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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Published: May 4, 2020 by Misty · This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.

    Grilled Honey Chicken (un)Kabobs

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    Overhead platter of grilled honey chicken and veggies with text overlay.
    Platter of chicken kabobs, veggies, and pineapple with text overlay.

    Grilled Honey Chicken Kabobs are made with yummy bites of tender marinated chicken, colorful veggies, and sweet pineapple. They can be made traditionally on skewers or, to make things extra easy, serve them off the skewer as a kabob platter. Enjoy with a side of rice for a perfect summertime meal!

    White platter with grilled honey chicken, vegetables, and pineapple.
    These grilled chicken kabobs with vegetables make the perfect summer dinner!
    Skip to:
    • 🧅 Ingredients
    • 🔪 How to grill chicken kabobs
    • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦  For a crowd
    • 🙋 Questions & Answers
    • 👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks
    • 📖  More grilling recipes
    • 👋🏻 Connect with us!
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Warmer weather means one good thing for all of us: grilling season! Every year I look forward to cracking open the grill for the first summertime meal. This year the first recipe on the list is none other than Grilled Honey Chicken Kabobs with veggies and pineapple.

    This recipe has been a steady family favorite for many years (which tells you a lot from a large family with picky eaters). The original recipe is from AllRecipes, but we have found that we like to enhance the marinade slightly and add grilled pineapple (because it's DELICIOUS).

    🧅 Ingredients

    Ingredients for grilled Honey Chicken Kabobs on sheet pan.
    Marinate the chicken for lots of flavor and use ripe pineapple for extra sweetness.

    A full list of the ingredients is in the recipe card below, but here are a few noteworthy comments.

    Honey: It’s in the name, after all! I haven't found a substitute that adds the same level of flavor as real honey.
    Bell peppers: Kabobs are always more stunning if you use a variety of colorful bell peppers. Any color will work, although I find that green bell peppers are a little too bitter for the sweet honey chicken.
    Onions: Yellow or sweet onions have a bit of sweetness to them, which compliments the marinade. You can use white onions if that is all you have, but they won't be as sweet.
    Pineapple: The best part of the whole meal! Make sure the pineapple is ripe so that it is sweet.

    🔪 How to grill chicken kabobs

    Grilled chicken kabobs are super simple to make. Start by marinating the chicken and chopping the veggies and pineapple. Then layer everything evenly on a skewer - no need for an exact order, just make sure to leave a little room on both ends of the skewer to make it easier to handle.

    Full transparency here: Although traditional kabobs are great, I actually prefer to leave them off the skewers and cook everything separately on the grill (hence the "unkabobs" name). It's faster, hassel-free and tastes just as tasty! But you can choose whichever option you prefer.

    Last, fire up the grill to medium-high heat. When grilling everything separately, the chicken takes about 3-4 minutes on each side. The veggies and pineapple take about 8-10 minutes, or until they are soft and have bits of char color throughout.

    • Chunks of marinated chicken on the grill.
    • Pineapple and veggies on the grill.
    I prefer to grill the kabobs without skewers because it's faster and just as tasty!

    If you're cooking these on the skewer, cook the skewers for about 8-10 minutes, making sure to rotate it so each side cooks evenly.

    Last but not least, if you like extra sauce on your chicken you do one extra step. Reserve some of the marinade and boil it on the stove for about 5 minutes until it thickens slightly. Super easy drizzling sauce. 😀

    Overhead view of platter of grilled Honey Chicken Kabobs.
    This recipe is easy to prep ahead or pop in the freezer for an easy weeknight meal later.

    👨‍👩‍👧‍👦  For a crowd

    If you are serving these to a large group, my suggestion is to stick to the unkabobs (no skewers) route. It's much faster and actually easier to cook it all on one grill. I also suggest making the honey marinade the night before (the chicken will be extra flavorful this way) and chopping the onions, bell peppers, and pineapple 1-2 days in advance. This will save you time and make cooking a breeze!

    🙋 Questions & Answers

    How do I prevent veggies from falling through the grates on the grill?

    If you skipped the skewer step like me, you may run into the problem of your veggies slipping through the grates of the grill. An easy fix is to use a grill basket for anything small enough to fall through. There are many out there, but this one is similar to mine.

    Can I prep grilled chicken kabobs ahead?

    There are a few things you can do to prep this recipe ahead. First, you can cut and marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge or freeze it several months ahead. The veggies can all be chopped and refrigerated 1-2 days ahead. Then you can grill everything the day of serving.

    What do I serve with grilled kabobs?

    Kabobs already include meat, veggies, and even fruit. All you’re missing is a simple side or two. My favorite sides to serve alongside Grilled Honey Chicken Kabobs are Pineapple Lime Rice, Coconut Rice, and Easy Asian Slaw Salad.

    How do you grill kabobs without burning vegetables?

    This is a common problem with skewered kabobs - the meat takes longer than the veggies, so the veggies end up burnt. My solution is to grill everything separately and serve more of a chicken kabob platter. If you still want to skewer the kabobs, I suggest using smaller pieces of chicken to help them cook in the same amount of time as the veggies.

    Grilled Honey Chicken Kabobs on a platter with rice in background.
    Serve with coconut rice, pineapple lime rice, or Asian slaw salad for a full meal.

    👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks

    • The longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it will be. I recommend marinating overnight for the best results. 
    • If you take the unkabob route, use a grilling basket for the onions and bell peppers. There are different sizes and brands, but mine is similar to this one.

    📖  More grilling recipes

    • This pineapple steak marinade will knock your socks off! It makes tender, flavorful flank steak with crispy edges and juicy slices.
    • The ultimate chicken taco marinade is easy to make and ultra-flavorful! Works great on steak as well.
    • For a simple grilled chicken, use this Best Grilled Chicken Marinade. You'll honestly never need another marinade.

    👋🏻 Connect with us!

    If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating to let us know how it is! We’d also love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag @borrowedbites or hashtag #borrowedbites to show us your food!

    📋 Recipe

    Close view of grilled chunks of marinated chicken next to grilled veggies and pineapple.

    Grilled Honey Chicken Kabobs

    Grilled Honey Chicken Kabobs are made with yummy bites of tender marinated chicken, colorful veggies, and sweet pineapple. They can be made traditionally on skewers or, to make things extra easy, serve them off the skewer as a kabob platter. Enjoy with a side of rice for a perfect summertime meal!
    4.25 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Save Saved! Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Marinate Time: 8 hours
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 396kcal
    Author: Borrowed Bites

    Ingredients

    Marinade

    • ¼ cup vegetable oil
    • ⅓ cup honey
    • ⅓ cup soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon garlic minced

    Kabobs

    • 6-8 chicken breasts cut into 1½-2 inch cubes (about 3 lbs of chicken)
    • 1½ onions yellow or sweet, cut into ½-2 inch pieces
    • 3 bell peppers any color, cut into ½-2 inch pieces
    • 1 pineapple peeled and cut into 1½ inch chunks
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tsp kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over prepared chicken in a large zipper bag and marinate for 8-24 hours (the longer the better).
    • Drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper over the prepared onions and bell peppers. Stir to coat evenly.

    If Not Using Skewers (unkabobs):

    • Bring grill to medium high heat. Grill chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side. Then grill veggies and pineapple (using a grill basket if needed) for 8-10 minutes (they should have bits of char and grill color).

    If Using Skewers:

    • Assemble skewers with even layers of chicken, veggies, and pineapple. Grill over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes, rotating skewers occasionally for even cooking.

    Optional Sauce:

    • For extra drizzling sauce, pour remaining marinade into a small saucepan. Boil for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Drizzle over chicken and veggies before serving.

    Notes

    Tips & Tricks
    • The longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it will be. I recommend marinating overnight for the best results. 
    • If you take the unkabob route, use a grilling basket for the onions and bell peppers. There are different sizes and brands, but mine is similar to this one.
     
    Prep Ahead Instructions
    Cut and marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge or freeze it several months ahead. Chop and refrigerate veggies and pineapple 1-2 days ahead. Grill everything fresh the day of serving. 

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    Nutrition

    Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1032mg | Potassium: 903mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 1514IU | Vitamin C: 115mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

    All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.

    Tried this recipe?Leave a rating or pin it for later!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Kimberly A Jones says

      May 04, 2020 at 11:20 am

      These look yummy. Perfect for a summer BBQ

      Reply
      • Danielle says

        May 04, 2020 at 2:09 pm

        Thanks!! They are perfect for the heat that is coming our way!

        Reply
    2. Karen says

      May 04, 2020 at 8:06 am

      5 stars
      Oo la la (squared, then x3). So good.

      Reply

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