Air Fryer Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs with pineapple are incredibly delicious. Serve air-fried teriyaki chicken kabobs as an appetizer or with rice for dinner. It's a great game day recipe that’s sure to be a favorite.
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What Makes These Air Fryer Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs So Delicious
Are you ready to indulge your taste buds with authentic Tiki flavors? These chicken teriyaki shish kabobs combine tropical fruit with a distinctly Asian flair for one delicious dish.
The sweet bitterness of the charred pineapple chunks pairs extraordinarily well with the savory soy and honey-marinated chicken, while the heat mellows the pungent red onions. Truly, a delightful dinner or snack.
Why These Chicken Kabobs Are Perfect for Your Game Day Meal
Chicken wings can get boring, and if you are looking for an alternative, then Air Fryer Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs may just be it. These skewers are unique enough to intrigue guests without being too weird to discourage people from trying them.
Prepare a double batch of teriyaki chicken skewers ahead of time and keep extras in the fridge for convenient halftime cooking!
Chicken Teriyaki Shish Kabobs Ingredients
For these chicken pineapple skewers, you'll need these simple ingredients:
- Chicken breast, skinless, boneless cubed
- Soy sauce
- Light brown sugar
- Honey
- Sesame oil
- Garlic, minced
- Pineapple chunks, canned and reserve the juice
- Red onion
- Sesame seeds
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
If you want to use fresh pineapple, you'll also need to get some canned pineapple juice for the marinade.
Add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes to the marinade for a little kick of heat.
Other vegetables you can use are green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and mushrooms.
You can also substitute the chicken with beef, pork, or shrimp. Note the cook time will vary for each, with pork and steak taking longer and shrimp taking less time.
How to Cook Chicken Kabobs in Air Fryer
To prep the chicken:
- Chop the chicken into 1-inch cubes or chunks about the same size as the pineapple chunks you are using. Place the chopped chicken into a bowl or plastic ziptop bag.
- Mince the garlic.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, light brown sugar, the reserved pineapple juice from the can of the pineapple chunks, honey, sesame oil, and the minced garlic to make the marinade.
- Pour half of the marinade into the bowl with the chicken. Reserve the remaining marinade for later. Stir to coat the chicken or, if using a bag, massage the marinade into the chicken pieces.
- Cover the bowl or seal the bag and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
To assemble the teriyaki chicken kabobs with pineapple:
- The skewers may be too big to fit in your air fryer, so check. Cut off any excess.
- Soak the trimmed bamboo skewers in water for at least 20 minutes to keep them from burning while cooking.
- While the skewers are soaking, chop the red onion into pieces the size of the pineapple chunks.
- Thread one piece of marinaded chicken, one piece of red onion, and one pineapple chunk onto the soaked skewer. Repeat until the skewer is full, making sure to push the ingredients tightly together. Do the same with the other skewers until you run out of ingredients.
To cook chicken shish kabobs in the air fryer:
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F.
- Put the shish kebabs in the air fryer, leaving enough space so the skewers don't touch each other or the sides.
- Brush the tops of the chicken pineapple skewers with the unused marinade and sprinkle the white sesame seeds on top.
- Air fry for 8 minutes. Flip the skewers, brush on the unused marinade, and sprinkle with additional white sesame seeds.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the chicken is at least 165°F before removing the shish kabobs from the air fryer.
- Serve immediately.
Special Equipment Needed
This recipe is designed for an air fryer, so you'll need to follow it strictly. However, you can grill these skewers or cook them in a convection oven if you don't have an air fryer. Just make sure that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165°F before removing the kebabs from the heat.
Bamboo skewers are the best choice for this recipe, but you could also use stainless steel skewers. If you go with bamboo skewers, choosing the ones with a little tab makes the skewers much easier to hold. Make sure the skewers will fit in your air fryer basket.
To check the temperature, use an instant-read thermometer. It's faster than a meat thermometer, inexpensive, and the peace of mind it gives you is well worth the cost.
What to Serve With Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Teriyaki chicken kabobs with pineapple are perfect for dipping. You can make extra marinade and use it as a dipping sauce, but why not try a few other sauces as well?
- Katsu Sauce: Sweet and tangy with a bit of a bite, this Asian sauce is a wonderful addition.
- Campfire Sauce: The chipotle peppers make this savory sauce extra smoky.
- Sriracha Sauce: Classic sriracha sauce offers much more flavor than just "hot," and it goes extraordinarily well with these skewers.
- Teriyaki Sauce: For a little extra sweetness.
Make these skewers into a meal by serving two or three over a bed of white rice.
How to Store the Leftovers
Keep extra skewers in the fridge inside of an airtight container. Try to use cooked skewers within two days and raw skewers within 24 hours.
What Is the Best Way to Reheat Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs
Reheat in the air fryer:
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F.
- Let the skewers come up to room temperature.
- Reheat the skewers in the air fryer for three minutes, turn, and continue to reheat for another minute or two.
- Serve when hot.
More Game Day Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons pineapple juice from a can of pineapple
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
- ½ red onion cut into large chunks
- 20 ounces canned pineapple chunks juice reserved
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds divided use
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, pineapple juice, honey, sesame oil, and garlic. Mix well.
- Pour half of the sauce over the chicken, reserving the other half. Cover and allow the chicken to marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- When the chicken is ready, assemble the kabobs by threading pieces of chicken, red onion, and pineapple onto the skewers. Repeat this process or create any other pattern you desire.
- Place 3 or 4 kabobs (depending on the size of your air fryer) in the bottom of the air fryer, brush them with some of the remaining sauce, and sprinkle with half of the sesame seeds.
- Air fry at 375°F for 7 to 8 minutes. Then flip the kabobs, brush the other side with the sauce, and top with the remaining sesame seeds. Air fry for another 7 to 8 minutes and serve immediately.
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