Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs

These Chicken Kebabs are marinated in a homemade teriyaki sauce that makes them incredibly juicy and flavorful. With the addition of pineapple, bell peppers and red onion, they are so vibrantly beautiful and have so many delicious flavor combinations that are perfect for summer grilling.

The homemade teriyaki sauce on the chicken kabobs is incredible with the fresh juicy pineapple and vegetables. This recipe is the perfect main course for summer grilling. It combines fresh flavors, vibrantly colorful ingredients and the convenience of kabobs. Not only are these kabobs so pretty and elegant, they are great for both easy family dinners and large get togethers. All the ingredients are ideal for the grill – chicken, pineapple, peppers and red onion. I think the combination of sweet and savory is lovely.

The homemade teriyaki sauce takes about 10 minutes to put together and it is the secret to making this recipe really stand out. The sauce not only marinates the chicken, but it is also brushed on at the end of grilling to make it extra saucy. The sweet, savory and saucy chicken with the juicy and crisp pineapple, bell peppers and red onion are a match made in heaven.

Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs With Pineapple and Peppers Video:

Ingredients:

• chicken – I am using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
• pineapple – fresh pineapple is best. It has so much more flavor and the texture is great, but you can also use canned pineapple.
• bell peppers – use any color bell peppers that you like.
• red onion – I think red onion is ideal for grilling. It doesn’t have as much of a bite as yellow onions, the red color is really beautiful and it has a lovely sweet flavor. However, you can also use yellow or white onions instead.
• Homemade Teriyaki Sauce ingredients:
• pineapple juice – the pineapple juice brings out more pineapple flavor in the chicken to complement the grilled pineapple pieces in the kabobs. Plus, the sweet and tart pineapple juice is the perfect base for the teriyaki sauce. If you are not using a whole fresh pineapple, you can use store bought pineapple juice.
• soy sauce – the soy sauce is the salty and umami element in the teriyaki sauce.
• mirin – mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine. It has a very clean, sweet and vinegary flavor and is amazing in sauces. You can substitute white wine, white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar instead.
• brown sugar – teriyaki sauce is not savory and sweet and the fresh pineapple juice is not sweet enough on its own, so a small amount of additional brown sugar makes it just right. The brown sugar also gives it additional flavor. You can use maple syrup, molasses, or honey instead.
• garlic and ginger – this combination is a must and makes the iconic flavors of teriyaki sauce really flavorful and fresh.
• cornstarch – cornstarch will help thicken up the sauce just a bit so it’s more glossy and saucy. It will adhere much better to the chicken.

What is Teriyaki Sauce?

Teriyaki sauce is a rich sauce that is both sweet and salty and has a pleasant acidic note to it. It has a very distinct “umami” flavor that is so popular in cooking shows. I use pineapple juice for both the sweet and tart flavors as the basis of the sauce and then add soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar and fresh ginger and garlic. Teriyaki is cooked for just a few minutes and is slightly thickened with cornstarch, which helps to coat the chicken better and makes it glossy.

How To Make Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs:

• Prep the pineapple first, by cutting it into cubes and using the end pieces to make pineapple juice.
• Make the teriyaki sauce. Combine the pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, mirin, brown sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan, whisking until smooth. Cook on medium low heat until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Cool. Set aside 1/2 cup of the teriyaki sauce to use later.
• Cut the chicken, bell peppers and onion into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
• Marinate the chicken in the teriyaki sauce. It needs to marinate for a minimum of 15 minutes, preferably about an hour.
• Mix the bell peppers and onion with the oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat the grill and clean it.
• Thread the chicken, pineapple and vegetables onto skewers. (If you use wooden skewers, soak them in water for 15-30 minutes first.) You will have about 12 kabobs.
• Grill the kabobs for about 5 minutes per side, on medium high heat. You will need to adjust to your grill and cook the kabobs according to how hot your grill is and how big you cut the chicken. If you cut it into larger pieces, it will take longer to cook through. The chicken should be 160-165 degrees Fahrenheit in the center, which you can check by using an instant read thermometer.
• Brush with sauce. During the last few minutes of grilling, brush the remaining teriyaki sauce on both sides of the kabobs.

Helpful Tips and Variations:

What to Serve With the Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs:

• Long Grain White Rice – Add some fresh herbs to give it an extra boost of flavor. One of my favorite summertime rice variations is to add cilantro and fresh lime juice to it.
• Zucchini Couscous – this is another summertime side dish that pairs really nicely with these kabobs.
• Sautéed Green Beans with Peas and Tomatoes – so many fresh flavors!
• Roasted Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad – This is one of my favorite salads to make when grilling.

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