Pineapple Chicken Skewers Recipe

Name: Pineapple Chicken Skewers
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Hawaiian
Ingredients: 440 g skinless chicken breast, cut into 3 cm cubes; 200 g fresh pineapple, cut into 3 cm chunks; 120 g red bell pepper, cut into 3 cm pieces; 80 g red onion, cut into wedges; 2 tbsp lime juice; 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tsp grated fresh ginger; 1 tsp maple syrup; 10 g fresh cilantro, chopped

Why This Is Worth Making

Fresh pineapple contains an enzyme that softens meat. That sounds helpful and is not. Left in a marinade for long, it turns chicken mushy, so the pineapple goes on the skewer here and the marinade is lime, ginger and garlic. Cut the chicken and pineapple into pieces of the same size.

Marinate the chicken for 15 minutes, which is enough for lime and ginger to season the surface. Thread them alternately, chicken then pineapple, so that the fruit juice bastes the meat as it cooks. The sugars in the pineapple caramelise on the grill and turn the edges dark and sweet. Watch for flare-ups.

A teaspoon of maple syrup in the marinade helps the browning along. Lime is the seasoning. Cilantro goes on at the end. Pineapple is lower in potassium than most tropical fruit, which makes it a sensible fruit to cook with on this plate. Serve straight from the grill, while the edges are still hot.

What Goes With It

Steamed white rice
Shredded cabbage with lime
Cucumber slices

Making Pineapple Chicken Skewers, Step by Step

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Mix the lime juice, oil, garlic, ginger and maple syrup in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss. Marinate for 15 minutes.
Heat a grill or griddle pan to medium-high.
Thread the chicken, pineapple, bell pepper and onion alternately onto 8 skewers.
Grill for 12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the pineapple has charred edges. Scatter with the cilantro.

A Few Notes

Use fresh pineapple; the chunks of tinned fruit are softer and collapse on the grill.

Oil the grill lightly so that the fruit does not stick.

Leave a little space between the pieces so that the heat reaches every side.

Swaps and Variations

Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.
A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Storing and Reheating

Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot pan or eat cold over rice.

Common Questions

How long does Pineapple Chicken Skewers take to make?

About 27 minutes in total — 15 minutes of preparation and 12 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 4.

What are the key tips for making Pineapple Chicken Skewers?

Use fresh pineapple; the chunks of tinned fruit are softer and collapse on the grill. Oil the grill lightly so that the fruit does not stick. Leave a little space between the pieces so that the heat reaches every side.

What should I serve with Pineapple Chicken Skewers?

Steamed white rice; Shredded cabbage with lime; Cucumber slices.

How should Pineapple Chicken Skewers be stored?

Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot pan or eat cold over rice.

Is Pineapple Chicken Skewers suitable for a special diet?

This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, kidney-friendly and low-carb. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.

How many calories are in Pineapple Chicken Skewers?

About 219 kcal per serving, with 26 g protein, 13 g carbohydrate and 7 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.

The Numbers per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.

219Calories

26gProtein

13gCarbs

7gFat

2gFibre

8gSugar

50mgSodium

580mgPotassium

260mgPhosphorus

Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Kidney-Friendly Low-Carb

Why this is labelled Kidney-Friendly

A serving has about 50 mg sodium, 580 mg potassium and 260 mg phosphorus, with 26 g of protein.

The label means a serving stays inside fixed limits: 500 mg of sodium, 700 mg of potassium and 350 mg of phosphorus, with no cured meat, salt substitute, stock cube or processed cheese in the ingredients. Those are roughly a quarter to a third of the daily limits many kidney diets use.

This describes the recipe and is not medical advice. Limits for sodium, potassium, phosphorus and protein depend on the stage of kidney disease, your blood results and whether you are on dialysis, and protein is restricted at some stages and increased at others. The potassium and phosphorus figures are estimates from standard food tables and cannot see additives in packaged foods. Ask your kidney care team or renal dietitian before making a dish part of your plan.

Pineapple Chicken Skewers

What Goes With It

Making Pineapple Chicken Skewers, Step by Step

A Few Notes

Swaps and Variations

Storing and Reheating

Common Questions

The Numbers per Serving

Reader Reviews

Cooked this? Leave a review

What Goes With It

Making Pineapple Chicken Skewers, Step by Step

A Few Notes

Swaps and Variations

Storing and Reheating

Common Questions

The Numbers per Serving

Reader Reviews

Cooked this? Leave a review

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