Pineapple Coconut Hawaiian Chicken Skewers

I’m sharing this today in defiance of winter. Yesterday it was 26C/79F and I spent my lunch hour at the beach. Seriously. We’re 6 days away from winter! It is actually warmer here in Sydney than it was in LA – where it’s 6 days away from summer. And so while I’m usually bundled up in my ugg boots and wooly scarves making lasagna, I’m still in thongs and shorts, grilling outdoors. Specifically, grilling these Pineapple Coconut Hawaiian Chicken Skewers. 🙂

The star of this recipe is the marinade which is made with coconut milk and pineapple juice along with other flavours that are used in the marinade for chicken that you get from roadside-stalls in Hawaii. The marinade base is actually quite similar to the Hawaiian chicken marinade, except for the addition of coconut milk. Coconut milk is brilliant for marinades. I first discovered it in a Bobby Flay recipe (this Coconut Marinated Grilled Chicken is based on his recipe) and now I’m a bit obsessed. It adds coconut flavour (mild, not overpowering), a touch of sweet (coconut milk is sweet) AND it adds richness too, from the fat in the coconut milk. I like to use the juice from canned pineapple pieces for this recipe, because I like searing the pineapple and using them as a garnish. But you can can use plain pineapple juice if you prefer.

I served this with a Coconut Lime Rice. I know, I know, it’s coconut on coconut, but neither are heavy with coconut flavours and the rice is freshened up with lime so it’s not one dimensional. Plus, I find it efficient because the rice recipe + this marinade = 1 can of coconut milk. I find it a bother using half a can of coconut milk and having to think about / remember to use the rest! Not that it’s hard to use up a bit of leftover coconut milk. It’s just the remembering part. 🙂 (PS Coconut milk also freezes well.)

I skewered these but I use this Hawaiian marinade for any cut of chicken, from drumsticks to breast (brilliant for chicken breast because the coconut milk adds richness to the lean meat), thigh fillets to thigh cutlets. So – who’s ready to head off to a tropical island with these Pineapple Coconut Hawaiian Chicken Skewers? Close your eyes, take a bite and I bet you have to resist the urge to start doing the hula dance! 😉 – Nagi x PS And I’ll be right there along side you, doing my ridiculous version of a hula dance. Even though dancing is not my forte…..as my friends will attest to! Baby Hands and two left feet. #LifeIsHard

Chicken on sticks is always a good thing!

Honey Sriracha Chicken Skewers Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce Satay Chicken with Peanut Sauce (Indonesian/Bali) Chicken Souvlaki (Greek) Yakitori (Japanese skewers) – on my mother’s Japanese cooking website, RecipeTin Japan!