-3 minutes.
Brush the remaining marinade onto the skewers during the final minutes of cooking. The chicken should have an internal temperature of 165° F. when it is fully cooked.
What to serve with chicken skewers
I love to have rice with chicken skewers, especially cilantro lime rice. If you’re looking for a low carb option, try cauliflower rice.
A few of my favorite salads to serve with chicken skewers are this blueberry corn feta salad, summer vegetable orzo salad, and strawberry watermelon feta salad.
Tips for the best chicken skewers
- If you are using wooden skewers be sure to soak them in water for an hour before grilling, otherwise they will burn while on the grill.
- Cut the chicken into fairly equal sized chunks so that it cooks evenly.
- Use fresh pineapple instead of canned for the best flavor.
- Baste the chicken skewers in the reserved marinade for better flavor and to keep them from drying out.
How long will the chicken and pineapple skewers keep?
Once they’ve been grilled, the chicken and pineapple will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Be sure to remove the metal or wooden skewers before doing so.
How can I make the chicken skewers paleo?
To make this recipe paleo and gluten-free, simply substitute the soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos. Then, replace the rice vinegar with apple cider vinegar.
More delicious skewer and kebab recipes
- Honey Chipotle Chicken Skewers
- Grilled Pesto Chicken Skewers
- Teriyaki Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers
- Steak Fajita Skewers with Cilantro Chimichurri
- Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce
Did you make these sweet and spicy grilled chicken and pineapple skewers? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Skewers
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (2 packages) Just BARE Organic Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar may also be used
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 lime, juiced (approx. 2 tablespoons)
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 small pineapple, cut into approx. 1 inch cubes
Instructions
1. Whisk together all of the ingredients minus the chicken and pineapple in a bowl. In a resealable freezer bag add in the cubed chicken and pour in the marinade, reserving 1/4 cup of it for brushing on the skewers while grilling. Massage the marinade into the chicken and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight if possible.
2. After the chicken has marinated, preheat the grill to approximately 400° F. Thread the chicken and pineapple onto metal or wooden skewers. (I alternated between 2 pieces of chicken and then a piece of pineapple).
3. Grill the skewers for approximately 3-4 minutes then flip them over and grill another 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Brush the remaining 1/4 cup of marinade over the skewers during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking.
4. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice topped with cilantro and lime wedges if desired.
Notes
The skewers are delicious with cilantro lime rice or cauliflower rice. After cooking mix in 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro and squeeze in the juice of 1/2 of a lime. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 390Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 669mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 14gProtein: 57g
The instructions say to reserve 1/4 cup of the maranaide while putting it on the chicken to soak. I havent made this yet but with a few tablespoons of ingredients doesnt look like there is even 1/4 cup all together much less being able to reserve that much. I am apparently missing something. I want to make this weekend but need to understand. Thank you
You should end up with almost 3/4 cup of marinade when everything is combined and a 1/2 cup will go towards marinating the chicken. If you’re worried that it won’t be enough you can always skip the step of brushing the chicken with the reserved marinade as it grills.
Really good recipe, but prep time needs to be updated to account for the 6 hour marinade time
I think this is my favorite marinade flavor ever! I think it would be awesome on shrimp as well. I had an issue. I did not read the full recipe until I was actually making it and then saw the marinate for 6 hours or overnight. I already had the charcoal lit so I just marinated it for about 20min but I ran a tenderizer over the chicken to pock holes in it to try to get more of the marinade flavor into the chicken in a shorter amount of time. The chicken was actually very flavorful. However, the citrus in the marinade made the chicken quite mushy or mealy. Do you think this came from puncturing the pieces of chicken with a tenderizer? have you had coments about the chicken being mushy after marinating overnight? Again, I loved the recipe and the flavors were off the chain, just curious about the mealy chicken issue. Was that just me because I used a terderizer to pock holes in the chicken?
This is the BEST marinade! I made a second batch for dipping :) and nothing beats grilled pineapple in the summer. Made with Chili verde & cilantro rice.. amazing. Great recipe! Definitely made our summer rotation!
I’m so glad you liked it Kate! Thanks for trying the recipe!
Have you used canned pineapple? I was wondering because i really need some shortcuts sometimes lol
Hi Kris, I haven’t tried canned pineapple with these, but I’m sure it will work. Just be careful threading them on the skewers since the chunks aren’t as firm or large as fresh pineapple.
Hello I am going to make these tomorrow but I have a few questions. I could only find sweet Chile sauce and sweet paprika so do you recommend adding garlic omitting the honey and using just smoked paprika? I have sweet and smoked but could not find the sweet Spanish smoked paprika any advice on how to alter this would be greatly appreciated
Hi Juliana! If you’re using sweet chile sauce I would say add a clove or 2 of garlic and cut back or omit the honey depending on how sweet you want them. As far as paprika I would just do a 50/50 combo of what you have. Hope this helps! Enjoy!
Could you bake these instead? If so, for how long at 400?
Hi Arita,
Yes you can bake the chicken skewers. I would recommend baking at 425-450° F. for 15-20 minutes (depends on the size of your chicken chunks). Then if you want them to caramelize a bit I would turn on the broiler for a couple minutes or until they’re browned.
What brand of chili garlic sauce do you use?
I use Huy Fong chili garlic sauce.
I’m loving the warmer summer weather too! I just bought skewers this past weekend…so I am ready and excited to try this recipe! :)
Cheers to warm weather! I hope you enjoy the skewers!