Description
Juicy chicken thigh cubes and fresh pineapple chunks marinated in a bold homemade teriyaki glaze with honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and rice vinegar, threaded onto skewers and grilled until deeply caramelized and sticky. A sweet, savory, and stunning tropical kabob perfect for any cookout or weeknight grill night.
Ingredients
For the Kabobs:
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- 1 medium fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
- 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
Instructions
- If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes before grilling.
- Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, rice vinegar, and sriracha if using until fully combined and smooth.
- Reserve half the marinade in a separate jar for glazing during grilling and after — never reuse marinade that has touched raw chicken.
- Place the chicken thigh cubes in a bowl or zip-lock bag and pour the remaining half of the marinade over them. Toss to coat completely, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 10 minutes before grilling. Thread the skewers alternating chicken and pineapple chunks.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (400–450°F) and lightly oil the grates.
- Grill the kabobs for 10–12 minutes total, turning every 3–4 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) and both the chicken and pineapple show caramelized char marks.
- In the final 2 minutes, brush generously with the reserved clean glaze on all sides and allow it to caramelize directly on the grill.
- Transfer to a platter, drizzle with remaining reserved glaze, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Always divide the marinade before it touches raw chicken — reserve half for glazing and finishing so you always have clean, safe sauce for the table.
- Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour — chicken thighs benefit enormously from the soy and honey mixture penetrating the meat and the flavor difference between 1 hour and 8 hours is very noticeable.
- Brush the glaze on in the final 2 minutes only — the honey content causes the glaze to burn rather than caramelize if applied too early over high grill heat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Marinating Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 12 mins