chicken skewers with pineapple rice (gf, df)
This is one of those pairs of recipes you just make together. I couldn’t help myself. I was inspired by something Martha Stewart made and adapted it to fit my tastes. It was soooo good. And made without a grill. On account of we don’t have one.
We do, however, have a broiler in our new place, so we used that and it worked just fine!
If you don’t feel like making the rice with the skewers, it’s easy to make only the skewers using pineapple juice from a can. You can also drain a can of pineapple packed in juice and freeze the pineapple for smoothies or some other delicious use.
One bonus of these is that they are SO easy to pack with fruits and vegetables. I only had one with chicken on it, and while the chicken was good, there is something SO good about grilled and broiled vegetables I couldn’t resist!
Originally, when I made this recipe, I only marinated the chicken. Next time I make these, I’m going to use half the marinade on the fruits and veggies in a separate container so that they get the same additional boost of flavor as the chicken. Sooo good.
Chicken Skewers with Pineapple Rice
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
For skewers:
- 1lb chicken, cut into 1” pieces
- 1/4c honey
- juice from 1 (8oz) can pineapple, or 1/3-1/2c juice
- salt and pepper
- 2 bell peppers
- 1 onion
- pineapple, more peppers, mushrooms or other favorite veggies to taste
- sweet and sour sauce, optional*
Pineapple Rice
- 1c long-grain rice, uncooked
- water per package instructions (about 2c) (You can also use coconut milk)
- 8oz pineapple tidbits (or chunks), drained and juice reserved for marinade
- 1/2tsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 green onions, sliced
Instructions
For skewers:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together honey and pineapple juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Stir in chicken pieces and stir well to coat. Alternatively, you can marinate the veggies as well by stirring them in with the chicken or by dividing the marinade in half and marinating separately. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30min-8hours.
- Soak wooden skewers in water at least 30 minutes prior to grilling/broiling. When ready to cook, thread chicken and vegetables onto skewers and grill until cooked through or broil for 5-7 minutes per side. Discard marinade.
- If using sweet and sour sauce, brush on with pastry brush after cooking to avoid charring the sauce. Serve with additional sauce on the side, if desired.
For rice:
- Cook rice according to package directions. Stir in ginger, green onion, and pineapple and fluff with a fork.
- Serve skewers over rice with sweet and sour sauce.
Notes
*For gluten free version: be sure your sweet & sour sauce is gluten free. Homemade (using gluten-free tamari) or San-J and Contadina brands are gluten free.