Name: Teriyaki Chicken Kebabs with Grilled Bok Choy
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 4 heads baby bok choy (4 ounces each), halved; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; Salt and pepper; 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces; 1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces; 1/2 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce; 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Why This Recipe Works

Threading the kebabs in a repeating pattern of chicken, pineapple, and onion ensures that everything cooks at roughly the same rate and that every bite delivers a mix of flavors and textures. Microwaving the bok choy briefly before grilling gives it a head start so its thick ribs become tender by the time it picks up char on the grill. Brushing the teriyaki sauce onto the kebabs only during the final minutes of cooking is the key move here—applied too early, the sugar-rich sauce burns before the chicken is cooked through. A second coat of sauce added after the kebabs come off the grill builds a glossy, sticky finish.

Before You Begin

You will need eight 12-inch metal skewers for this recipe. Serve with rice.

Instructions

Toss bok choy, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Cover and microwave until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.

Thread 1 chicken piece, then 1 pineapple piece, then 1 onion piece onto each of eight 12-inch metal skewers. Repeat pattern 2 more times on each skewer. Season all over with salt and pepper.

Grill bok choy and kebabs over hot fire until bok choy is char-streaked and tender and chicken registers 160 degrees, about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Brush 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce onto kebabs and continue to cook until lightly charred, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer kebabs and bok choy to platter, brush chicken with remaining 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve.