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Some grilled recipes are reliable and some are genuinely transportive — the kind that make you close your eyes mid-bite because the combination of flavors is so good it deserves your full attention. Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs are the second kind. Juicy chicken thighs marinated in a homemade teriyaki glaze with honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and fresh ginger, threaded onto skewers with fresh pineapple chunks, and grilled until everything is caramelized, sticky, and deeply golden with char marks that smell like the best summer cookout you have ever attended.

Grilling night just got a very significant upgrade.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Homemade teriyaki that outperforms any bottle — Fresh garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and rice vinegar build a teriyaki glaze with real depth and layers of flavor that store-bought sauce cannot come close to matching.
Chicken thighs stay juicy on the grill — The higher fat content of boneless thighs makes them significantly more forgiving than breasts on high grill heat — they stay moist and tender even with a few extra minutes of cooking time.
Fresh pineapple caramelizes into something magical — Pineapple on a hot grill develops smoky, caramelized edges and concentrates its natural sugars in a way that makes it taste completely different from raw pineapple and pairs with the teriyaki glaze in the most extraordinary way.
Makes an incredible amount of flavor for minimal effort — Marinate, thread, grill, glaze — four steps and the result looks and tastes like a dish from a Hawaiian restaurant.

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Kabobs:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
1 medium fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
Wood or metal skewers

For the Teriyaki Marinade and Glaze:

½ cup soy sauce, low-sodium preferred
¼ cup honey or brown sugar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sriracha or chili flakes, optional

Tip: You’ll find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.

Let’s Get Started

Soak skewers and make the marinade. If using wooden skewers, submerge them in cold water for 30 minutes before grilling — this prevents them from scorching and potentially catching fire over direct grill heat. While the skewers soak, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, grated fresh ginger, rice vinegar, and sriracha or chili flakes if using until the honey is fully dissolved and the marinade is smooth and uniform. Taste it — it should be bold, savory, sweet, and have a pleasant warmth from the ginger.
Divide the marinade before it touches raw chicken. This step is critical for food safety and is non-negotiable. Pour exactly half the marinade into a clean sealed jar and set aside — this reserved portion will be used for brushing and finishing at the grill and for drizzling over the finished kabobs at the table. The remaining half goes over the raw chicken. Never use marinade that has been in contact with raw chicken for glazing or serving without cooking it to a full boil first.
Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken thigh cubes in a large bowl or zip-lock bag. Pour the raw chicken portion of the marinade over them and toss thoroughly to coat every surface. Seal and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour — though 4–8 hours produces a significantly more flavorful, deeply seasoned result. The soy sauce penetrates the meat and the honey tenderizes the surface while the ginger and garlic infuse their aromatics throughout. Remove from the refrigerator 10 minutes before grilling.
Thread the skewers. Drain the marinated chicken and thread onto the prepared skewers, alternating each chicken cube with a chunk of fresh pineapple — chicken, pineapple, chicken, pineapple — until each skewer is filled. The alternating pattern ensures every bite contains both components and the pineapple juices naturally baste the adjacent chicken as everything cooks together on the grill.
Grill with patience. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat — approximately 400–450°F — and oil the grates lightly with a folded paper towel dipped in vegetable oil and held with tongs. Place the threaded kabobs on the hot grill and cook for 10–12 minutes total, turning every 3–4 minutes to develop caramelized char marks on all sides. Resist the urge to move them constantly — each side needs uninterrupted contact with the grill to develop the color and caramelization that make these kabobs look and taste so good.
Glaze in the final 2 minutes. When the chicken is approaching 165°F (74°C) and the pineapple has developed smoky caramelized edges, brush the kabobs generously on all sides with the reserved clean teriyaki glaze. Allow the glaze to bubble and caramelize on the grill surface for the remaining 1–2 minutes until the kabobs are lacquered, glossy, and deeply amber on every surface.
Plate and finish. Transfer the finished kabobs to a serving platter and drizzle the remaining reserved clean glaze over the top. Serve immediately while the glaze is still warm and sticky and the pineapple is still caramelized and fragrant.

Servings and Pairing

This recipe serves 4–6 generously. Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs pair beautifully with steamed coconut jasmine rice to soak up the extra teriyaki glaze, a simple sesame cucumber salad, grilled corn on the cob, or a fresh mango and avocado salsa on the side. For a complete Hawaiian-inspired spread, serve alongside macaroni salad and chilled sparkling water with lime.

Variations

Sheet Pan Version

Spread the marinated chicken and pineapple chunks on a parchment-lined baking sheet without threading onto skewers and roast at 425°F (220°C) for 20–22 minutes, brushing with the reserved glaze in the final 5 minutes. Broil for 2–3 minutes at the very end for caramelized edges that replicate the grill char.

Shrimp and Pineapple Version

Replace the chicken thighs with large peeled and deveined shrimp — marinate for only 15–20 minutes as the soy and acid work much faster on shrimp than chicken. Grill for just 2 minutes per side and glaze in the final 60 seconds for a faster, equally spectacular tropical kabob.

Spicier Version

Double the sriracha to 2 teaspoons and add a teaspoon of gochujang or chili garlic paste to the marinade for a genuinely fiery version with a deep, complex heat that builds slowly and pairs beautifully with the caramelized sweetness of the pineapple and honey glaze.

Storage Tips

Fridge: Store cooked kabobs in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of the reserved glaze for 2–3 minutes rather than microwaving which makes the chicken tough and the pineapple watery.
Marinade and glaze: The teriyaki marinade and glaze keep in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and work beautifully on salmon, pork tenderloin, tofu, and roasted vegetables throughout the week.
Freezer: Freeze raw marinated chicken cubes in the marinade flat in a zip-lock bag for up to 2 months. The chicken continues to marinate as it thaws overnight in the refrigerator — thread and grill directly from thawed for deeply flavorful kabobs with almost zero additional prep.

FAQs

Can I use canned pineapple instead of fresh?

Fresh pineapple is strongly recommended for grilling — it holds its shape on the skewer, caramelizes beautifully over high heat, and has a firmness that canned pineapple completely lacks. Canned pineapple is too soft and wet to grill properly and will fall apart on the skewer and steam rather than caramelize. If fresh pineapple is unavailable, frozen pineapple chunks thawed and patted completely dry are a better alternative than canned.

Can I use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs?

Chicken breasts work but require more careful attention on the grill — they are significantly less forgiving than thighs and dry out quickly if cooked past 165°F. Cut them slightly larger than the thighs at about 1.75 inches to help them retain moisture and check the internal temperature frequently in the final minutes of grilling. Chicken thighs are genuinely the preferred choice for kabobs on a hot grill.

How do I make this recipe gluten-free?

Replace the regular soy sauce with an equal amount of tamari or coconut aminos — both produce virtually identical results in the marinade and glaze. Tamari is the closest in flavor to soy sauce while coconut aminos are slightly sweeter and milder. The rest of the recipe requires no modifications and the finished kabobs are completely indistinguishable from the original version.

Final Thoughts

Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs are the summer grill recipe that earns its reputation from the very first cookout it shows up at — sticky, caramelized, sweet, savory, and built on a homemade teriyaki glaze that makes everything else on the grill table feel slightly less exciting by comparison. Fire up the grill, thread the skewers, and prepare for the most enthusiastically received kabobs of the entire season. Make them once and they will be on every summer menu from this point forward!