Happy First Day of Summer! – the perfect time to fire-up your grill and enjoy some fun in the sun over a delicious, healthy meal.
These easy-to-make chicken kebobs are a delicious way to celebrate the tropical flavors of summer and spend less time in the kitchen too! That’s because you can pre-make the kebobs and refrigerate them up to three days in advance, so they’re ready to go on the grill whenever you’re ready for the party to begin.
And whether you’re a novice, or veteran griller, be sure to check out my Top 10 Best Grilling Tips for some secrets of success that are certain to take your grilled foods to a whole new level of excellence!
Remember your “mise en place” – preparing the barbecue glaze and precutting all the ingredients in advance, makes putting these kebobs together a snap! If using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in warm water while you’re preparing the rest of the ingredients. That way, everything is ready for you to begin the kebob-making process.
If you have children, get them involved (with careful supervision, of course) – kids love to thread ingredients onto skewers. And it’s a great tactic for getting those picky eaters to try something new, since kids are more likely to try a food that they’ve helped to make! This is just one of many reasons why getting your Kids in the Kitchen is such a blessing!
When you’re ready to eat, simply fire-up the grill and get ready for an amazingly sweet-n-spicy way to celebrate summer with your family and friends!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup organic all-fruit apricot preserves
- 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp coconut aminos (or organic soy sauce)
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (use more if you like it extra spicy!)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1.25 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 1 fresh pineapple, cubed
- 1 large red pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 bunch of scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the Sweet & Spicy Glaze ingredients – apricot preserves, garlic, olive oil, coconut aminos (or soy sauce), dry mustard, cayenne pepper and salt. (The sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to a week, or kept in freezer for up to a month – defrost in frig overnight when ready to use.)
- Cut kebob ingredients into cubes/pieces that can be easily thread onto a skewer. Be sure to keep the chicken chunks to about 2x2-inches in size, so they’ll cook evenly along with the veggies. Speaking of which, feel free to add additional veggies as well – organic zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, red onion are all great options! (Also note, you can make the kebobs in advance and keep them refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
- When ready to eat, preheat grill to medium heat making sure grill is thoroughly preheated before you begin grilling. Cook kebobs uncovered over medium heat about 2-3 minutes. Then carefully turn the kebobs over and generously brush the upturned side with the Sweet & Spicy Glaze.
- Continue cooking the kebobs for about another 2 minutes. Then turn them over again, generously brushing the upturned side with glaze. Cook about one minute more, and turn the kebobs a final time and brush with the remaining glaze. Turn off the grill and cover for about a minute to allow the glaze to set and chicken to finish cooking through. Serve with a side of baja-style cilantro rice and grilled plantains.
- Please note: Since grill temperatures can vary dramatically, be sure to keep a close eye on your kebobs. If the chicken or veggies start to get too dark before they’re cooked through, turn down the heat to low and move the kebobs to a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking. Or turn off the grill and cover the kebobs, until chicken is cooked through.
Okay, lady!! This recipe quickly made it to the top of my family’s “Faves” list 🙂 It is rare when all five of us can give two thumbs up, and this definitely got some rave reviews!!!! Such an amazing sauce for the blend of chicken and veggies. Combined with the baja style rice, there wasn’t much left to speak of at clean up time 🙂 Thanks for a 5 star meal!!!
Cassie, I may have you write some reviews for a future book – you are awesome! Thank you so much for your kind words. What a joy to know that you’re family is enjoying this and other recipes here. Appreciate you taking the time to write! Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
Does anyone know where the recipe for Basmati Rice is at? I am having a hard time finding it! Please advise! Thank you so much!!!
Hi, Blair. There isn’t a recipe for this. I simply make plain basmati rice, using a 2-1 ratio of water and rice, and serve it with the kebobs. Here’s the brand of Basmati rice I use: http://www.lundberg.com/products/rice/packaged_rice/Basmati_Organic_White.aspx although there are other brands available. It’s a fairly popular type of rice available at most markets. Hope this helps. Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Thank you for the response! Which rice or other recipe did you use the saffron threads in? I thought it was the Basmati Rice, but it looks like I’m mistaken. Thank you!
Hi, Blair. You’re very welcome. The Saffron Rice is in my Sides category – here’s the link: http://thenourishinghome.com/2012/03/easy-saffron-rice-with-peas-if-you-please/ and I also have a Cilantro Rice recipe that’s quite delicious too: http://thenourishinghome.com/2013/06/baja-style-cilantro-rice/
Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
Thank you! Have a great Labor Day weekend. Thank you for making this website!
My pleasure to help! Thank YOU for your kind comments!
Hey,
I have so enjoyed your website! I love it when I find someone who likes the same kinds of tastes and textures I do:) I did have a couple questions, though. Do you have any suggestions for using an oven/broiler for your chicken kabobs? Also, I don’t usually have buttermilk, but I do have greek 2% yogurt on hand – how do I substitute that for buttermilk in your biscuit recipe?
Thanks!
Sylvia
Hi, Sylvia. So glad you’re enjoying the site. Yes, with all this snow in some regions, I was rethinking this week’s meal plan (just went out to subscribers this morning) and didn’t include any grilling recipes for that reason this time – LOL! But to answer your question, You can use the oven to make these. Just be sure to keep a close eye on them. I haven’t baked/broiled them, but in general these tips should help: http://www.livestrong.com/article/432793-how-to-cook-kabobs-in-a-conventional-oven/
I personally would cook them a little less time at bake and then during the last 5 or so minutes, I’d turn on the broiler to give them a crispness to better replicate grilling.
As far as the biscuit recipe, yes, you can use yogurt, the texture will be moister, but should still be delicious! Blessings, Kelly
The glaze on the kebabs was incredibly delicious! I made these today on the 4th of July and it was loved by everyone! Also made the BLT salad, which was fabulous! Thanks for such delicious and healthy recipes!
You are SO welcome, Anne! Thank you for taking the time to leave a kind note! So glad you all had a delicious July 4th! 🙂