With one bite of these sweet and savory Tropical Meatball Skewers, you’ll be ready for summer! Made with Pure Flavor® Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers, they’re colorful, nutritious and a perfect light lunch or dinner!
Are you tired of the same old BBQ dishes? If you're looking to add some excitement and island flavors to your outdoor cooking, I have just the recipe for you: Tropical Meatball Skewers. The delightful combination of thick and juicy chicken meatballs and sweet, tangy pineapple will transport your taste buds to a tropical paradise.
Accented with super yummy and beautiful Pure Flavor® Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers, tropical meatball skewers are a perfect meal for spring and summer entertaining! Mini sweet peppers are high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, are low in calories, and a great option for snacking and incorporating into your favorite dishes!
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These quick meatball skewers can be cooked on an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan. They're a great assemble early and prep later meal and one your outdoor guests will love. The brown sugar pineapple glaze basted on top is the icing on the cake!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Recipe Card Below
- Ground Chicken
- Butter Crackers
- Egg
- Soy Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Seasonings: Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Ground Ginger, Black Pepper
- Pure Flavor® Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers
- Fresh Pineapple
- Brown Sugar or Brown Sugar Substitute
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Cornstarch
- Red Onion
Tools You’ll Need
- Wooden or Metal Skewers
- Small Saucepan
- Basting Brush
Why You’ll Like Tropical Meatball Skewers
- They're beautiful!
- They're a great assemble ahead of time and make later meal!
- They're the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors!
- They're versatile in how they can be served!
How to Make Tropical Meatball Skewers
- In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, soy sauce, sesame oil, and spices. Mix well.
- Scoop and roll the mixture into 2-inch meatballs, then lay on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Freeze the meatballs for 20-30 minutes.
- Make the meatball skewers by alternating peppers, onions, meatballs, and pineapple on wooden or metal skewers.
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together pineapple juice, brown sugar or brown sugar substitute, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low. Allow the mixture to simmer and thicken for 2-3 minutes.
- Heat a grill pan on medium-high heat or a grill to 375°F. Brush the pan or grill grates with olive oil. Gently place the prepared tropical meatball skewers on the pan or grill and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning once after 10 minutes. Ensure the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Brush half of the glaze generously over the kabobs in the last minute of cooking.
- Remove the meatball skewers from the grill and brush the remaining glaze on top. Serve as is or over rice, pasta, or your favorite whole grain.
Tips and Substitutions
- If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes before using them to prevent them from burning on the grill.
- Ground beef, chicken or turkey all work great with these easy meatball skewers.
- Freezing the meatballs after rolling and again after assembling the skewers are both very important steps. If this isn't done, the meatballs can fall apart or off the skewers easily.
- Other vegetables you can add to these skewers are squash, zucchini or mushrooms.
- The meatballs and vegetables can be prepped in advance and assembled later for easier dinner execution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freezing and thawing is not ideal for this dish as it compromises the moisture and texture.
Yes! You can substitute it one-to-one for ground ginger.
Absolutely! You can grill, bake, pan-fry or air fry the meatballs and vegetables separately then toss them together at the end of cook time with the glaze.
Yes. You can bake the meatballs at 400°F for 15-18 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Using a large ice cream-style scoop can ensure consistent meatball sizes. Packing them tightly is also important so that they bind together well. Also, ensure your cooking method heat is evenly distributed.
Use a timer to ensure you're turning the skewers properly and measure the internal temperature of the meatballs with a meat thermometer.
Use gluten-free cracker crumbs to make them gluten-free.
More Recipes Like This
- Apple Berry Salsa and Chips
- Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken
- Mini Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers
- Grilled Veggie Kabobs
Tropical Meatball Skewers
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- ¾ cup crushed butter crackers
- 1 egg
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Glaze
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup brown sugar or brown sugar substitute
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Kabobs
- 8-12 Pure Flavor® Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers
- 1 small red onion cut into large petals
- ½ fresh pineapple cut into 1-inch chunks
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, soy sauce, sesame oil and spices. Mix well. Scoop and roll the mixture into 2-inch meatballs, then lay on a parchment paper linked sheet pan. Freeze the meatballs for 20-30 minutes. Make the kabobs by alternating peppers, onions, meatballs and pineapple on wooden or metal skewers.
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together pineapple juice, brown sugar or brown sugar substitute, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low. Allow the mixture to simmer and thicken for 2-3 minutes.
- Heat a grill pan on medium-high heat or a grill to 375°F. Brush the pan or grill grates with olive oil. Gently place the prepared skewers on the pan or grill and cook 15-20 minutes, turning once after 10 minutes. Ensure the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Brush half of the glaze generously over the kabobs in the last minute of cooking. Remove the skewers from the grill and brush the remaining glaze on top. Serve as is or over rice, pasta or your favorite whole grain.
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