Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

Deer season opener. I was in the stand before dawn in West Feliciana Parish, and the woods were cold — forty degrees, frost on the leaves, my breath visible in the headlamp light. I love opening morning the way some people love Christmas morning: the anticipation, the stillness, the feeling that the world has paused and is waiting for you to decide what happens next.

This year, the decision was easy. A mature eight-point buck stepped into the food plot at 7:15 AM, broadside, eighty yards. I had the shot. I took it. Clean, quick, the way Joey taught me. One shot. The deer dropped. I sat in the stand for five minutes afterward, the way I always do, because hunting requires a moment after the taking — a moment of gratitude, a moment of reckoning with the fact that you've ended something so that other things can continue. Joey called it "sitting with it." I sat with it.

Processed the deer at home — butchered it in the garage, which Danielle allows but does not endorse, and which requires a thorough cleaning afterward that borders on crime scene remediation. Ground meat for chili and burgers. Backstrap for the grill. Hindquarter roasts for the slow cooker. And sausage — venison sausage, mixed with pork fat and Cajun seasoning, stuffed into casings and ready for the smoker. I'll get a year's worth of meals from this deer. That's the deal. You take one life and you use every part of it and you don't waste a thing, because waste is the only sin in this arrangement.

Grilled the backstrap Saturday night. Venison backstrap is the filet mignon of the deer world — tender, lean, with a flavor that's deeper and wilder than beef. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic, seared on the pit over high heat, two minutes per side, rested for five. Sliced thin, served with rice and gravy and sautéed mushrooms. Danielle, who was skeptical of venison when we first married (she's a Lafayette girl, and Lafayette girls eat fish, not deer), has come around completely. "Better than beef," she said. Twelve years of marriage and she's finally right about meat.

The backstrap is long gone — two sittings, and Danielle and I didn’t leave a slice — but the pit is still hot and I’m not ready to stop cooking. Grilling over an open fire after a successful hunt does something to you; it keeps that provider feeling alive a little longer, that satisfaction of feeding the people you love from something you worked for. When the venison runs out mid-season and I still need something worth putting on a stick over high heat, I come back to these Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs — sweet pineapple, savory chicken, the same two-minute sear that works on backstrap works here, and the result is something the whole table attacks without hesitation. Joey would approve.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes (plus 30 minutes marinating) | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks (about 1-inch pieces)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons pineapple juice (reserved from fresh pineapple or canned)
2 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper to taste
Metal or soaked wooden skewers

Instructions

Make the marinade. Whisk together the soy sauce, pineapple juice, honey, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a bowl until combined.
Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken cubes to a zip-top bag or shallow dish and pour half the marinade over them. Reserve the other half for basting. Seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 4 hours.
Preheat the grill. Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (around 400–425°F). Lightly oil the grates.
Thread the skewers. Remove chicken from marinade and discard used marinade. Thread chicken, pineapple, bell peppers, and onion alternately onto skewers, leaving a small gap between pieces for even cooking.
Season and grill. Brush the assembled kabobs lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the hot grill and cook for 12–15 minutes total, turning every 3–4 minutes and brushing with reserved marinade, until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 165°F) and edges are lightly charred.
Rest and serve. Remove kabobs from the grill and let rest for 3 minutes. Serve over steamed white rice or alongside a simple green salad.

Nutrition (per serving)

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs — When the Backstrap’s Gone and the Grill’s Still Hot