Easy Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs with Pineapple – A 30 Minute Recipe!

Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs are the kind of thing that makes it look like you broke your back making them…..but really, the grill does most of the heavy lifting.

Juicy chicken, sweet pineapple, red onion and green pepper get brushed with sticky teriyaki sauce until everything is glossy, caramelized and just a little bit charred around the edges.

Did I mention they’re insanely delicious?? Yes.. yes they are.

The Trick? It’s to not slather on ALL that sugary sauce too early. Brush on a bit, let the kabobs cook, then start brushing on the reserved teriyaki mixture toward the end. You still get that gorgeous lacquered finish from the photos (without turning the outside into little pieces of charcoal).

Ingredient Highlights

They are simple enough for a weeknight, but colorful and kind of impressive enough to serve when people come over. The pineapple brings a sweet, juicy bite, the vegetables get those smoky little edges (my personal fave!), and the chicken stays tender in the middle. Add fluffy rice and a fresh creamy cucumber and tomato salad, and dinner looks properly put together without being a whole crazy production.

• ✅ Boneless skinless chicken breast- Chicken breast are great and lower in fat if you’re watching that kind of thing, but boneless chicken thighs can be used for an even juicier kabob.
• ✅ Pineapple chunks. Canned pineapple packed in juice is easy and gives you the juice needed for the sauce. Fresh pineapple works too, but you will need a splash of bottled pineapple juice or orange juice.
• ✅ Green bell pepper. This adds a bit of freshness, some color to the kabobs and gets lovely charred edges. Red, yellow or orange pepper can step in if that is what you have.
• ✅ Red onion. Its mild sweetness works beautifully with teriyaki. Yellow onion or sweet onion will work, although the colour will be different.
• ✅ Thick teriyaki sauce. Choose a glossy sauce that is meant for glazing, not a watery soy based marinade. Homemade teriyaki sauce is fine too, as long as it is thick enough to cling to the chicken.
• ✅ Pineapple juice. A little loosens the teriyaki sauce and carries that pineapple flavour through the chicken. Orange juice is the easiest substitute.

How to Make Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs

1. Cut the chicken, pepper and onion into similar sized pieces. Stir some of the teriyaki sauce together with the pineapple juice, then let the chicken hang out in that mixture for a bit in the refrigerator.

2. Thread the chicken, pineapple, green pepper and red onion onto the skewers. Do not pack everything on there like it is trying to catch the last bus…..a tiny bit of space helps the heat reach the edges.

3. Grill the kabobs until the chicken is nearly cooked through, turning them so they brown on more than one side. Brush with the clean reserved teriyaki sauce during the final few minutes, then pull them off once the chicken reaches a safe temperature and the vegetables have those gorgeous charred spots.

A Few Tips Before You Fire Up the Grill

• Soak wooden skewers first. Give them at least 30 minutes in water so the exposed ends are less likely to scorch. Metal skewers can go straight to work.
• Keep the pieces close in size. They don’t need to be perfect cubes. They just need to be similar enough in size to finish cooking at roughly the same time.
• Pat the pineapple dry. Extra surface moisture makes it steam instead of caramelize, and those browned edges are where the good stuff happens.
• Save the glaze for later. Teriyaki sauce contains sugar and can burn quickly. Brush it on during the last several minutes instead of coating the skewers heavily from the beginning.
• Use a thermometer. Chicken is ready at 165°F in the thickest piece. That little check is much more reliable than cutting every second chunk open.

What to Serve with Chicken Kabobs

Fluffy white rice is usually the easy answer, especially when the kabobs sit partly over the rice and some of that sticky sauce sneaks down into it. That crisp cucumber, tomato, red onion salad I mentioned earlier is nice, as well as my Cucumber Pineapple salad (kinda echoes the pineapple in the skewers which is nice) keeps the whole plate fresh and colorful.

I have a marinated veggie salad recipe that would be really nice, grilled corn, a simple dill pickle macaroni salad recipe that would be fantastic with these chicken skewers. If you are feeding a crowd, put the skewers on a big platter, make a few different sides and let everyone build their own plate.

Can I Make These Without an Outdoor Grill?

Yep for sure! Arrange the kabobs on a foil lined baking sheet and bake them in a hot oven, turning once. Brush on the reserved sauce near the end, then broil briefly if they need a bit more color. Keep a close eye on them under the broiler because teriyaki glaze can go from beautifully browned to ‘omg no!’ in a hurry.

Make Ahead and Storage

• The chicken can marinate for up to two hours, and the vegetables can be chopped a day ahead. Keep everything chilled and wait to assemble the skewers until closer to cooking time so the vegetables stay crisp.
• Store leftover kabobs in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Slide the food off the skewers before reheating, then warm it gently in a covered skillet or the microwave. A spoonful of fresh teriyaki sauce helps bring back that glossy finish.

Thanks so much for stopping by The Salty Pot! If these Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs make it onto your grill, please leave a star rating and let me know how they turned out. I always love hearing what worked, what you swapped and what disappeared from the plate first.

~Joanne