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Chicken and pineapple skewers

Salty, sweet and tangy with a little heat. That’s how chicken tastes when you combine fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, onion, chilies, ginger and garlic. Add the sweetness of peppers and pineapple, and the smokiness of the grill, and it's just superb.
Chicken and pineapple skewers
Chicken / duck / turkey recipe by Connie Veneracion | Last updated: 08.19.2025
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 10 minutes mins
Marinating 30 minutes mins
Total: 55 minutes mins
Servings: 4 people
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: Asian
Label: Chicken fillet, Chicken skewer
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Connie’s notes

The EXIF data of the photos say 2017-03-28. The beginning of the dry and hot season on a year when our first kaffir lime tree was generously providing us with fruits and leaves. I can understand why both the fruit juice and the leaves ended up in our food.
If you’re curious about kaffir lime, see how to cook with kaffir limes and leaves.
The fruit juice and leaves are used in the chicken marinade in this recipe. The ingredients list include one pair of kaffir lime leaves and how it should be prepped.
Pulling off the rib of kaffir lime leaf
Kaffir lime leaves come in pairs. The rib which is more fibrous (almost woody, in fact) is pulled off and discarded and the leaves are either left whole or cut into small pieces depending on the recipe.
How many skewers the recipe will yield depends on how long or short your skewers are and how many pieces of chicken you thread per skewer.
Important tip: once the skewers are on the grill, resist the urge to keep moving them around.

Ingredients

  • 400 to 450 grams chicken thigh fillets about one pound, with or without skin
  • ¼ cup fish sauce
  • ¼ cup lime juice you may substitute lemon juice or calamansi juice
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 bird’s eye chilies finely sliced
  • 1 one-inch knob ginger peeled and grated
  • 4 cloves garlic grated
  • 1 pair kaffir lime leaves rib discarded, and leafy sides thinly sliced
  • 1 large red onion
  • 2 bell peppers
  • 1 to 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
  • 10 to 15 bamboo skewers

Instructions

  • Pat the chicken fillets dry with paper towels. Cut into bite-size cubes. Place in a bowl.
  • Soak the bamboo skewers in water to prevent them from catching fire on the grill.
  • Make the marinade. In a small jar, pour in the fish sauce and lime juice. Add the sugar, chilies, ginger, garlic and kaffir lime leaves. Cover the jar tightly and shake until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Pour the marinade over the chicken. Mix well. Cover the bowl and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, peel the onion and cut into eighths. Pull apart to separate the layers.
  • Deseed the bell peppers and cut into pieces the same size as the onion.
  • Drain the bamboo skewers. Thread the marinated chicken alternately with pineapple chunks, bell peppers and onion.
  • Grill the spicy chicken pineapple skewers at least six inches from the heat. Use the leftover marinade to brush the meat and vegetables during grilling.
  • Grill for four to five minutes per side and baste occasionally. Again, don’t keep turning them so they can cook properly.
  • Serve the chili lime chicken pineapple skewers by themselves as an appetizer or snack, or enjoy as a main dish with rice on the side.
    Chicken and pineapple skewers
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About Connie Veneracion

Home cook and writer by passion, photographer by necessity, and good food, coffee and wine lover forever. I create, test and publish recipes for family meals, and write cooking tips and food stories. More about me and my umami blogs.

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