These BBQ Chicken Skewers with Pineapple are fantastic! The juicy, juicy pieces of chicken along with the sweet, juicy pineapple make for the perfect summer meal.
Not only are these BBQ Chicken Skewers with Pineapple perfect for a summer BBQ, but they’re also great (and pretty easy) for a refreshing weeknight dinner. My family loves them!
A Simple Marinade
The secret to these easy-to-make BBQ skewers is the marinade. It’s flavorful and spicy!
- ketchup
- honey
- vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce
- garlic
- paprika + chili powder + salt + pepper
The frozen cubes in the marinade container pictured below are frozen garlic (courtesy of Trader Joe’s, one of my favorite things to buy there and it gives you all the flavor of fresh garlic without any of the fuss).
Marinate the chicken pieces for at least two hours, but up to 24 hours.
Chicken Breasts vs Chicken Thighs
I have cooked these skewers with both types of meat, and you can’t go wrong with either, but I do believe that the chicken thighs are a little better.
If you use chicken breasts, be careful not to overcook the skewers. The little pieces of meat will cook pretty quickly!
One of the great things about using chicken thighs is that they don’t dry out like chicken breasts do (unless overcooked). Don’t be that person. 😉
To be honest, while I can appreciate that many people consider thighs to be the best cut of chicken to use, and I also enjoy the flavor and juiciness, I only use them occasionally because I don’t like the process of trimming the fat. Even pre-trimmed chicken thighs get an extra trim in my kitchen.
Regardless of the type of chicken you select, if you monitor the cooking duration, the outcome will be astounding!
Grilling/Cooking Options
I exclusively use a pellet grill/smoker for all of my grilling. For this recipe, I cook the skewers at 375 degrees F for a few minutes on each side.
A propane or regular charcoal grill will also work fine.
If you don’t have a grill, try grilling the skewers on a greased, foil-lined baking sheet for 3 to 4 minutes on each side (watch closely).
I think the chicken, pineapple, bell pepper, and onion pieces can also be put in an air fryer (without the skewer) and cooked that way too. It’s a very forgiving recipe!
There are few things I love more in this life than grilled pineapple, and while tender, flavorful chicken is so, so good, it’s the juicy, caramelized pineapple that I really love.
Hands down, the whole combination of spicy BBQ flavors, sweet, juicy pineapple, and tender, crisp veggies is a sure bet.
We frequently prepare these skewers because we adore them. They’re too good to be relegated to just barbecues and holiday cookouts!
What to serve with
- Cheese and garlic crackers
- Spectacular romaine lettuce salad
BBQ Chicken Pineapple Skewers
Yield: 8 12-inch skewers
Prep Time: 45minutes
Cook Time: 15minutes
Marinating Time: 2hour
Total Time: 3hours
Ingredients
- â…” cup (180 g) ketchup
- 1 tablespoon honey
- One tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced (or 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder)
- ½ teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- One and a half to two pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
- 1 medium pineapple
- 2 medium bell peppers, any color
- 1 medium red onion
Instructions
- Combine the ketchup, honey, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, paprika, salt, black pepper, and chili powder in a medium-sized bowl.
- Put the chicken pieces in a shallow dish or a gallon-sized resealable bag. After pouring the marinade over the chicken, toss to ensure even coating. Place the dish or bag in the refrigerator for two to two hours.
- Set the temperature of a standard or pellet grill to medium-high.
- Chop the onions, peppers, and pineapple into 1- to 2-inch chunks.
- Put the pineapple, onions, peppers, and chicken on skewers. The order doesn’t necessarily matter, but I thread as follows: onion, pepper, pineapple chicken (repeated about 4 times for 12-inch skewers). If any of the chicken pieces are really long, fold them in half before threading onto the skewer.
- For 4 to 5 minutes on each side for the chicken breasts and 6 to 7 minutes on each side for the chicken thighs, grill the skewers, turning them once, until the meat is cooked through. Serve immediately.
Notes
Pineapple: Depending on the size of the pineapple, there may be some left over, so be careful not to contaminate it during the skewering process (with the raw chicken); leftoverIf preferred, you can serve the grilled skewers with fresh pineapple. I haven’t tested this recipe with canned pineapple chunks, but I’m assuming they should work just fine if you don’t have fresh pineapple.
Vegetables + Onions: Bell peppers and onions add great flavor (plus, they’re really delicious on the grill), however, you can omit them if you’d like.
Chicken: The marinade on the chicken is really flavorful, and would also be delicious with whole grilled chicken breasts or thighs.
