I think I’ve said this about a bajillion times in the past month but SUMMER IS COMING. And what screams summer more than kebabs on the barbie on a Saturday afternoon? I’m no stranger to kebab grilling, my very first post on the blog was Lemon, Garlic & Herb Chicken Kebabs.

There’s just something about being able to tear into chicken with your hands that makes me so happy. All the etiquette rules go out the window and you can be as wild as you want. The meat is incredibly tender and the flavour combination of sweet pineapple and spicy chicken is absolutely gorgeous and just ties everything together.

Fun fact: if you’ve ever wondered why your mouth feels weird whilst eating pineapple, it’s because pineapples contain an enzyme known as bromelain which is able to digest the proteins in the skin on the inside of your mouth as well as your tongue. Talk about food biting back!

This recipe makes for a great outdoor barbecue, when you’ve got friends or family over. For those lazy Sunday afternoons, you can throw together a summery punch (try this Zingy Strawberry Lemonade) toss these on a hot barbecue and just kick back and enjoy yourself. Bon appetit and happy grilling season!

Rainbow Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs                                                               makes 12 kebabs

Ingredients

For the chicken:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch cubes

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp oregano

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp Dijon mustard

For the kebabs: 

1 whole green capsicum, chopped into ½ inch squares

½ pineapple, chopped into 1 inch cubes

1 large red onion, chopped into ½ inch squares

12 6-inch bamboo skewers

Method

1. Heat the grill/broiler and adjust your rack to the top tray. Alternatively, you could also preheat your oven to 375°C. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil.
2. Add all the ingredients for the chicken to a medium bowl and mix well to ensure all the chicken is coated in the spice mixture. Let sit for at least 10 minutes or even leave in the fridge overnight.
3. When ready to assemble, start by skewering the chicken followed by the red onion, pineapple, green pepper and finally another piece of chicken. Repeat until you reach the end of the skewer. Add the skewer to the foil-lined baking tray. Keep going until you’ve used up all the skewers. If you run out of any one of the pineapple, green pepper or red onion, then it’s totally okay for you to layer 3 pieces of another component on e.g. 2 red onion pieces, chicken, pineapple cube, 2 red onion pieces
4. Grill the kebabs for 15 minutes before turning over and grilling for another 10 minutes. If desired, you can baste the kebabs with barbecue sauce in the last 5 minutes of grilling. I personally prefer my kebabs without it. Serve immediately with ranch dressing and sweet chilli sauce on the side!