Sweet and Savory Kabobs in the Oven
These Hawaiian chicken kabobs are stacked with tender, juicy chicken, pineapple, red onion and pepper. Brush the sweet Hawaiian sauce on top and serve them with fluffy coconut rice.
We love the combination of chicken, pineapple and rice in our house (we make this one pot hawaiian chicken monthly). It’s sweet, savory, packed with protein, and maybe most importantly, my kids love it. There’s so much flavor all on one little stick!
Here’s why you’ll love this recipe too:
- Baked, not grilled: These bake beautifully in the oven (though I included grilling and air fryer instructions just in case).
- Sweet + savory flavor: Pineapple juice and soy/aminos make the chicken juicy and flavorful.
- Meal prep friendly: Marinate up to a day in advance or store leftovers to reheat for lunches.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need
- Coconut aminos: this is a soy and gluten free alternative to soy sauce. If you aren’t particular about either of those things, you can use soy sauce if you have that on hand.
- Pineapple juice: buy the pineapple chunks in 100% juice for the kabobs and use the juice for them in the marinade.
- Honey: this adds a little sweetness to the kabobs and the sugars in the honey helps char some of the chicken and veggies for extra flavor.
- Spices: ground ginger and kosher salt
- Garlic: fresh garlic adds so much depth. You can see the little pieces of garlic on the chicken when you skewer them.
- Chicken breast: cut them into 1 – 1.5 inch chunks. Do your best to cut them the same size so they cook evenly.
- Tapioca flour: save this until the end to thicken the sauce for topping the kabobs. You could also use cornstarch.
- Veggies: Red pepper, red onion and pineapple chunks
How to Make Pineapple Chicken Kabobs in the Oven
- Marinade: add all of the marinade ingredients to a medium bowl then combine half of it with the diced chicken. Cover and chill for at least one hour or up to 24 hours. Cover and store the other half of the marinade to make the sauce later.
- Soak the skewers: 30 minutes before cooking, place the skewers in warm water.
- Assemble the kabobs: alternate piercing the chicken, pineapple, onion and red pepper onto the skewers. Transfer them to a plate or cooking sheet until they’re all done.
- Cook: Bake at 425°F for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through. You could also air fry at 400°F for 12-15 minutes. Broil them in the oven for the last 2-3 minutes to char them.
- Make the sauce: while the kabobs are cooking, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Dissolve the cornstarch in a small dish with warm water. Add it to the sauce and allow it to come to a boil again. Cook until the sauce is thicken and coats the back of a spoon. Brush the sauce on the Hawaiian chicken kabobs when they’re done.
How long to Bake Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs in the Oven
Bake these Hawaiian chicken kabobs at 425°F for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Why do you soak kabob skewers in water?
Wooden kabob skewers can cook and char in the air fryer, oven or on the grill. Soaking kabob skewers in water softens the wood and keeps them from burning. They will still get a little black on the ends, but that’s ok! We like to place ours in a tall glass with warm water.
Pro tip: soak a few extras incase they break or you have more ingredients than you thought.
What to serve with Hawaiian chicken kabobs
- Our favorite kabob side dish is coconut rice. It pairs perfectly with the Hawaiian chicken. You’ll never make rice the same again!
- Another great option is any form of pasta salad or veggie salad. We love thick caesar pasta salad, avocado pasta salad, summer corn salad, or cucumber tomato avocado salad.
- You can never go wrong with a green salad. Some of our favorites are sweet potato kale salad, brussels sprout salad, kale and goat cheese salad or strawberry spinach salad.
- Potatoes or sweet potatoes are always a crowd pleaser. Some ideas are roasted sweet potatoes, pesto roasted potatoes or air fryer baked potatoes.
- Finally, one of our other favorites is just adding more veggies! Try air fryer asparagus, garlic roasted mini peppers or roasted brussels sprouts.
This post is sponsored by Cafe Appliances. All thoughts and opinions are mine. I’m so grateful to brands like them who believe in me in our recipes so we can keep sharing free ones with you!
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More easy healthy chicken recipes:
- One pot Hawaiian chicken with tropical coconut rice
- Crispy garlic chicken bites
- Instant pot greek chicken and rice
Pineapple Chicken Kabobs (Oven or Air Fryer)
Make juicy pineapple chicken kabobs in the oven with peppers, onions, and sweet pineapple chunks. Marinate the chicken in a sweet-savory sauce, bake until tender, then brush them with thickened pineapple glaze for extra flavor! I love to serve them with coconut rice for a healthy, family-friendly dinner.
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Servings: 4 (3 large kabobs each)
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1/4 cup aminos or soy sauce if you aren’t gluten free
- 1/4 cup 100% pineapple juice use the juice from the canned pineapple below
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch chunks
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch or tapioca flour
Pineapple Chicken Kabobs
- 2 red bell peppers cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 medium red onion cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 (20-oz) can pineapple chunks in 100% juice
- 12-15 wooden skewers
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken (30 min): Whisk together the coconut aminos, pineapple juice, honey, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and and salt in a medium. Place the diced chicken in another medium bowl and pour half of the marinade over the chicken. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes or overnight. Cover the remaining marinade and store it in the fridge to use later as a sauce.1/4 cup aminos, 1/4 cup 100% pineapple juice, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 2 cloves garlic minced, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
- Soak skewers (30 min): Place the skewers in warm water and soak for 30 minutes. You can chop all of the veggies while they're soaking to make the best use of time.12-15 wooden skewers
- Make the skewers (5 min): Preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove the chicken from the fridge then alternate adding the diced chicken, onion, pineapple and red pepper to the skewers, leaving an inch on either end. Discard remaining marinade.2 red bell peppers, 1 medium red onion, 1 (20-oz) can pineapple chunks
- Bake the skewers (15-18 min): Place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Optionally, broil the last 2-3 minutes to caramelize the edges.
- Make the glaze (3 min): While they're cooking, bring the reserved marinade to a gentle simmer in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Whisk the cornstarch with 1 Tbsp of water and stir into the sauce. Stir frequently until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute.2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Finish and serve: Brush the kabobs with the thickened sauce. We love to eat them with coconut rice.
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!
Notes
Air Fryer: Cook at 400°F for 12–15 minutes, turning halfway.
To grill them: Heat your grill or grill pan to high (400-450) then place the kabobs over direct heat. Close the lid and cook for 8-10 minutes, flipping once, until the internal temp of the chicken reaches 165.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 3kabobs | Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 39.9g | Fat: 7.1g | Cholesterol: 124.1mg | Sodium: 538mg | Fiber: 3.2g | Sugar: 29g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hi! I’m curious as to how to do this in the oven? I do not have an air fryer.