These Pineapple Chicken Kabobs are the perfect grilled summer dinner. Gluten free, easy to make and paleo friendly – everyone will love them!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Click here to read my policy and more about affiliate links.
These Pineapple Chicken Kabobs are basically like summer in a meal form. Fresh veggies, sweet fresh pineapple and juicy chicken all dressed up in a delicious honey poppyseed dressing… yes please.
Not only do these Chicken Pineapple Kabobs taste amazing, they look pretty too! They’re beautifully colored, and are bound to impress your guests at any summer cookout!
They’re also paleo, gluten free and very easy to make!
Things you’ll need to make this Pineapple Chicken Kabobs:
To make Chicken Pineapple Kabobs you’re going to need:
- boneless skinless chicken breast
- veggies: like zucchini and bell peppers
- fresh pineapple chunks
marinade ingredients:
- mustard
- apple cider vinegar
- olive oil
- honey
- spices
- poppyseeds (optional)
You can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded substitutions box.
How to make Honey Poppyseed Dressing:
The dressing/marinade is the best part of this recipe in my opinion! It’s easy to make by mixing all your ingredients together!
Homemade dressings/marinades are always so much better than store bought, especially this one! Once you have your dressing made and veggies/chicken chopped – you’re ready to get cookin’.
How to make Pineapple Chicken Kabobs:
To make Chicken Pineapple Kabobs:
- First mix your dressing
- Chop your veggies.
- Add everything together to marinate for at 20 minutes.
- Add your marinated chicken/veggies/pineapple to skewers + place on the grill!
- Cook for 10 minutes, flip + cook for an additional 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
Best skewers for grilling:
Metal skewers are definitely better for grilling because you don’t have to worry about them burning or catching fire. (Or leaving little flecks of wood in/near your food!)
I think these metal skewers from amazon are the best for grilling. They’re reasonably priced and have held up great for us. We pop them right in the dishwasher after using!
If you need to use wooden skewers, these are a good option.
Substitutions for Pineapple Chicken Kabobs Recipe:
These hawaiian chicken kabobs are pretty versatile and you can easily swap ingredients out to customize them.
Marinades- You can use any of the marinades in these posts on these kebabs: 5 Healthy Chicken Marinades, Vegetable Kebabs, Healthy Lemon Basil Vinaigrette. You can also opt for store bought dressing!
To make whole30: You can skip the honey in the dressing and this recipe will still taste delicious!
Veggies – You can swap out the veggies in this recipe. Mushrooms and onions would be delicious!
Chicken Breasts: Boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenders would also work. I have not tried this recipe with tofu or steak but I think it would work well!
Pineapple Chicken Kebabs in the Oven:
We don’t recommend baking these in an oven, but it can be done. We recommend baking on a lined baking sheet for 20-25 minutes at 425.
Pineapple can get a little funny/mushy in the oven and does not taste the same as when it’s caramelized on the grill.
Storing/Reheating Kabobs
Storing: These kebabs will last for up to 4 days in your refrigerator.
Reheating: We do not recommend reheating these kebabs in the microwave. Instead, heat them in your oven or toaster oven.
Make Ahead: You can marinate your chicken and vegetables ahead of time but I wouldn’t recommend adding the pineapple any more than 2 hours in advance. Pineapple can release an enzyme that makes meat break down if they are near one another for too long.
This recipe is perfect for meal prepping or for an easy weeknight dinner. No matter the occasion, it’s delicious!
What to serve with Pineapple Chicken:
We like to serve these hawaiian chicken kabobs with:
- rice
- farro salad
- cauliflower rice
- a salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- bbq sauce or teriyaki sauce
These kebabs are pretty filling/a meal in themselves so you don’t have to go crazy with sides!
Other healthy grilling recipes:
Looking for other grilling recipes? Check out these 40+ Healthy Grilling Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy grilling cookbook.
Pineapple Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in 1 inch cubes
- 2 cups pineapple
- 2 cup red bell pepper cut in 1 inch cubes
- 2 cups zucchini sliced in 1/2 inch thick circles
Honey Poppyseed Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together honey poppyseed dressing
- Chop chicken, pineapple and peppers into thick cubes. Cut zucchini into cut into 1/2 inch thick circles
- In a ziploc bag, add cubed chicken, pineapple, veggies and dressing. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes (the longer you can marinate the better!) Heat grill on medium high heat.
- When ready to cook, heat grill on medium high heat (about 375)
- Assemble skewers. (Pineapple, chicken, zucchini, pepper, repeat!)
- Cook skewers on grill for 10 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Video
Notes
Substitutions for this recipe:
- Marinades- You can use any of the marinades in these posts on these kebabs: 5 Healthy Chicken Marinades, Vegetable Kebabs, Healthy Lemon Basil Vinaigrette. You can also opt for store bought dressing!
- To make whole30: You can skip the honey in the dressing and this recipe will still taste delicious!
- Veggies – You can swap out the veggies in this recipe. Mushrooms and onions would be delicious!
Lisa @ NatureImmerse says
I would grill 3 minutes on each side, or until chicken strips are no longer pink in centers, brushing frequently with the honey poppy seed mixture. Yummy 🙂
The Clean Eating Couple says
These needed a little longer than 3 minutes on each side! They had been marinated for a while so they were FULL of flavor!
glenneth says
these sound and look delicious! i LOVE grilled pineapple!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much, Glenneth!!
Jamie Schmidt says
Easy summertime dinner! My family absolutely loved them! Pineapple was such a hit! Definitely making these again! Bravo Liz!
The Clean Eating Couple says
I’m so glad you liked them, Jamie! These kebabs are my fav in the summer time!
Rebecca says
Can you make these in the oven?
The Clean Eating Couple says
I’ve never tried making these in the oven. I’m not sure if it would work, or if it would just be too much moisture. You could try baking them at high heat and see what happens but I think they’d be much better grilled!