These Hawaiian-inspired Pineapple Pork Kebabs are a great addition to any BBQ or summer gathering! Filled with sweet pineapple and savory veggies, it’s a perfect balance of flavors and nutrition!
It’s Recipe ReDux time! I love participating in The Recipe ReDux every month. It pushes me to come up think outside of the recipe box and come up with a fun and delicious, yet healthy recipe each month. I also get to see what other dietitian and healthy living bloggers cook up from the same challenge prompt. This month’s theme just might get you packing your bags, as it has to do with travelling:
“Start unpacking your favorite vacation memories. Think about a trip you took state-side or internationally and create a healthy recipe from an unforgettable meal you enjoyed. Or, create a recipe from a native ingredient you saw or tasted on your travels.”
I had a hard time coming up with a recipe for this month. I have only ever traveled within the U.S. so most of the food I have eaten while traveling resembles something I might eat at home. So I decided to pick one of my favorite vacations and find a food or ingredient that would represent that area. Four years ago my family and I flew to Hawaii. It was filled with fun, lots of sight seeing and of course, good food!
Two things in particular came to mind when I thought about the food I ate in Hawaii: Luau and the Dole Pineapple Plantation. We attended the Ali’i Luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center. If you have never been, you are missing out! The main food feature is the imu (pork baked in an underground oven) – and it is SO yummy!
Removing the pork from the underground oven!
And of course we can’t forget about the pineapple! The signature treat at the Dole Pineapple Plantation is the Dole Whip. Straight from the plantation pineapples themselves comes a sweet, creamy pineapple ice cream. You can’t visit the plantation without getting a Dole Whip.
Fields and fields of pineapples!
I almost considered trying to recreate a healthier Dole Whip, but then decided I didn’t want to mess with a classic. Instead, I decided to combine two of these classic Hawaiian ingredients for a little bit of sweet and a little bit of savory.
These Pineapple Pork Kebabs are easy to assemble. The pork is marinaded overnight in a sweet teriyaki marinade (I tweaked the glaze in my Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs to make a marinade instead). The next day, chop up your veggies and stack each piece, one by one, onto your skewers. Heat up the grill, toss those gorgeous stacks on and cook ’em up! Next step: eat and enjoy (my favorite part!). You could serve the kebabs over some brown rice if you want – or just eat them as is (that’s what we did). Either way, you’re sure to have a healthy and delicious Hawaiian-inspired meal on your dinner (or picnic) table!
Now sit back and relax as you eat your Hawaiian-inspired Pineapple Pork Kebabs as you imagine yourself sitting on the beach watching the sun set in Hawaii… it’s almost like the real thing, right?
Pineapple Pork Kebabs
- Prep Time: 8 hours 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 Kebabs 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Hawaiian-inspired Pineapple Pork Kebabs are a great addition to any BBQ or summer gathering! Filled with sweet pineapple and savory veggies, it’s a perfect balance of flavors and nutrition!
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup lite soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 lb pork loin
- 1 pineapple
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1/2 red onion
- 8–10 skewers
Instructions
- For the marinade, in a medium bowl whisk together the water, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. Set aside.
- Cut the pork into about 1/2 to 1-inch size cubes. Place in the marinade and cover. (Alternatively, you can pour the marinade and pork in a large gallon-size baggie and seal.) Place in the refrigerator overnight or up to 48 hours.
- Cut the top and bottom off the pineapple. Cut the outer layer of the pinepple off. Slice in half and remove the core. Chop into 1/2 inch cubes. Wash and chop the remaining veggies (belle peppers and onion) into 1/2 inch slices.
- Remove the marinade and pork from the fridge. Assemble the pineapple, pork and veggies on the skewers, one at a time. It doesn’t matter in which order you put them on, any order will work. Spoon a little bit of the marinade over each of the kebabs. Discard the remaining marinade.
- Turn the grill on to low-medium heat. Place the kebabs on the grill and allow to cook for about 5-10 minutes. Turn over and cook an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the pork is cooked all the way through and the pineapple has just begun to caramelize. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Be sure to check out all the other vacation-inspired recipes below!
- Lunch Ideas for Busy Moms - July 10, 2024
- Why Sharing Mealtime Responsibility with Your Kids is a Game-Changer - June 20, 2024
- 10 Best Bedtime Snacks for Kids - June 5, 2024
