The next time you have the grill fired up to make something like Grilled Marinated Chicken Breasts or Grilled Turkey Tenderloin with Berry Chipotle Sauce, throw on some pineapple kebabs as well. You can eat them as a side, as dessert, or for breakfast the next day. Grilled pineapple makes a great afternoon snack too.
The tangy sauce is a snap to make – just zest and squeeze a lemon, then mix with vanilla yogurt. I added a little bit of toasted coconut on top too. I caught the CompostMaster spooning some sauce over strawberries and blueberries for a midnight snack because he liked it so much. This was after he’d already had it with the pineapple for dessert, of course.
If you don’t grill much, but you have an indoor grill pan, cook the kebabs that way. Just make sure your skewers are short enough to fit in the pan. (Not that I have experience with too-long skewers or anything.) You could also simply stir-fry the pineapple.
Did I mention how much kids love these kebabs? Serve them at your next outdoor family gathering.
Grilled Pineapple Kebabs with Lemon Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
DIPPING SAUCE
- 6 ounces vanilla yogurt
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- toasted coconut chips (optional)
KEBABS
- 6 wooden skewers
- 1 fresh pineapple cored, peeled, and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 pound)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
MAKE SAUCE
- Combine yogurt, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Mix well.
- Cover and refrigerate while you grill the pineapple.
GRILL KEBABS
- Submerge skewers in water and let soak for at least 15 minutes. (I like to put them in a rectangular glass baking dish, then put a smaller rectangular dish on top to keep them from floating.)
- Place 4 to 5 pineapple chunks on each skewer. Brush kebabs with olive oil.
- Spray cold grill grate with nonstick cooking spray or brush with additional oil.
- Grill skewers, turning occasionally, until you start to see grill marks and the pineapple softens, anywhere from 7 to 15 minutes. (Your timing will vary depending on how hot your grill is and how big your pineapple chunks are.) We like to wear heavy leather work gloves and turn the skewers by grabbing the ends with our hands, but you can use a spatula.
SERVE
- Sprinkle toasted coconut (if desired) on top of yogurt sauce.
- Serve skewers with sauce.
Hello Shelby, You hit the nail right on the head. Diabetes is ALL about counting your carbs. And again you are right. If I had a lot of carbs @ Breakfast or Lunch, you could not have this. It’s all about pre-planning….
Thanks, Patricia. Planning is hard to do sometimes, but is so important!
How is this diabetic friendly with 11g of sugar?
Hi Paula – Thanks for your question. To me, it’s all about watching the total amount of carbs I consume. One serving of this pineapple has 14g carb, which is under the recommended 15 to 20g the American Diabetes Association says is okay for a snack. If I was eating other carbs at a meal, I wouldn’t eat this at the same time. But if I was eating some lean protein and a big salad, for example, I might have some of this pineapple for dessert. If your health care team has advised you differently, by all means listen to them! Everyone needs to manage their diabetes in a way that works for them.