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These Caribbean Chicken Shish Kabobs are one of our favorites on the grill! Pineapple, marinated chicken, and bacon wrapped bananas, it’s a vacation on a stick!
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Once you try this taste of the islands, you will be in love. The bacon wrapped bananas are my FAVORITE part of these grilled Caribbean Shish Kabobs. I know it sounds weird but they are amazing! The bacon is crispy on the outside and the bananas are so soft and warm on the inside that they melt in your mouth. The bacon wrapped bananas in addition to the flavor of the grilled pineapple and tender marinated chicken make these kabobs over the top delicious. This is always a hit at summer barbecues!
What to Put on Caribbean Chicken Shish Kabobs
he possibilities are endless with these Caribbean Style Chicken Kabobs. You can add or take away whatever you want to fit your own tastes. Here’s what we put on them:
- Pineapple marinade (store bought or make your own, see below)
- Chicken (we use boneless skinless chicken breasts but you can also use chicken thighs)
- Bananas
- Bacon
- Pineapple
You can also add:
- Red bell peppers
- Onion
- Mango
- Nectarines
- Cherry Tomatoes (we love using Sun Gold varieties)
- Smoked sausage
Substitutions and Additions
As mentioned above, don’t go substituting out the bacon wrapped bananas. Those babies are what makes the dish so delicious and unique. If you are wanting to swap out the chicken for steak or even pork, go right ahead, it would be delicious. If you are wanting to add a little something extra, some vegetables maybe, try using onions, red bell peppers, or any of your other favorite grilling veggies.
Homemade Pineapple Marinade
We like to keep things easy and just get the store-bought marinade most of the time. However, it’s not hard to make your own! Here’s what you need:
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
Whisk all ingredients together in a mixing bowl and use as a marinade for your kabobs.
Tips for Grilling Chicken Kabobs
- For more flavor you can marinate the chicken and pineapple together. If you are adding onion and bell pepper you can also include those in the marinade.
- Use a meat thermometer to get determine when the chicken is cooked through. You want it to have an internal temperature of 165-degrees F when the meat thermometer in placed into the thickest piece of chicken.
- If using wooden skewers, soak them for at least an hour before you thread on the chicken and other ingredients.
- Oil the grill grates before turning on the grill. This will help prevent the kabobs from sticking.
- Place the leftover marinade in a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until the marinade comes to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 5 minutes and then brush over the kabobs while they are being grilled
- No grill? No problem. Place the kabobs on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. The bacon and bananas don’t freeze well so we recommend eating them fresh or just refrigerating them. Reheat in a skillet on medium-high heat and sauté until heated through.
Questions About Chicken Shish Kabobs
Chicken kabobs taste best when grilled. You just can’t beat that grilled flavor!
Between 8-12 minutes depending on how hot the grill is and how large the chicken pieces are. Always use a meat thermometer to determine doneness. You want the internal temperature of the chicken to be 165-degrees F.
Adding a glaze or marinade to the kabobs while they are cooking will help prevent them from drying out. You also want to check the internal temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer so the kabobs can be removed from the grill as soon as they reach the perfect temp (165-degrees F).
Read Next: 35+ BBQ Side Dishes
What to Serve With Caribbean Chicken Shish Kabobs
Want to make these tasty shish kabobs but aren’t quite sure what to serve along with them? You can never go wrong with a green salad, plain white rice, or corn on the cob. Here are some more of our favorite side dish choices:
- Cilantro Lime Rice (and Black Beans): Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans are the perfect complement to these kabobs. I often make these recipes as a side dish to my regular meals.
- KFC Coleslaw Copycat Recipe: Coleslaw goes great with any grilled dish. The cool, crunchy, creamy cabbage always complements kabobs on hot summer days!
- Easy Lemon Rice: The zesty flavor of the Easy Lemon Rice goes perfectly with this dish. The sweet from the kabobs and the savory/zesty from the rice.. Mmmmmm.
- Fresh Mango Avocado Coleslaw: This Fresh Mango Avocado Coleslaw is such a flavorful and colorful summer salad! We will be eating this delicious side dish all summer!
Caribbean Chicken Shish Kabobs
Equipment
- Outdoor Barbecue Grill
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts cut into chunks
- 1 Bottle Lawry’s Teriyaki w/ Pineapple marinade (see notes above)
- 1 pound bacon or about 10 slices, cut into halves so you have 20 pieces
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 4 bananas (underripe)
- 2 cups fresh pineapple cut into large pieces
- wooden skewers soaked in water
Instructions
- Marinate chicken pieces in teriyaki or peanut sauce for at least 3 hours.
- Cut bananas into about 5 pieces each.
- Slightly cook the bacon slices so you can pat off some of the grease, but don’t cook them too long because you want them long and soft enough to wrap around the bananas. Then lightly coat the bacon in maple syrup.
- Wrap the bacon around the bananas and put them securely onto skewers alternating with chicken and pineapple.
- Grill over medium heat until chicken is cooked through.
- Optional: Brush on more teriyaki sauce to the skewers while they are grilling.
- Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- For more flavor you can marinate the chicken and pineapple together. If you are adding onion and bell pepper you can also include those in the marinade.
- Use a meat thermometer to get determine when the chicken is cooked through. You want it to have an internal temperature of 165-degrees F when the meat thermometer in placed into the thickest piece of chicken.
- If using wooden skewers, soak them for at least an hour before you thread on the chicken and other ingredients.
- Oil the grill grates before turning on the grill. This will help prevent the kabobs from sticking.
- Place the leftover marinade in a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until the marinade comes to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 5 minutes and then brush over the kabobs while they are being grilled
- No grill? No problem. Place the kabobs on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
What a sweet and savory recipe! Looks like it’s full of flavor and easy too! Yum!
Love these so much- great flavor!
This is such a unique dish! I was a little weirded out by the bananas, but they totally made the dish – definitely wouldn’t be the same without them!
Loved the bacon wrapped bananas! Such a great idea!
Not s fan of bananas but want to try this recipe! Do you have a suggestion of what I could use instead?
You could use mushrooms instead.. bacon-wrapped mushrooms are SO tasty! It wouldn’t have the sweetness but would still be good 🙂
wow! I can't wait to try these!!
Sounds yummy. A general rule of thumb is that almost anything wrapped in bacon is yummy.