Kecap Manis Grilled Chicken & Fresh Pineapple Kabobs

One of the best kept secrets ................
............ EVER! Kecap manis.

Kecap manis?................ what in the world!? No, no, it's not some newly diagnosed psychological disorder, I promise! But I truly believe it is one of the best kept secrets out there.

Kecap Manis is an Indonesian soy sauce, totally unique from what we Westerners think of as soy sauce; it's salty-sweet, caramely and syrupy with hints of garlic and spice. .......... I use it often as a marinade, glaze, dipping sauce or gourmet drizzle. No one knows, (except you, now!) that it comes straight from a bottle with perhaps just a squeeze of fresh lime juice,  a splash of olive or sesame oil, maybe a drizzle of Sriracha or a spoonful of orange marmalade. Guests beg for "just a bit more" of the sauce and my husband sometimes describes it as "candy".

You'll most likely have to visit an Asian or Oriental store to find the stuff and considering the maze of soy sauces you'll find there (sometimes a whole aisle!), you might have to ask the clerk to help you find it. (Write the name down right now, on a slip of paper - when you're out and you spot an Asian market, SLAM on the brakes, run on in and pick up a bottle of this magical elixir! (If you live in a area with no Asian markets nearby, you can also find keycap manis online.) You'll be so happy with yourself and so will your family/friends when you grill up these fabulous Kecap Manis Grilled Chicken & Fresh Pineapple Kabobs.

P.S. Shhhhhh, let's just keep this a little secret between you and me. Everyone will think we're culinary geniuses after taking one bite of these delicious kabobs! :)

Kecap Manis Grilled Chicken and Fresh Pineapple Kabobs

Ingredients:
8 9-inch wooden skewers
½ cup kecap manis
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 cups 1-inch pieces fresh pineapple

Directions:
1. Add about a cup of water to a gallon size zip lock bag. Place wooden skewers in bag to soak for at least 1 hour before grilling. This will prevent skewers from charring on the grill.

2. In a medium saucepan whisk together the kecap manis, marmalade and olive oil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add fresh lime juice and allow to cool slightly while preparing chicken.

3. Combine lemon pepper and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat chicken with the oil mixture. 

4. Prepare a medium fire in a grill or heat a gas grill to medium high.

5. Thread the chicken and pineapple pieces onto alternately skewers and discard the excess marinade. Lightly oil the grill grates. Place the kabobs on the grill, cover, and cook until the chicken is almost done, about 4 minutes per side. Brush liberally with kecap manis mixture and contintue to grill a few more minutes or until sauce begins to caramelize a bit. Watch carefully at this point as the sweet sauce can burn quite quickly. Transfer to a warmed platter and serve immediately. I like to serve this delicious chicken with steamed jasmine rice and grilled peppers and onions.

PRINTABLE RECIPE