The Fourth of July is just a few days away! If you’re hosting a backyard BBQ or have been invited to one, win over everyone’s taste buds with some yummy fruit kabobs! These are easy and quick to make, not to mention, they smell amazing on the grill! These fruit kabobs are super versatile—you can choose any fruit of your liking or even opt for a veggie kebab!

For my fruit kebabs, I went with mangoes, pineapples, kiwis, and strawberries. Below are two different “glaze” recipes: a vanilla honey glaze with cinnamon and a chili lime glaze. The nice thing about the chili lime is that when paired with the fruit, it offers that perfect sweet and savory combination. However, you can also brush it on a veggie kebab to add a little extra flavor.

You’ll need skewers, of course! I used wooden skewers and soaked them in water for about 20 minutes before putting on the fruit. As for the fruit, you can buy precut or whole. For the mango and pineapple, I bought precut (only because the fruit isn’t always ready and ripe right away)! The strawberries and kiwis I purchased whole and cut them into quarters. For six skewers, I went through 4 whole kiwis and about five strawberries. The mangoes came in a 9-ounce package which was more than enough for my 6 skewers. The pineapple came in a 2-pound package so you’ll have plenty extra to snack on!

Grilled Fruit Kebabs

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Makes: about 6-8 kebabs (per glaze)- and per fruit as below

Ingredients:

For the vanilla honey glaze with cinnamon:

• 2 TB Honey
• ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
• ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon

For the chili lime glaze:

• ~ 2 TB Lime Juice (1 lime)
• ¼ – ½ tsp Chili powder (depending on preference)
• Pinch of salt

For the fruit:

• 12 strawberries, tops removed and halved
• 2 kiwis, peeled and cubed
• ¾ cup sliced pineapple
• 1 cup sliced mango

Directions:

1. Prepare the vanilla honey graze by combinig all three ingredients in a bowl and stir together- then set aside
2. Prepare the chili lime glaze by juicing the lime into a bowl then stir in the chili powder and salt- set aside.
3. Once the glazes are made preheat the grill to a medium heat.
4. While the grill is heating up, prepare the fruit and thread onto the wooden skewers.
5. Once the grill is hot, place the kebabs on grill and cook each side for about three minutes. This may vary. You want to see some nice grill marks but don’t keep the fruit on so long that you burn it.
6. Once you’ve grilled all sides, remove kebabs from grill and place on a platter.
7. Drizzle the glazes (of your choice) over the kebabs – or brush over the fruit If you prefer.
8. Enjoy!

About the author!

Title: Contributing Writer & Nutrition Intern

Meghan Skeehan is a Contributing Writer & Nutrition Intern here at ISN. Meghan is an aspiring Registered Dietitian. She is a graduate student studying for her MPH-Nutrition through the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is also a dietetic intern with Virginia State University’s DI program. Meghan enjoys many aspects of the health and fitness field. For fun, she likes to go rock climbing and hiking (really, she just enjoys being outside), watch movies, and bake. We’re so lucky to have her on our team!