Teriyaki Chicken Skewers & Marinade

These Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs are the epitome of summer! There’s simply no substitution for the summery flavor of food fresh off the grill. Of course, I love to cut down on kitchen cleanup with some of our grilled favorites such as: Favorite Grilled Chicken Thigh Marinade, Maple Glazed Pork Chops, Grilled Parmesan Zucchini, and Steak Kabobs, but these kabobs are a comfortable, flavorful hit at our house!

Succulent pineapple is paired with soy sauce and then combined with honey, lemon, and ginger for moist, delicious homemade teriyaki chicken flavor. The marinade is perfect for chicken or pork dishes as well as elegant grilled salmon too!

How to Make Marinade

Here is an overview of what is in the marinade for teriyaki chicken skewers as well as how to marinade the chicken!

Pineapple Juice: I use the juice straight from the canned pineapple chunks that I grill on the skewers. I absolutely love grilled pineapple because the grill caramelizes the edges slightly.

Soy Sauce: I generally use low sodium, but regular is fine.

Ginger: This recipe works well for both store-bought minced and fresh ginger. To mince fresh ginger, peel the skin with the edge of a spoon and then cut into tiny pieces. You can also substitute ½ teaspoon of ground ginger if you don’t have fresh on hand.

Lemon Juice: Squeeze 1 half of a fresh lemon or use 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice.

Tomato Paste: This helps thicken it up a bit and adds some additional flavor.

Honey: Gotta have that sweetness! You can use agave syrup or even maple syrup, but the flavor will change.

Vegetable Oil: You want an oil with a tolerance for heat such as olive oil, avocado oil, or blended vegetable oil is fine. Butter tends to burn a little too much on a grill.

Tips and Tricks for Making Chicken Kabobs

1. Uniform thickness is key for even cooking.

You want everything cooked as a large bite size, maybe 2 bites. Larger pieces will cook more evenly and still remain moist at the center. I cut the chicken and vegetables at the same size – about 1.5 inches. While canned pineapple chunks will be about half that size, they are much more resistant to heat because of their inherent juiciness.

2. Soak Your Wooden Skewers

I use metal skewers like these and loooove them! They work great for kabobs, roasting marshmallows, hot dogs over a fire, and even stirring large pitchers. Just watch out for the ends, as they can easily burn your hands.

If you are using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water to make sure that the skewers don't burn or dry out. They need to be soaked at least an hour so I find it easiest to submerge the skewers while putting the marinade together.

3. How long to marinate skewers?

I always marinade my meat at least two hours, but preferably overnight in the refrigerator. You don’t need to marinate the veggies, but you can use the leftover marinade to brush over the kabobs as they cook. Just make sure to either reserve ½ cup marinade or boil it for at least 5 minutes if reusing from the chicken. The remaining marinade is great for refreshing the kebobs during or after cooking!

Oven Kabob Instructions

No grill at home? No problem. You can have a delicious taste by making these in the oven.

• Preheat oven to 450F. Marinade chicken for 2 hours or up to overnight.
• Place on baking sheets lined with aluminum foil. 
• Place marinated chicken and veggies on skewers. Brush reserved marinade over veggies.
• Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, flipping the skewers about halfway through and brushing again with the reserved marinade.
• Check to make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through. You may need to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken chunks.
• You can broil your kebabs for a few minutes to get a bit of that yummy charred flavor.

Serving Ideas

Serving Ideas: I usually serve over a bed of rice. This is also delicious with Fresh Mexican Street Corn Cobs, our Cucumber Onion Salad, or Crunchy Asian Slaw. A store bought Hawaiian macaroni salad or coleslaw would be a simple fix, too.

Throwing a summer soiree? Play off the kabob theme and go skewer-crazy! Thread fresh fruit, antipasti, and mini dessert bites on skewers. If theme park visits have taught us anything, it’s that food on a stick is simply more fun.

Storing Leftovers

Store: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Lasts 3-4 days.

Freeze: You can freeze the marinating chicken or the cooked kabobs. Allow it to thaw before grilling or baking in the oven. It lasts about 3 months if it is in an airtight ziplock bag and sealed well.