These Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs are everything you want in a spring or summer time dinner! Sweet, savory, and juicy chicken with tender vegetables that are grilled to perfection. The homemade teriyaki sauce is packed with flavor, and pairs so nicely with the chicken, colorful bell peppers, red onion, and pineapple. Perfect for cooking for your family, or entertaining friends.
The homemade teriyaki sauce really takes these kabobs to the next level. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, and salty, and thick enough to coat every piece of chicken. Plus the combo of the chicken, peppers, onion, and pineapple all come together to make this a delicious recipe that tastes as good as a restaurant.
You’ll love adding these to your next barbecue with our Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger, Macaroni Salad, Slow Cooker Baked Beans, or Creamy Broccoli Salad.
Why You’ll Love These
- The Best Homemade Teriyaki Sauce: Super easy to whip up, and so much better than store bought!
- Party Friendly: These are so fun to eat, and easy to serve for a crowd. They’ll be a favorite at a potluck, or when you’re having friends over for a summer BBQ.
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken Breasts – Cut the chicken into cubes
- Bell Pepper – I like to use a variety of colored bell peppers for a nice color and flavor
- Red Onion
- Zucchini Squash
- Pineapple – Fresh pineapple will give you the best results and flavor
- Soy Sauce – I like to use low sodium soy sauce
- Pineapple Juice – Adds a little tang to the sauce
- Brown Sugar – sweetens the sauce
- Honey – thickens and sweetens the sauce
- Rice Wine Vinegar – Adds a nice tanginess to the sauce
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic adds the best flavor
- Salt – Optional for a little flavor
- Cornstarch + Water – mixed together to make a slurry for thickening the sauce.=
How do you make Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs?
Step 1: Make the Sauce. Combine the soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, honey, rice wine vinegar, and minced garlic and stir them together. Remove some of the sauce and set it aside for later.
Step 2: Marinate the Chicken. Add the Chicken to a bowl and pour the sauce over the top. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 4 hours.
Step 3: Thread the Skewers. Thread the chicken pieces, bell pepper, onion, zucchini and pineapple onto kabob sticks, alternating as you go.
Step 4: Cook the Reserved Sauce. Add the saves sauce to a small sauce pan and pour a cornstarch slurry into the mixture. Bring the sauce to a boil and let it cook for a couple minutes until it starts to thicken.
Step 5: Cook the Kabobs. Cook the kabobs on a grill heated to medium high, for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (and reaches 165 F internally). Half way through cooking brush the kabobs with the teriyaki sauce. Once done cooking, brush with the sauce again. Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy hot!
Tips and Tricks:
- Even Cuts: Cut the chicken, and all the vegetables, and fruit into similar sized pieces to ensure everything cooks evenly.
- Customize the Kabobs: I like to use a variety of fruits and vegetables for the kabobs. Some other favorites are mango, squash, or mushrooms. You can also skip any of the veggies I used, if you don’t like them.
- Prep the Skewers: If using metal skewers you will want to spray them with non stick spray. If you are using wooden bamboo skewers you will want to soak them for at least 30 minutes. You can do this while you marinate the chicken.
- Bake Instead of Grilling: Preheat the oven to 425 F and bake on a foil lined baking sheet for about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping them half way through.
Storage Instructions
Remove the chicken and vegetables from the kabob sticks and place the pieces all in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Re-heat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or until the pieces are all heated through.
These Chicken Teriyaki Kabobs will quickly become your new go-to for summer grilling. They’re colorful, flavorful, and so easy to make!
Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs
Ingredients
For the Chicken Skewers:
- 1 pounds chicken breast (cut into 1 inch cubes)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced into 1 1/2 inch pieces)
- 1 green bell pepper (diced into 1 1/2 inch pieces)
- 1 red onion (diced into 1 1/2 inch pieces)
- 1 zucchini squash (diced into 1 1/2 inch pieces)
- 2 cups fresh pineapple (diced into 1 1/2 inch pieces, and about 1/2 inch thick)
- sliced green onions (optional, for serving)
For the Marinade:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 TBS honey
- 1 TBS rice wine vinegar
- 1 TBS minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 TBS cornstarch
- 1 TBS cold water
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
For the Marinade:
- Combine the soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, honey, rice wine vinegar, and minced garlic in a small bowl, and whisk them together. 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 TBS honey, 1 TBS rice wine vinegar, 1 TBS minced garlic, 1/2 tsp salt
- Remove 1/2 cup of the sauce, and set it aside in a bowl in the fridge for later.
- Add the chicken, and the remaining sauce over the top. Seal the bag or bowl and place it in the refrigerator and allow the chicken to marinate for 1-4 hours. 1 pounds chicken breast,
For making the Chicken Skewers:
- Soak wooden skewers in cold water for 30 minutes, or use metal skewers, and spray them with nonstick spray.
- Preheat the grill to medium high heat, about 400 F.
- Add the reserved sauce to a small sauce pan. In another small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and cold water to make a slurry. Slowly whisk the mixture into the sauce. 1/2 TBS cornstarch, 1 TBS cold water
- Bring the sauce to boil over medium heat, stirring often until the mixture starts to thicken, about 1-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly until needed.
- Thread the chicken, vegetables, and pineapple onto the prepared skewers, alternating as you go. 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, 1 red onion, 1 zucchini squash, 2 cups fresh pineapple
- Cook kebabs for about 10-15 minutes on the grill, rotating half way through cooking. Brush the top and sides of the kabobs with the sticky cooked sauce. Cook until the chicken reaches 165 F internally.
- Remove kabobs from the grill and brush with remaining sticky teriyaki sauce.
- Serve over cooked white or brown rice if desired, and top with green onions. sliced green onions
Notes
- Even Cuts: Cut the chicken, and all the vegetables, and fruit into similar sized pieces to ensure everything cooks evenly.
- Customize the Kabobs: I like to use a variety of fruits and vegetables for the kabobs. Some other favorites are mango, squash, or mushrooms. You can also skip any of the veggies I used, if you don’t like them.
- Prep the Skewers: If using metal skewers you will want to spray them with non stick spray. If you are using wooden bamboo skewers you will want to soak them for at least 30 minutes. You can do this while you marinate the chicken.
- Bake Instead of Grilling: Preheat the oven to 425 F and bake on a foil lined baking sheet for about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping them half way through.
Nutrition
Enjoy this easy, delicious and healthy meal cooked on the grill!
Ellen says
We grilled these up for Father’s Day and the marinade was so so good. Everyone loved the chicken. Definitely will be making these again.
Pat Rose Thompson says
I am in Ohio, and have not heard of “Yoshidas sauce”. Can you describe it, please? I want to surprise my DH with these. They have set my mouth to watering just looking at the pics. So glad I stumbled upon your blog. Thank you for posting.
Aimee Berrett says
Pat, its type of sweet teriyaki sauce. I usually buy it at Costco but have seen it at other grocery stores, usuallty in the asian foods section. Here is what it looks like http://www.mryoshidas.com/images/bottle_bottom.jpg
Mahdi Martin says
My favorite activity would definitely be barbeques! I love grilling.
MaryB says
That’s my birthday weekend so a long walk on the beach is something I look forward to doing. We will be with a friend so lots of good food and laughs included!
Alyssa says
LOVE kebabs! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Becca from ItsYummi.com says
I just LOVE food on a “stick”! Kebabs are one of my favorite things to make on the grill, and yours look so good!
Laura says
We love to either spend Memorial weekend up at the cabin in Bear Lake or up Millceeek canyon cooking out! Xoxo
Jessie says
Curtis’s family always does sourdough pancakes on Memorial Day. Mmmmmm. We are hoping to have a baby this year though!
hicksfan7 says
Road trip to visit and picnic with family.