Grilled Pineapple and Bacon Chicken Kebabs

Today I’m sharing a perfect summer grilling recipe: Juicy Bacon Pineapple Chicken Kebabs. Imagine tender, char-grilled chicken and caramelized pineapple threaded together with smoky bacon strips—simple, flavorful, and irresistible.

Wrapping bacon around the chicken and vegetables adds a smoky, savory layer that melts into the meat as it grills. Marinating the chicken and pineapple in the sweet, sticky Hawaiian-style sauce boosts flavor and helps the chicken stay moist. These kebabs are finger-licking good and will disappear fast.

What you need

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
• 1 pineapple, cut into 1½-inch chunks
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into 1½-inch pieces
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1½-inch pieces
• 12 strips thick-cut bacon, cut in half lengthwise

Hawaiian Marinade

• 1½ cups pineapple juice
• ½ cup honey (or coconut sugar)
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1½ Tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 long skewers

How To Make Bacon Pineapple Chicken Kebabs

For the Hawaiian marinade: In a medium saucepan combine the pineapple juice, honey (or coconut sugar), fish sauce, arrowroot (or cornstarch), minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir until the arrowroot or cornstarch dissolves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Allow the marinade to cool briefly.

Place the chicken pieces in a resealable bag and pour half the marinade over them. Put the pineapple, bell pepper, and red onion in a separate bag and pour the remaining marinade over the vegetables. Marinate at least 30 minutes; for best flavor marinate several hours or overnight. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 20 minutes to prevent burning.

To assemble: Thread the chicken, pineapple, bell pepper, and onion onto the skewers, weaving bacon strips around each chicken piece. If you have four pieces of chicken per skewer, use two bacon strips per skewer. I typically use 3–4 chunks each of pineapple, bell pepper, and onion per skewer. Brush each kebab lightly with olive oil to help prevent sticking and promote even browning.

Preheat the grill to medium-high. Grill the kebabs for 10–15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon and pineapple are nicely charred. Cooking time will vary with grill heat and skewer thickness—check that chicken reaches a safe internal temperature.

Serve the kebabs immediately while hot and juicy. Enjoy!

If you tried this Bacon Pineapple Chicken Kebabs recipe, please leave a star rating and share how it turned out in the comments. Thanks for visiting!