Eating on a stick is a winner for both kids and adults! Chicken and pineapple pair perfectly with the grill. Garnish with lemony yogurt sauce for an easy summer dish.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Children are so easily charmed when they are young. My kids are actually impressed with how quickly I can put my shoes on and I’m not even attempt. They are also very impressed when I put food on chopsticks for them. Hot dog on a stick? Stunning!
What Kind of Chicken Works for Kabobs?
I used chicken breast for my skewers, but you can use chicken thighs if you want a little more filling. Or you could use a mix if you like.
Just try to cut the pieces into similar sizes so they cook evenly. That matters more than the exact cut of chicken you use.
Sauce options for chicken pineapple kabobs
- You could also use barbecue sauce (maybe that pepper sauce) for these kabobs, but I decided to keep it a little lighter with a lemon yogurt sauce.
- You can also brush them with some teriyaki sauce while they’re on the grill. Teriyaki sauce enhances the savory elements of the chicken and the sweetness of the pineapple, making it a perfect combination.
There are four things to keep in mind when cooking kabobs.
- marinate chicken. It adds some fat to the kabobs and adds flavor. The fat will help keep the chicken from drying out. I like to keep my marinade simple with olive oil, garlic, pineapple juice and some soy sauce.
- Place a piece of pineapple next to a piece of chicken on the skewers. This is because the pineapple keeps the chicken from drying out.
- Don’t overcook the kabobs. Many people strip away flavor and moisture from their kabobs by grilling them for far too long. Fifteen minutes over medium-high heat should be enough time to cook the chicken through.
- Use a digital thermometer to test the chicken or cut into a larger piece to ensure it is done. Don’t just let them sit on the grill until they’re dry chunks. Peel the kebabs when they’re done!
Storing and reheating kabobs
Kabobs keep very well in the fridge for a few days, and you can reheat them by tossing them back on the grill until heated through, or you can reheat them in a 350 F oven until warm, about five minutes.
The father adds: Spicy yoghurt sauce!
I really wanted to add some flavor to my kabobs but needed to keep them kid-friendly, so this Spicy Yogurt Sauce was my answer. It’s just sriracha and yogurt stirred together, but I use it generously when serving these kabobs to adults who like spicy food.
The children’s certificate
My full kebabs were a bit too big for my kids so I actually split one kebab between them. I made mini kabobs for them by chopping the ingredients into smaller pieces and threading them onto smaller bamboo skewers. If you don’t have smaller skewers, you can simply break a larger bamboo skewer in half for the little ones.
My kids had a blast eating these and both pretty much ate an entire kabob. We served them with rice. Also, my two-year-old ate about four servings of lemon yogurt sauce. “More yoghurt, please!” Come on, little one!
Eating on a skewer is a win for kids!
Do you love food on a stick? Here are more recipes to try!
- Vietnamese style sticky chicken skewers
- Smokey Paprika Shrimp Skewers
- Grilled tuna kebabs
- Grilled skirt steak skewers
- Greek Lemon Chicken on Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce
Chicken and pineapple kabobs
If using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in water before threading the ingredients onto the skewers. Alternatively, you can also buy metal skewers like these.
ingredients
For the lemon yoghurt sauce:
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1/2 Cup Natural yoghurt
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2 tablespoon olive oil
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1/2 lemonJuice just
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1/4 teaspoon Salt
DAD ADD: Spicy yogurt sauce
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1/2 Cup Natural yoghurt
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1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce
For the kebabs:
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1/4 Cup olive oil
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1/4 Cup pineapple juice
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2 cloves garlicchopped
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1 tablespoon soy sauce
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1 teaspoon Salt
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1 teaspoon ground black pepper
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1 1/2 lb Chicken breast or thighs), cut into 1-inch pieces
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1 pineapplepeeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
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1 green bell pepperchopped into 1 inch pieces
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1 red bell pepperchopped into 1 inch pieces
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couscous or rice, To serve
method
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Make the sauces
In two separate small bowls, stir together the ingredients for the lemon yoghurt sauce and the hot yoghurt sauce. If you’re not using the spicy yogurt sauce, you may want to double the lemon yogurt sauce recipe.
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marinate chicken
Whisk together the olive oil, pineapple juice, garlic, soy sauce, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add chicken to bowl and stir to coat with marinade. Let marinate for 20 to 30 minutes or overnight.
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Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat
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Put the kebabs together
Thread the pineapple, peppers, and chicken onto the skewers in any order, alternating chicken, vegetables, and fruit. I like having a piece of pineapple touching each piece of chicken to keep them moist.
Try to distribute the ingredients evenly among the eight skewers.
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Grill skewers
Just before placing your skewers on the grill, rub the grates with a little oil to ensure the skewers don’t stick.
Add the skewers and let them cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side until they get a nice char. Turn a few times until the total grilling time reaches the 15-18 minute range.
Test a larger piece of chicken to make sure it’s done. You can use an instant thermometer to make sure the chicken reaches 165 ̊F, or just cut a little into the piece to check if it’s cooked through.
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Serve the kebabs
Remove from the grill immediately (so they don’t dry out). Serve grilled skewers with yogurt sauce and either rice or couscous.
Leftover kabobs will keep in the fridge for a few days, and you can reheat them on a medium-low grill or in a 350 ̊F oven until heated through, about 5 minutes.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 187 | calories |
| 8g | Fat |
| 9g | carbohydrates |
| 21g | protein |
