Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Pineapple Skewers

Slofoodgroup Team July 07, 2021

Teriyaki Chicken Skewers with Cubed Pineapple

We love a good recipe that can be done quickly and thrown on the grill. Teriyaki chicken and pineapple skewers are easy to assemble and ready to grill just about any night of the week. Juicy and tender, these skewers are sticky, sweet, savory, and tangy. All you need is chicken meat—preferably the tender dark meat from thighs, fresh pineapple cubes, green bell peppers, and spring onions. Although most recipes marinate the chicken in teriyaki sauce before grilling, we found that brushing the skewers as they cook is a faster way to cook this meal. We included the teriyaki sauce in the recipe but it can easily be substituted with a store-bought version instead.

Grilling the skewers over fire adds another layer of flavor but in lack of a grill, a griddle pan can be used, or you could even cook them in the oven.

Chicken Skewers with Pineapple, Bell Pepper, Onions, and Brushed Teriyaki Sauce

For the skewers:

• 400g chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• ½ small pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into squares
• 4 spring onions, trimmed and cut in 3-inch sections

For the teriyaki sauce:

• 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 star anise
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce

For the serving:

• small bunch coriander, to garnish
• pitta bread, to serve

1. Cut the chicken thighs into cubes and season them with sea salt and pepper; cover and allow to marinate in the fridge for 30 min.
2. To a saucepan, whisk together the sugar, apple cider vinegar, star anise, soy sauce, water, cornstarch and fish sauce; bring to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes or until it thickens; remove from heat and set aside.
3. Build the skewers by alternating pieces of meat, bell pepper, spring onions, and pineapple;
4. Heat the grill to medium-heat and cook the skewers for 4 minutes/side; brush with teriyaki sauce on top and grill for 1-2 minutes more.
5. Serve warm on pita bread, with fresh coriander on top.
   
   

The star anise contributes a lovely flavor to this teriyaki sauce, really making it stand out from your typical sauce. For best results, ensure you are using the highest quality star anise and that the pods have not been sitting on your spice rack for years!