Hawaiian chicken and pineapple kabobs
45 min · 49 g protein · 485 cals / serving
Juicy chunks of chicken threaded with sweet pineapple, red and green peppers, zucchini and red onion, brushed with a sticky pineapple, soy, ginger and garlic glaze and grilled until the edges char and the pineapple caramelizes. Served over a small scoop of rice with the extra glaze spooned on top and a crisp cucumber salad, it is the cookout dinner children ask for again and again.
Ingredients
Kabobs
- 1 2/3 lb chicken breast, in 1 1/4-inch (3 cm) chunks
Glaze
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 2 tsp ginger, finely grated
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 3/4 tsp cornstarch, mixed with 1 tbsp water
Kabobs
- 1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, cored, in 1 1/4-inch (3 cm) chunks
- 1 large red bell pepper, in 1 1/4-inch (3 cm) squares
- 1 large green bell pepper bell pepper, in 1 1/4-inch (3 cm) squares
- 1 medium red onion, in wedges, layers separated
- 2 small zucchini, in thick half-moons
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
To serve
- 1/3 cup long-grain or jasmine rice white rice
Cucumber salad
- 1 English cucumber cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
To serve
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
Steps
- Whisk the pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and tomato paste in a bowl. Pour half into a small saucepan and set it aside for the glaze; this half never touches raw chicken.
- Toss the chicken in the other half and marinate in the fridge 30 minutes to 2 hours (no longer: pineapple juice softens the meat). Toss the pineapple, peppers, onion and zucchini with the oil and salt. If you use wooden skewers, soak 8–10 of them in water for 30 minutes.
- Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high (or the broiler, with the rack 6 inches / 15 cm from the heat). Thread the chicken, pineapple, peppers, onion and zucchini onto the skewers, alternating, and discard the marinade left in the bowl.
- Grill the kabobs 10–14 minutes, turning every few minutes, until the chicken is charred at the edges and reads 165°F in the thickest piece. Meanwhile, bring the reserved glaze to a simmer, stir in the cornstarch mixture and bubble 1 minute until glossy. Brush some over the kabobs for the last 2 minutes.
- While the kabobs cook, cook the rice according to the package, and toss the cucumber with the vinegar and a pinch of salt.
- Serve the kabobs over the rice with the rest of the glaze spooned over, scattered with green onion and sesame seeds, with the cucumber salad on the side.
Good to know
How do I get the kids involved?
Threading the skewers is the best job in the kitchen. Give children a bowl of each ingredient and let them make their own pattern; use blunt bamboo skewers and a grown-up for the grill.
My picky eater doesn't like peppers
Make a few skewers of just chicken and pineapple; they cook in the same time. The sweet, sticky glaze is what most children come back for.
Canned pineapple?
Yes. Use chunks canned in juice, well drained, and use the juice for the glaze. Fresh pineapple holds its shape better on the grill and chars more.
No grill?
Lay the skewers on a foil-lined sheet pan and broil 5–6 minutes a side, or roast at 450°F for 15–18 minutes, turning once.
Per
- Calories
- 81
- Protein
- (42%)
- 8 g
- Fat
- (15%)
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- (43%)
- 9 g
- of which sugar
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 138 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1939 kcal goes into the pot and 2783 g of ingredients comes out as about 2400 g of food: 81 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.