We love to grill all spring, summer and fall, and one of our favorite dinners to make are these easy Grilled Chicken Kabobs. They are loaded with juicy chicken, colorful veggies, and sweet pineapple, all coated in a flavorful marinade.
The whole family can agree what makes these kabobs so good is the sweet and savory marinade that soaks into everything overnight. That marinade ensures that the chicken stays juicy and the flavors come together perfectly.
Enjoy them as a meal on their own, or serve them with some of these sides: Lemon Rice, Homemade Potato Salad, or Grilled Corn on the Cob.
If you love this recipe, you can also try these other grilled favorites: Huli Huli Chicken, and Steak Kabobs.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- Healthy and filling: Lean protein with veggies makes this a balanced meal.
- Easy prep. Kabobs need to marinate, making them perfect for prepping ahead of time. They also don’t take long to cook, win-win!
- Great grill flavor. Honey helps the kabobs caramelize, while soy sauce adds savory depth.
- Safer, better basting. Marinating chicken and veggies separately keeps basting simple and avoids cross-contamination.
Chicken Kabobs Ingredients
- Vegetable oil (½ cup): Helps coat the chicken and veggies while keeping everything moist on the grill.
- Honey (⅔ cup): Adds sweetness and helps create a slightly caramelized finish when grilled.
- Soy sauce (⅔ cup): Brings savory depth and balances the sweetness of the honey.
- Ground black pepper (½ teaspoon): Adds mild spice and enhances the marinade. Add extra flavor and sprinkle in some onion powder, salt, paprika, or cumin
- Minced garlic (1 tablespoon): Provides bold flavor that soaks into the chicken and vegetables. See How to Mince Garlic (about 3 cloves).
- Boneless skinless chicken breast halves cut into 1 inch cubes (8): Provides lean protein that grills up tender and juicy. Or use chicken thighs cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Red bell peppers cut into 2 inch pieces (2): Adds sweetness, color, and a slight crunch.
- Yellow bell peppers cut into 2 inch pieces (2): Brings bright color and mild flavor to balance the kabobs.
- Zucchinis cut into ½ inch slices (2): Adds soft texture and absorb the marinade well.
- Pineapple cut into 2 inch chunks (1): Adds natural sweetness and a juicy bite that pairs perfectly with grilled chicken. Fresh pineapple is best, but in a pinch, I have also used a can of pineapple chunks.
- Metal skewers: Holds everything together for easy grilling and even cooking. If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 20 minutes before using.
How to Grill Chicken Kabobs
MARINADE. For marinade, whisk ½ cup vegetable oil, ⅔ cup honey, ⅔ cup soy sauce, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon minced garlic.
Split the marinade into two gallon-size Ziploc bags. Add 8 cubed boneless skinless chicken chunks to one bag. Add 2 cut red bell peppers, 2 cut yellow bell peppers, 2 cut zucchini, and 1 cut pineapple. Refrigerate overnight.
PREP. Preheat the grill to low-medium heat.
Drain the marinade from the chicken, and put the chicken pieces in a bowl. Pour the vegetables with the marinade into another bowl.
Thread chicken, vegetables, and fruit alternately onto metal skewers.
GRILL. Place skewers on lightly oiled grill grate. Cook skewers, making sure to baste with the reserve veggie marinade at the end. Cook for 15-20 minutes or about 5-7 minutes on each side.
The juices should run clear, and the internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165°F.
Cook in the oven
Preheat the oven broiler. Prepare a sheet pan with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. Place the skewers in a single layer on the sheet pan. Broil for 5 minutes, then flip and broil another 5 minutes.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Cut all ingredients into similar sizes so they cook evenly on the grill.
- Freeze the chicken breasts until partially solid, then use a sharp knife to cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes, the perfect bite-sized pieces.
- Do not overcrowd skewers to allow heat to circulate for better cooking.
- Turn skewers regularly to prevent burning and ensure even grilling.
- Use a meat thermometer to check that chicken reaches 165°F.
- Marinating longer means better flavor, ideally 8 hours, but 1 hour at the very least. Do not marinate chicken for longer than 48 hours.
- Try adding or substituting red onions, mushrooms, Brussel sprouts, cherry tomatoes, chopped asparagus, or cooked baby potatoes. Cut the veggies approximately the same size so they cook at the same rate.
Chicken Kabobs Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup honey
- ⅔ cup soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 red bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 yellow bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 zucchinis, cut into ½ inch slices
- 1 pineapple, cut into 2 inch chunks
- metal skewers, (if you using wood skewers, soak in water before using)
Instructions
- For marinade, whisk vegetable oil, honey, soy sauce, pepper, and minced garlic.
- Split marinade into two gallon-size Ziploc bags. Add cubed boneless skinless chicken chunks to one bag. Add red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, zucchini, and pineapple. Refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat the grill to low-medium heat.
- Drain the marinade from the chicken, and put chicken pieces in a bowl. Pour vegetables with marinade into another bowl.
- Thread chicken, vegetables, and fruit alternately onto metal skewers.
- Place skewers on lightly oiled grill grate. Cook skewers making sure to baste with reserve veggie marinade at the end. Cook for 15-20 minutes or about 5-7 minutes on each side.
- The juices should run clear and the internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165°F.
Notes
- Cut all ingredients into similar sizes so they cook evenly on the grill.
- Freeze the chicken breasts until partially solid, then use a sharp knife to cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes, the perfect bite-sized pieces.
- Do not overcrowd skewers to allow heat to circulate for better cooking.
- Turn skewers regularly to prevent burning and ensure even grilling.
- Use a meat thermometer to check that chicken reaches 165°F.
- Marinating longer means better flavor, ideally 8 hours, but 1 hour at the very least. Do not marinate chicken for longer than 48 hours.
- Try adding or substituting red onions, mushrooms, Brussel sprouts, cherry tomatoes, chopped asparagus, or cooked baby potatoes. Cut the veggies approximately the same size so they cook at the same rate.
- Cook in the oven. Preheat the oven broiler. Prepare a sheet pan with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. Place the skewers in a single layer on the sheet pan. Broil for 5 minutes, then flip and broil another 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Chicken kebabs must be made ahead of time because the ingredients need time to marinate. Once the ingredients are threaded on the skewers, they do not need to be grilled immediately.
Keep them covered in the fridge for a few hours. Allow them to come to room temperature before cooking them on the grill.
Remove the ingredients from the skewers and store leftover chicken and veggies in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave or sauté them on the stovetop.
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This recipe was first shared August, 2022.
this was everything that I wanted it to be and more!
Yay! So glad to hear that!
I’ve made these many times- it’s one of the few ways to get my kids to eat veggies! So thank you!
This was incredibly easy to make and it turned out amazing.
I made these recently. My husband and I had all the different item on our kababs. I left the bell peppers off my kids’. We all loved them.
We like to grill! Chicken with veggies is one of our favorite meals.
Oh my gosh, is there anything better than grilled veggies and chicken? The marinade was delicious!
What a great summer recipe. I made these for a party I was throwing and everybody loved them so much and was asking for the recipe.
These were awesome! We made them for dinner and they were easy and so good!
We just bought a new grill & these are one of the first things we made!! Great as an appetizer or a meal. They are hearty & so tasty!