Easy Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatball Kebabs

EASY TERIYAKI PINEAPPLE CHICKEN MEATBALL KEBABS

8/13/2023

Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatball Kebabs are the perfect addition to any barbecue or weeknight dinner. The combination of juicy chicken meatballs, caramelized pineapple and sweet teriyaki glaze creates a delightful blend of flavors that will have everyone asking for seconds. With just a handful of simple ingredients, this easy and mouthwatering recipe is one of the juiciest, most flavorful chicken skewers of your life - a healthy, prep-ahead friendly meal that has a tropical vibe that's perfect for late summer nights. Fire up the grill and enjoy these delectable kebabs that will take your taste buds on an unforgettable journey!

And I’ll let you in on a little secret – you can easily turn this into a quick and easy stir-fry dinner. This is another family favorite that always disappears fast!

Easy Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatball Kebabs

WHAT MAKES THESE TERIYAKI PINEPAPLE CHICKEN MEATBALL KEBABS THE BEST EVER?

FAST & EASY: No last minute hustle - prep ahead of time and simply throw on the grill when you're ready to eat! These flavorful kabobs can be grilled or baked for year-round enjoyment!

JUICY CHICKEN MEATBALLS: Drizzled with a wonderful Teriyaki Sauce, these are the moistest, most flavorful meatballs you've ever had!

TERIYAKI SAUCE CREATES A FLAVOR BOMB: The teriyaki sauce is savory, tangy and slightly sweet - everyone loves it, young to old!

LIGHLTY CHARRED VEGGIES: Grilling the vegies creates smoky, charred, bombs of bright tender freshness!

DECEPTIVELY HEALTHY: Never has anything so good for you been so hearty and satisfying!

FABULOUS FOR ENTERTAINING: Easy to cook, fun to eat, and easy to clean-up! You can even make these appetizer-sized for extra fun!

RECIPE VARIATIONS:

Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatball Appetizers: These skewers also make an excellent appetizer for get-togethers! You can prepare smaller kabobs in smaller appetizer sizes and serve with teriyaki sauce for dipping. Who doesn't love meat on a stick?

Meatball Types: You can use chicken, turkey, or beef meatballs for this recipe – pick your favorite!
Sweet & Sour Chicken Meatball Kabobs or Barbecue Chicken Meatball Kabobs: To change up the flavor profile, substitute your favorite sweet & sour sauce or barbecue sauce for the teriyaki sauce.

Easy Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatball Kebabs

RAINING OUTSIDE? EASY COOKING VARIATIONS:

Smoked Kabobs or Grilled Kabobs: You can prepare these on either your grill, smoker or over hot charcoal grill!
Baked Pineapple Chicken Meatball Kababs: You can easily prepare this recipe in y our oven if it’s raining and you can’t grill! On a baking sheet lined with non-stick foil, preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bake for about 15 – 20 minutes, rotating occasionally.
Grilled Pineapple Chicken Meatball Stir-Fry: In addition to the sweet bell peppers, pineapple and red onion, add your favorite stir-fry vegetables (green pepper, zucchini, summer squash, sugar snap peas or sweet pea pods) and use a grill basket to cook before topping with the wonderful Teriyaki glaze!
Stove-top Pineapple Chicken Meatball Stir-Fry: Heat large non-stick stir-fry pan and add a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Add meatballs and vegetables and stir-fry until cooked and tender; drizzle with teriyaki sauce and stir until evenly coated. Serve immediately with rice. This is also a great way to serve leftovers in a delicious new way!

Easy Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatball Kebabs

HOW TO PICK A PERFECT FRESH PINEAPPLE:

Look: Start by looking for a pineapple with a uniform shape and without any blemishes, indentations, squishy spots, wrinkles or cracks; make sure it has a uniform shape and large flat "eyes" - which means the pineapple was allowed to ripen naturally on the branch.
Color: Look for bright green leaves - you don't want a pineapple with brown, dry or stiff leaves. And for the sweetest fruit, look for the slightest yellow coloring around the eyes and base of the pineapple.
Touch: For the juiciest fresh, pineapple, the pineapple should feel heavy for its size; give it a gentle squeeze - it should give a little but still be firm; if it is soft or squishy it is too ripe.
Smell: A lightly sweet smell from the bottom of a pineapple means that it is ripe - if it has a sour or pungent smell like vinegar it is too ripe.
Listen: Tap the pineapple and listen for a dull and solid sound - unripe pineapples will sound hollow.
Test: Try plucking a single leaf from the middle of the top - it should be firmly attached but slide out easily when you pull it for perfectly ripe pineapples. If it doesn't pull easily, the pineapple is not ripe yet.
To Ripen a Pineapple Quickly: Place a fresh whole pineapple into a paper bag, together with a ripe apple, and close the top of the bag. The gases from the apple will help ripen the pineapple. Leave at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or until the pineapple is ripe.

Easy Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatball Kebabs

EASY TERIYAKI PINEAPPLE CHICKEN MEATBALL KABOBS

Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatball Kebabs are the perfect addition to any barbecue or weeknight dinner. The combination of juicy chicken meatballs, caramelized pineapple and sweet teriyaki glaze creates a delightful blend of flavors that will have everyone asking for seconds. With just a handful of simple ingredients, this easy and mouthwatering recipe is one of the juiciest, most flavorful chicken skewers of your life - a healthy, prep-ahead friendly meal that has a tropical vibe that's perfect for late summer nights. Fire up the grill and enjoy these delectable kebabs that will take your taste buds on an unforgettable journey!

Easy Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatball Kebabs

INGREDIENTS:
1 (20 oz. package) Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatballs (Amylu or Aidell's)
1 fresh pineapple (cored and cut into large chunks)
2 large red bell peppers (cored and cut into 1-1/2 inch squares)
2 large orange bell peppers (cored and cut into 1-1/2 inch squares)
2 large yellow bell pepper (cored and cut into 1-1/2 inch squares)
2 large red onions (cut into 1 inch squares)
1 (14.5 oz) bottle Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce with Sesame Seeds

GARNISH:
Green onions (sliced)
Sesame seeds

HOW I MAKE THESE:

If using wooden skewers, soak for at least 30 minutes in water before assembling and grilling.
Preheat and clean the grill, and while the grill is heating, prep the kebabs.
Prep and cut the fresh pineapple and the vegetables.
Next, assemble the kebabs. Using either metal skewers or water-soaked wood skewers, thread a piece of marinated chicken (discard marinade), followed by an onion wedge, a chunk of red pepper, a chunk of green pepper and a chunk of pineapple, then repeat pattern twice and finish with an additional piece of chicken (I fit 4 pieces of chicken on the kebab total then 3 of everything else).
The pattern I used was sweet red pepper, meatball, fresh pineapple, orange pepper, another meatball, red onion, pineapple, another meatball and capped with another piece of fresh red pepper, but feel free to customize!
Place all of the skewers on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, and using a basting brush, coat the skewers on all sides with teriyaki sauce.
Grill the skewers over medium heat, about 400-450º, for about 10-14 minutes, or until the meatballs reach 160 degrees, turning occasionally.
Remove the skewers from the grill and allow to sit for five minutes before serving. Brush with additional warm Teriyaki Sauce and garnish with optional sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Serve with warm rice or in a pita pocket.
Serve with additional Teriyaki Sauce on the side, or for something spicier, drizzle with sriracha mayo.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

YIELD: 12 kabobs (4-6 Servings)

RECIPE NOTES:

Best Chicken Pineapple Meatballs: I use and recommend Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatballs from Amylu or Aidell’s.
Best Teriyaki Sauce: I use and recommend Kinder’s Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce with Sesame Seeds (or Kinder’s Sweet & Spicy Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce for spicier sauce)
Fresh Pineapple: For the BEST grilled pineapple, make sure to use FRESH pineapple slices or spears.

If using wooden skewers: soak them in water for 30 minutes before using them to prevent them from burning on the grill.
Don’t cut the sweet bell peppers, onions or pineapple pieces wider than the chicken meatballs: Wide pieces of bell peppers or pineapple will prevent the meatballs from touching the grill.
Start with a clean grill: Make sure to clean the grill grates before grilling to remove any residue. This will help create beautiful grill marks and help prevent the meatballs, pineapple and veggies from sticking.
Grease your grill with the right oil before grilling: Make sure to use vegetable oil (or other high smoking point oil) for greasing your grill (Do NOT use olive oil because it has a lower smoking point, which will cause excessive smoke and can adversely impact its flavor and produce low levels of harmful compounds.)
Use a hot grill or smoker. Heat up the grill or smoker with the lid closed cranked to the maximum temperature so it can achieve temperature more quickly and create those gorgeous grill marks. Once the grill is hot, adjust the temperature.
Be patient: Don’t attempt to flip the kebabs before 3 minutes or the meatballs might tear. Once you can easily move the meatballs with tongs, it’s ready to flip.
Which thermometer? Always use a meat thermometer to eliminate the guess work to achieve succulent, juicy meat every time. I recommend using an instant read thermometer or digital probe thermometer – so easy to use and you’ll never overcook any protein again!
Let the kabobs rest: Don’t overcook! Cook chicken meatballs to an internal temperature of 160ºF and then rest for 5 minutes after removing from grill to carryover to 165 degrees F. After the kabobs are finished cooking, they need to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving so that the meatballs have time to reabsorb the juices that have pushed towards the outside.

RECIPE & COOKING VARIATIONS:

Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatball Appetizers: These skewers also make an excellent appetizer for get-togethers! You can prepare smaller kabobs in smaller appetizer sizes and serve with teriyaki sauce for dipping. Who doesn't love meat on a stick?

Meatball Types: You can use chicken, turkey, or beef meatballs for this recipe – pick your favorite!
Sweet & Sour Chicken Meatball Kabobs or Barbecue Chicken Meatball Kabobs: To change up the flavor profile, substitute your favorite sweet & sour sauce or barbecue sauce for the teriyaki sauce.
Smoked Kabobs or Grilled Kabobs: You can prepare these on either your grill, smoker or over hot charcoal grill!
Baked Pineapple Chicken Meatball Kababs: You can easily prepare this recipe in y our oven if it’s raining and you can’t grill! On a baking sheet lined with non-stick foil, preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bake for about 15 – 20 minutes, rotating occasionally.
Grilled Pineapple Chicken Meatball Stir-Fry: In addition to the sweet bell peppers, pineapple and red onion, add your favorite stir-fry vegetables (green pepper, zucchini, summer squash, sugar snap peas or sweet pea pods) and use a grill basket to cook before topping with the wonderful Teriyaki glaze!
Stove-top Pineapple Chicken Meatball Stir-Fry: Heat large non-stick stir-fry pan and add a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Add meatballs and vegetables and stir-fry until cooked and tender; drizzle with teriyaki sauce and stir until evenly coated. Serve immediately with rice. This is also a great way to serve leftovers in a delicious new way!

Originally posted August 2018; revised and reposted August 2023.

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