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These Pineapple Adobo Chicken Skewers are spring and summer go-toโs; we just love these! Chicken marinated in tamari, vinegar, honey, jalapeรฑos, and fresh chopped garlic. Add chunks of pineapple to each skewer for a tropical flare. Serve these chicken skewers with spicy, tangy, creamy sesame chile sauce, it never disappoints. Add extra limes and green onions, plus a bowl of coconut or cilantro rice (or cook up some baked french fries). Such a yummy and fun family dinner.ย
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I had a quick trip to New York this week, and while there, I couldnโt help but notice the blooming trees and flowers. Itโs really looking like spring (despite the rainy days). With flowers beginning to bloom, I think weโre all envisioning those warm spring and soon-to-be summer days.
I made these skewers a couple of weeks ago and have been anxiously waiting to share them. This recipe recipe excites me so much.
Ingredients
- Toasted sesame oilย
- Tamari or low sodium soy sauceย
- Rice or apple cider vinegar
- Honeyย
- jalapeรฑosย
- Garlicย
- Gingerย
- Chicken breasts or skinless chicken thighsย
- Fresh pineapple chunksย
- Green onions and basilย
Sesame Chili Sauce
- Mayoย
- Sweet Thai chili sauceย
- Ketchupย
- Tamari/ soy sauceย
- Jalapeรฑoย
- Garlicย
- Lime zestย
- lemon juice
- Toasted sesame seedsย
The idea actually came from my brotherโs long-time girlfriend, Hailey. She is Filipino, and one of her all-time favorite dishes that her mom makes is adobo chicken or pork. Haileyโs mom does hers with brown sugar. I donโt believe she uses pineapple, but Hailey quickly approved this idea via text and said it sounded so delicious.
She was excited, which, of course, had me excited!
I used a simple adobo-inspired marinade with some jalapeรฑos for spice. It came out so good!! Serve this up with rice or french fries. Yum!
Alight, here are the details
Step 1: make the marinade
This is a very simple mix of extra virgin olive oil, tamari (or use soy sauce), vinegar (I like to use rice vinegar), honey, jalapeรฑos, and fresh cloves of garlic. Mix it all in a bowl and add the chicken.
At this point, and if time allows, you can refrigerate the chicken for a day or two before grilling. The longer it sits, the more intense its flavor will become.
Step 2: thread the chicken and pineapple onto the skewers
Now the fun part. Take the seasoned chicken and the chunks of pineapple and thread them one after another onto metal or wooden skewers.
I like to layer/thread one piece of chicken and then one pineapple chunk. If you want more pineapple, do one chicken piece and then two pineapple chunks. Or divide things up and separate the pineapple skewers and the chicken skewers. Whatever you prefer will work!
Heat your grill and cook each skewer until light grill marks appear.
Step 3: reduce the marinade
While the skewers are cooking, take the marinade and simmer it on the stove until it reduces, about 5 minutes.
Then brush the reduced marinade over the skewers.
Step 4: the sesame sauce
Mix mayo in a bowl with some kind of chili sauce. I use a green verde salsa or sweet Thai chili sauce. Then add a couple of tablespoons of ketchup, some garlic, and lime zest. You can add a pinch of salt and pepper or even more chili flakes, too!
This is one of my favorite sauces! And you always need a great dipping sauce for recipes like this, so feel free to make extra. The sauce makes the chicken even more delicious.
Step 5: for serving
Now serve the skewers warm with the sesame dipping sauce on the side. I love these fun adobo skewers with baked french fries, but coconut rice would be really good too!
A little fresh green onion, basil or cilantro, and a pinch of salt at the end makes everything just perfect.
Everyone in my family has agreed, they could easily eat this once or twice a week. The chicken is tender, and the sauce is everyoneโs favorite โ spicy, sweet, and tangy.
Pineapple Adobo Chicken Skewers | halfbakedharvest.com
Looking for other skillet recipes? Here are my favorites:ย
Skillet Chicken Adobo with Coconut Rice
Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo
French Onion Tater Tot Casserole
Greek Meatballs and Lemon Butter Orzo
Lastly, if you make these Pineapple Adobo Chicken Skewers, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Pineapple Adobo Chicken Skewers
Ingredientsย
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil or olive oil
- 1/2 cup tamari or low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup rice or apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1-2 jalapeรฑos, seeded, if desired, and sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
- 3 cups fresh pineapple chunks
- green onions and basil, for serving
Sesame chile sauce
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon tamari/soy sauce
- 1 jalapeรฑo, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructionsย
- 1. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, tamari/soy sauce, vinegar, honey, jalapeรฑos, garlic, ginger, and a pinch of pepper. Add the chicken and toss. If time allows, let sit for 10 minutes to deepen the flavor.2. Take the skewers and thread the chicken with the pineapple chunks. Reserve the marinade.3. Set your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium-high heat. Grill the skewers until lightly charred and cooked through, turning them occasionally throughout cooking, about 10 to 12 minutes total.ย 4. Meanwhile, pour the reserved marinade into a small pot. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, until reduced. Brush the sauce over the skewers after grilling. 5. To make the sesame sauce: combine all ingredients in a bowl. 6. Serve the chicken and pineapple with limes, green onions, and sesame sauce for dipping. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hi Tieghan! I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I marinated the chicken for 24 hours and then boiled the marinade as directed. I thickened it with corn starch slurry and brushed the skewers as they were cooking on the bbq. We loved them but I personally don’t think the mayo based sauce is needed. That sauce might be really good on homemade chicken nuggets though. Thanks!
Thanks so much, Becky! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it and your comment! xx
Hi Tieghan!! This recipe was DELICIOUS!! I made it today and my husband said it was excellent!! Thank you for creating it! I’ve never had a recipe from you I don’t like. Bravo!!
Wow thank you SO much Laura! so glad this was a hit with you and your husband! Have an amazing week! ๐ xT
So stinking good! We had this as our first meal on the deck. Delicious!
Hey Irene,
Yay!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, Iโm so glad to hear it turned out well for you!๐ท Happy Thursday!
I made this tonightโฆ it came out sooo good on the grill. The family raved about itโฆ def make this one more often.
Hey Diego,
Happy Sunday! Iโm thrilled to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xx
This recipe is one of our favorites!! We omit the ketchup because we arenโt ketchup people. The flavors are amazing!
Hi Julie,
Happy Sunday! Iโm thrilled to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xx
Hi! These look terrific!
Any advice to reheat if I made them three hours beforehand in the oven? And, how long would say the grill time would take total?
Hi there,
So sorry, are you wanting to grill and then reheat in the oven? I probably wouldn’t recommend that, especially for chicken. I think your best bet would be to make the recipe and then wrap them in foil and serve at room temp. I hope this helps! If I didn’t answer your question correctly, please let me know! xx
My family loves this recipe, reminds me of summer but I made it last weekend for a family party since we had a warm day and I wanted to grill. They were gone instantly. Always a hit!
Love to hear this, Marla! Thanks for making this recipe so often and sharing with others! Have a great week! xx
This recipe is one of my family’s favorites. Simple and full of flavor.
Hey Isabelle,
Happy Sunday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! xT
This recipe is full of flavors. I ended up using a bit more tamari, garlic and lime zest in the dipping sauce.
Also added 2 extra garlic gloves to marinade along with extra ginger.
The jalapeรฑo definitely help it out with heat. Very yummy thanks for sharing.
Hey Stephanie,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you giving it a try and your comment! x
This was really good! Used chicken thighs and it turned out great. Served with a side of edamame that was also really good dipped into the sesame sauce
Hey Christine,
Happy Wednesday! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad it turned out nicely for you! x
So good! Everyone loved these. Didnt change anything except used chicken thighs and let it marinate for a few hours and it was perfect! Will def make them again.
Hey Alayna,
Thank you so much for making this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Memorial Day! xT
This is one of my families favorite recipes! We’ve made it multiple times. It’s easy to prepare and has so much flavor!
Hey Isabelle,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe so often, love to hear that it always turns out well! xT
Tieghan, this recipe is inspired! Everyone loved it, including my husband, who didn’t think the pineapple and the chicken would cook through at the same time…but they do ๐ Fresh and delicious, turns chicken breasts into a real treat.
Happy Friday.
Hey Pauline,
Happy Friday! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! xT