Chicken, pineapple, and bacon on skewers, brushed with a sweet-savory Hawaiian sauce. The bacon crisps up on the grill while wrapping around the chicken and pineapple, and the peppers and onions char at the edges. Everything gets coated in a pineapple-soy glaze that caramelizes as it cooks.
These kabobs work for weeknight dinners or backyard grilling. The sauce comes together in minutes, and the assembly is straightforward once you get the bacon-weaving rhythm down.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 skewers (3-4 servings)
Calories per serving: 580-650 calories (based on 4 servings)
What You’ll Need
For the Kabobs
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 large pineapple, cut into 1½-inch chunks
2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into 1½-inch pieces
12 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into 3-4 inch pieces
Olive or vegetable oil for brushing
6 long skewers
For the Hawaiian Sauce
1½ cups pineapple juice
1½ tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
How to Make it:
Make the Hawaiian sauce:
Combine the pineapple juice, cornstarch, brown sugar, soy sauce, and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir until the cornstarch dissolves completely. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Set aside.
Thread the skewers:
Fold each piece of bacon in half to form a V shape. Thread the ingredients onto each skewer, placing a folded piece of bacon between every piece of chicken, pineapple, bell pepper, and onion.
A typical pattern would be: bacon, chicken, bacon, pineapple, bacon, bell pepper, bacon, onion, bacon, and so on. Brush each kabob evenly with oil.
Grill:
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the kabobs for 10-15 minutes, turning a couple of times, until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon is crisp.
Brush generously with the hot Hawaiian sauce and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before threading to prevent burning.
Cut all ingredients to roughly the same size so everything cooks evenly.
The bacon should be thick-cut but not too thick, or it won’t cook through before the chicken dries out.
Reserve some of the Hawaiian sauce for serving on the side. Don’t use sauce that touched raw chicken for brushing at the end.
For easier bacon weaving, partially cook the bacon strips for 2-3 minutes before threading. This makes them more pliable and ensures they crisp up on the grill.
These kabobs work well in the oven too. Bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes, turning once halfway through.
Leftover kabobs can be chopped and used in fried rice, grain bowls, or salads the next day.
Serve over rice or with grilled vegetables for a complete meal.
Bacon & Pineapple Chicken Kabobs with Hawaiian Sauce
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 skewers 1x
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Description
Bacon is woven between juicy pieces of pineapple, chicken and veggies, then they’re placed on a hot grill. Grilled to perfection and slathered with a luscious sweet Hawaiian sauce.
Ingredients
Units
For the Kabobs
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 large pineapple, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 large onion, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 12 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into 3–4 inch pieces
- Olive or vegetable oil for brushing
- 6 long skewers
For the Hawaiian Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the Hawaiian sauce: Combine the pineapple juice, cornstarch, brown sugar, soy sauce, and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir until the cornstarch dissolves completely. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Set aside.
Thread the skewers: Fold each piece of bacon in half to form a V shape. Thread the ingredients onto each skewer, placing a folded piece of bacon between every piece of chicken, pineapple, bell pepper, and onion. A typical pattern would be: bacon, chicken, bacon, pineapple, bacon, bell pepper, bacon, onion, bacon, and so on. Brush each kabob evenly with oil.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the kabobs for 10-15 minutes, turning a couple of times, until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon is crisp.
Brush generously with the hot Hawaiian sauce and serve immediately.
Notes
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before threading to prevent burning.
Cut all ingredients to roughly the same size (about 1½ inches) so everything cooks evenly.
The bacon should be thick-cut but not too thick, or it won’t cook through before the chicken dries out. Cut each strip into 3-4 inch pieces before folding.
Reserve some of the Hawaiian sauce for serving on the side. Don’t use sauce that touched raw chicken for brushing at the end.
For crispier bacon, partially cook the bacon strips for 2-3 minutes before threading. This makes them easier to fold and ensures they crisp up on the grill.
These kabobs work well in the oven too. Bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes, turning once halfway through.
Leftover kabobs can be chopped and used in fried rice, grain bowls, or salads the next day.
Serve over rice or with grilled vegetables for a complete meal.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
Category: Main
Method: Grilling
Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 skewers
- Calories: 650
If you liked this, you are going to love these favorite kabob recipes:
Tomato and Apple Cider Vinegar BBQ Chicken Kabobs and Maple-Apple Cider Vinegar Slaw
Lemon Seafood Kabobs
Chimichurri Steak Kabobs
Chinese Xinjiang Chilli Lamb Skewers
Italian Swordfish Skewers with Red Pepper Pesto
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