These Barbecue Chicken and Pineapple Skewers are the answer to your last-minute summer party needs. And take it from me, there’s nothing like having a couple tasty, dependable, and gluten-free dishes up your sleeve for a night with friends or a family gathering. Not literally up your sleeve, because there’s barbecue sauce involved with this dish. Maybe put it in a glass container or Tupperware instead.
Chicken with barbecue sauce is clearly a crowd-pleaser on its own; but, adding pineapple and bell peppers to these skewers takes them to another level. For the record, I am pro-pineapple all the way when it comes to food. Obviously this applies to pizza, but in general, pineapple is kind of a game-changer with savory dishes.
Like most of the recipes on my website, I’m not giving you a bunch of hard-to-find ingredients and a time-consuming method. That’s not what having an Edited Kitchen is about. Instead, the key to these stress-free, flavorful chicken skewers involves having an all-in-one barbecue seasoning (like Penzeys) and a good, junk-free barbecue sauce (like Annie’s) on hand. You could very well use a bunch of spices and make your own barbecue sauce, but if you have just an hour or so to spare, these two ingredients will be life-savers.
the process
To make these Barbecue Chicken and Pineapple Skewers, you will want to pre-cook the chicken ahead of time.
Cue the gasps of horror from any barbecue or grilling aficionados. But for the rest of us that need a dependable and time-saving method that results in perfectly cooked chicken and a nice bit of char, this method is your new best friend.
Essentially, you want to cube the boneless chicken breasts, season them, and then sauté in a nonstick pan for about 15 minutes. They should be cooked through before you add to the skewers. Once the chicken is cooked and cooled, assemble your skewers with the pineapples and bell peppers, and then brush each skewer with your barbecue sauce.
Then, throw them on a grill pan or grill, get a little bit of char, and save yourself from the fear of undercooking or overcooking the chicken (which frankly, may be one of my biggest cooking fears).
You could even make the chicken and assemble the skewers the night before, and then spend less than 10 minutes “grilling” them before serving.
Barbecue Chicken and Pineapple Skewers
Ingredients
- Organic boneless skinless chicken breasts (cubed)
- Coconut oil Use a flavorless kind, like Nutiva's organic refined version if possible
- Barbecue spice blend I recommend Penzeys BBQ 3000, but if you have another one you like, just make sure it includes salt
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- Fresh pineapple chopped into large chunks
- Red and orange peppers chopped into large chunks
- Barbecue sauce choose a clean, junk-free version like Annie's
Instructions
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After cubing the chicken breasts, toss pieces generously with barbecue spice blend
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Heat coconut oil in a large nonstick pan and add chicken to pan. Cook chicken on Medium-High for 4-5 minutes, tossing frequently to get a good sear on all sides of the chicken pieces
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Reduce heat to low, and add chicken stock to the pan. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
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While chicken is cooking, prep your skewers (soak in a water glass for a few minutes), and chop your pineapple and peppers if you haven't already done so
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Once chicken has finished cooking, take out of pan and let cool on a large plate for about 5 minutes
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Assemble skewers, alternating chicken with pineapple and peppers
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When you are ready to serve the skewers, brush the skewers with the barbecue sauce
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Heat a large grill pan or grill to Medium-High heat, and grill skewers for 2-3 minutes on each side