Pinoy Chicken BBQ Skewers
Recipe Guy
Filipino | Grilling | Weeknight Dinner
Banana ketchup, pineapple juice, and brown sugar give these chicken skewers a sweet glaze, with soy sauce and cane vinegar keeping it savory and tart. Even thigh pieces and a late brush of clean marinade help control the browning.
About This Recipe
Boneless chicken thighs are cut before marinating, so each piece meets the garlic, paprika, and seasoned liquid. Keep the pieces reasonably uniform, and thread them with a little room between them rather than compressing the entire skewer into a solid block.
The basting portion needs to be reserved before the chicken enters the marinade. It goes on during the final two minutes, giving the sweet glaze less time over the heat. Optional annatto oil belongs with that finish, not as a replacement for the marinade.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken cut
Bone-in dark meat stays juicy on the grill. Boneless thighs work for skewers and cook faster.
Acid
Cane vinegar supplies the acid here alongside pineapple juice. Calamansi is an optional table accompaniment, not part of this skewer marinade.
Sugar
The measured brown sugar and banana ketchup help the surface brown. Keep the heat moderate and apply the reserved baste late so the sugar does not scorch.
Cooking Notes
- Set aside the clean basting portion in its own container before adding raw chicken. Labeling or separating it immediately prevents confusion when the grill is already hot.
- Thread broad faces of chicken toward the heat rather than folding pieces into tight bundles. Turn the skewers regularly so the sugary coating colors without one side taking all the heat.
Pinoy Chicken BBQ Skewers Recipe
Sweet-savory Filipino chicken barbecue skewers glazed with banana ketchup, soy sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, and brown sugar.
Shopping List
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
- bamboo skewers
- banana ketchup
- soy sauce
- pineapple juice
- brown sugar
- cane vinegar
- garlic
- neutral oil
- paprika
- black pepper
- annatto oil, optional
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into skewer pieces
- Bamboo skewers, soaked 30 minutes
Marinade
- 1/3 cup banana ketchup
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cane vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Basting
- 1/4 cup clean marinade reserved from the above mixture before adding chicken
- 1 tablespoon annatto oil, optional
Instructions
- Cut chicken into even pieces and place in a container.
- Whisk the marinade ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Set aside 1/4 cup in a clean covered container and refrigerate it for basting before pouring the remainder over the raw chicken.
- Marinate the chicken for 6 to 24 hours in the refrigerator at 40 F or below.
- Thread chicken onto soaked skewers without packing pieces too tightly.
- Grill over medium heat, turning every few minutes.
- Brush with the reserved clean marinade during the last 2 minutes only, using a clean brush. If using annatto oil, stir its listed tablespoon into this basting portion. Discard the raw-contact marinade and any baste remaining after brushing.
- Cook until the thickest chicken pieces reach at least 165 F, checking without touching the skewer. The 12-to-16-minute grill estimate is a guide, not a substitute for the thermometer.
- Rest briefly before serving.
Nutrition Estimate
Approximate values per skewer based on the listed ingredients and yield. Actual nutrition will vary by brand, exact portion size, and cooking changes. Includes all measured marinade; discarded marinade lowers actual intake. Optional annatto oil is excluded.
Tips For The Best Pinoy Chicken BBQ Skewers
- Pat the chicken dry: Dry surfaces brown better and pick up cleaner grill marks.
- Marinate cold: Keep the chicken refrigerated while it absorbs salt, acid, and aromatics.
- Use two zones: Sear over direct heat, then finish over indirect heat if the pieces are thick.
- Rest before serving: Five minutes of resting keeps juices in the meat.
How To Serve And Store
Serve with garlic rice, sliced tomatoes, cucumber, sawsawan, and extra calamansi. Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days.
Common Questions
Can I bake this instead?
Yes. Bake on a rack at 400 F until cooked through, then broil briefly for color.
Can I use bottled calamansi juice?
Calamansi can be served alongside, but it is not in this recipe's marinade. Keep the measured pineapple juice and cane vinegar for the skewer formula.
How do I know chicken is done?
Use a thermometer: 165 F for breast meat and 175 F for dark meat if you like it more tender.
Can I marinate overnight?
Yes. Use this recipe's 6-to-24-hour refrigerated range; it contains pineapple juice and cane vinegar, not the citrus marinade used in other grilled-chicken recipes.
How do I know the chicken is done beneath the glaze?
Check the center of the thickest chicken piece with a thermometer for at least 165 F. Darkened edges are a surface cue only, especially with banana ketchup and brown sugar in the marinade.
Why wait until the last two minutes to baste?
The glaze contains several sweet ingredients and can darken quickly over the grill. A late, light coating lets the chicken cook first, then gives the surface a glossy finish without repeated early glazing.
Technique and food-safety references: fsis.usda.gov; ask.fsis.usda.gov.
