Teriyaki Chicken Skewers with Pineapple

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Juicy and tender Teriyaki Chicken Skewers with pineapple, bell peppers and red onions are sticky, sweet, savoury, and tangy. These chicken kabobs are packed with flavour from the easy to make marinade and homemade teriyaki sauce. It's the best addition to your summer weeknight dinner.

Juicy and tender Teriyaki Chicken Skewers with pineapple, bell peppers and red onions are sticky, sweet, savoury, and tangy. So flavourful and delicious. | aheadofthyme.com

This grilled skewer recipe is perfect for summer nights because it's quick and easy. You will need to marinade the chicken at least an hour in advance and then spend about 15 minutes grilling. To make things even faster at dinner time, prep and marinate the chicken the night before or in the morning.

Why You'll Love These Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Sweet and savory. Teriyaki is the perfect marriage of sweet and savory flavors with all the umami notes from soy sauce and the sweetness of brown sugar. As you grill the chicken kebabs, the flavors concentrate down and caramelize on the edges while infusing the peppers, onions, and fresh pineapple with extra flavor. Seriously so good!
Great for entertaining. These skewers are delicious any night of the week, but they're phenomenal for parties and gatherings! While the chicken marinates, you'll have plenty of time to work on other things and they only need 15 minutes on the grill. Plus, the wooden skewers make them easy to serve and eat.
Make indoors or outdoors. We usually associate grilling with being outside on a hot, sunny day, but you can easily cook these pineapple teriyaki chicken skewers on an indoor grill pan or in the oven any time of year! They're great for that smoky, summery flavor when it's rainy or snowy outside.

Ingredient Notes

To make this delicious Teriyaki Chicken Pineapple Skewers, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

chicken breast - cut into 1.5-inch cubes.
teriyaki marinade - made with a combination of water, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, brown sugar (or honey), cornstarch, garlic powder (optional), black vinegar, and salt.
pineapple - grilled pineapple is super sweet and juicy, which pairs perfectly with teriyaki chicken.
bell peppers - green pepper, yellow pepper, and red pepper, for threading onto the skewers.
red onion - for threading onto the skewers.
olive oil - for grilling.
white sesame seeds - to sprinkle on top.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, skewers, tongs for grilling, and an indoor grill pan (if you are not using an outdoor grill).

How to Make the Best Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers with Pineapple

Prepare the teriyaki marinade. Add all of the ingredients for the teriyaki marinade into a small pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool for 1 hour. It should be cooled down completely. Set aside ⅓ cup of the teriyaki sauce.
Marinate the chicken. Cut out chicken breasts into 1.5-inch thick cubes and add them into the teriyaki marinade. Stir with a spoon to coat all the chicken pieces and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight for the best results).
Skewer the chicken. Thread the chicken onto skewers, alternating with bell peppers, red onion, and pineapple. I like to thread the pineapple on both ends to help immobilize the cubed chicken.
Grill the skewers. Lightly brush olive oil over the grill pan. Preheat over medium high heat for about 5 minutes until sizzling hot. Cook the chicken skewers for 8-10 minutes on each side or until its internal temperature reaches 165 F (75 C).

Serve. Transfer the skewers onto a plate and drizzle with the reserved teriyaki sauce. Sprinkle with some sesame seeds and serve over steamed rice.

Recipe Variations

Play with the marinade. For a sweet and spicy flavor, add some sriracha or red pepper flakes. Feel free to add a tablespoon of fresh ginger for a bright heat or star anise for a licorice flavor. You can even replace the water with pineapple or orange juice for a fruity note!
Add more veggies. Feel free to adjust the veggies to whatever you have on hand or different seasonal variations. I recommend keeping the pineapple chunks for that tropical flavor but feel free to use different colors of bell peppers, mini sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, and more.
Change the sweetener. I prefer to use brown sugar in the sauce because it has a rich flavor that works wonderfully in the homemade sauce. I don't recommend using regular white sugar for that reason, but honey, maple syrup, and even coconut sugar are all great substitutes that add an interesting flavor.
Use a different protein or cut. Teriyaki works wonderfully with so many other proteins! I like to use cuts with lighter flavors to allow the flavor to stand out, like pork tenderloin. The higher fat content in chicken thighs can make these juicy chicken skewers even more tender and flavorful! Sweet shrimp and hearty beef also work wonderfully with the pineapple and rich sauce.

How to Serve

After grilling, these Teriyaki Chicken Pineapple Skewers are delicious served on their own - the chicken and veggies can be eaten straight off of the bamboo skewers. You can also pair them with some of my favorite BBQ sides including:

Rice: Coconut Rice, Steamed Rice, or Vegetarian Fried Rice. For a lower-carb option, try cauliflower rice instead.
Salad: Chinese Garlic Cucumber Salad, Asian Cold Noodle Salad, or Asian Chopped Salad.
Veggies: Grilled Corn on the Cob, Oven Roasted Vegetables, or Tofu and Mushroom Stir Fry.
Noodles: Lo Mein Noodles, Vegetarian Chow Mein or Peanut Noodles.

For more recipes, see our 25+ Best BBQ Side Dishes.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Marinate the chicken. It is crucial to let the chicken marinate at least for an hour to allow the flavours to infuse and for it to get juicier. If you are able to let it marinate even longer, it will taste that much better. I prefer letting it marinate overnight, when I have the time.
Double up the recipe. This is a smaller batch recipe that makes 6 skewers. You can easily double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd.
How to cook skewers in the oven instead. You can absolutely cook these skewers in the oven as well. This way you can cook them all year round. They just won't have those charred grill marks, but will still taste delicious. To bake, place skewers on a baking tray and roast at 480 F for 12-13 minutes, or when the internal temperature reaches 165 F. You can add some charring by then placing under the broiler on high for 1 minute. Keep a close eye on them, because they can burn quickly.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to Store

Unthread the teriyaki chicken and store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

How to Reheat

Preheat the oven to 350F and wrap the teriyaki chicken skewers in aluminum foil. Reheat for 10-20 minutes until warmed through. For juicier kabobs, you can add a splash of water or chicken broth to the aluminum foil wraps.

FAQ

How do you make teriyaki marinade?

Homemade teriyaki marinade is so easy to make and tastes even better than the store-bought teriyaki sauce! It's made by cooking down and thickening several different flavor-packed ingredients on the stove, which you then cool before marinating your chicken chunks or any other protein. My homemade sauce recipe uses water, soy sauce, dark soy sauce (for an even stronger umami flavor), brown sugar or honey, cornstarch, black vinegar, salt, and a little garlic powder if you'd like. Since several of these ingredients are condiments, you can easily keep them on hand to make it any time!

Can you make teriyaki chicken pineapple kabobs in the oven?

I highly recommend grilling these chicken teriyaki skewers whenever possible because the smoky grill flavor tastes amazing with the teriyaki glaze and fresh pineapple pieces. However, you can definitely make them in the oven instead! Like my beef shish kebab skewers, you can broil them on high for 4-5 minutes per side. Use a digital meat thermometer to double-check that the meat is fully done (165 F) before removing it from the oven.

Can you use leftover teriyaki marinade as a sauce?

If any of the leftover marinade touched the raw chicken, it is no longer safe to serve raw. If you want to drizzle extra teriyaki sauce over these easy teriyaki chicken kabobs right before serving, either set aside part of the original sauce or make an extra half batch.

More Chicken Skewer Recipes

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