Chipotle-Pineapple Chicken Kabobs with Smokey Date Sauce & Cilantro-Lime Rice #HotSummerEats

These kabobs pack a lot of flavor all in on dish with chipotle, pineapple, peppers, onion, chicken, and dates. Served over cilantro-lime rice. 

Welcome to day two of #HotSummerEats, featuring recipes from 18 bloggers that are perfect for summer cookouts, bonfires, ice cream socials, and cocktail hours. Not only will you find over a hundred summery recipe posts, but you can enter to win our awesome giveaway, courtesy of some amazingly generous donations from sponsoring companies. Use the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this post to enter and for more details CLICK HERE.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of grilling? For me it is kabobs. I love how simple it is to prepare by just marinading some meat and chopping up some veggies. And my favorite part is the assembly because they just look so pretty all put together! Kabobs: making meat photogenic since who-knows-when. Seriously though, I’m sure my fellow food bloggers can attest to the trials of photographing meat without some sort of sauce or topping to jazz it up and redirect your attention.

In addition to the usual suspects, these particular kabobs have an extra element added to them – pineapple. How glorious is grilled pineapple? All that caramelization combined with the chipotle marinade and the smokey date sauce means these kabobs cannot be beat. And then I went ahead and served them over a bed of cilantro-lime rice. Because I’m addicted to the Casabella juicer and needed a just as easy side to pair with these kabobs.

One year ago: Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Ice Cream

Two years ago: Simple Chicken & Sweet Pepper Stir Fry

Three years ago: Strawberries and Cream Pie

Four years ago: Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie

CHIPOTLE-PINEAPPLE CHICKEN KABOBS WITH SMOKEY DATE SAUCE & CILANTRO-LIME RICE

Serves 4

Ingredients:

KABOBS

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 24 chunks

1 (8 oz.) bag of mini bell peppers (about 12) cut in half lengthwise

1 red onion, cut into 24 chunks

1 fresh cored pineapple, sliced and cut into 24 chunks (juice reserved)

1/2 cup Not Ketchup smokey date sauce, plus more for serving

MARINADE

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup T.Lish chipotle vinaigrette

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp honey

CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 cup rice

1-1/2 cups water

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp Gourmet Garden cilantro paste

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the pineapple juice, dressing, soy sauce, and honey. Place the chicken chunks in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 4-8 hours.
2. Thread the ingredients onto 8 bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes prior), alternating items, putting 3 pieces of each onto each kabob. Set aside.
3. In a medium pot, stir together the rice and water. Cook according to package directions. Once cooked, stir in lime juice and cilantro.
4. Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grill grates and then place the kabobs on the grill. Cook over medium-high heat, turning and brushing with the date sauce often, for 12-15 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked.
5. Divide rice onto four plates and top with two skewers each. Serve with additional date sauce.

Source: Inspired by The Gunny Sack.

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Disclaimer – Thank you to #HotSummerEats sponsors BenBella Vegan, Caribeque, Casabella, Gourmet Garden, Intensity Academy, Not Ketchup, Out of the Weeds. Pirate Jonny’s, Quirk Books, Spicely Organics, T.Lish , and Voodoo Cheffor providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for#HotSummerEats without additional compensation.All opinions are my own.

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