Brandy & Honey Glazed Pork Kebabs | Grilling Favorites

super easy

Honey glazed pork kebabs made with pork loin roast marinated in coconut oil, salt, pepper, honey, and garlic powder then combined on a skewer with purple onions, red bell peppers, and Murcott Mandarin Oranges; glazed with a Brandy and honey sauce.

See those cute little wrought-iron looking skewers up there?  Those are the inspiration for the Brandy and honey glazed pork kebabs.  I purchased these on a whim (like always) awhile ago and have been dying to use them.  As I stared at my recently acquired pork loin roast for what seemed like a week; I finally decided that kebabs were happening.  Oh, and I am so glad that they did.

Jump to Recipe

There is a distinct crave-able flavor that is a result of spirit glazed protein. When we tested just a Brandy glaze on the kebab it was very tasty however it fell a bit flat. I felt it needed a bit more….mmmm, something. Sweetness? So I immediately thought “the Brandy needs brown sugar”. My standard old way of thinking.  That would have helped with the caramelization of the pork loin.  However, I have been trying to limit my sugar intake and when I do decide to use a sweetener I like to use something on the glycemic index of 55 or lower. Hello, honey. I heart you. One tablespoon at a time.

So, what is brown sugar?

I know, this may sound ridiculous but hear me out. Have you ever really stopped to ask yourself that?  Brown sugar is such a staple in most pantries, especially if you’re a chocolate chip cookie lover (who isn’t), that I’m curious to know if anyone has actually dove in and found out what exactly it is.  I have asked several people in my travels if they know and the answers are not too surprising. Some think it’s raw sugar….eh, nope. Some think it’s just a different process when making sugar…eh sorta, but nope again. I even had one person tell me it’s mixed with coconut (the husk) to make it that color.  Ummm, no. That’s not quite right either. What?

Brown sugar is granulated sugar that has had molasses added to it. That’s it. Super simple, right?  What I love about actually knowing your ingredients is what can be done to alter certain recipes. If you want that brown sugar flavor without the additional granulated sugar component….just use molasses.  Have you ever tasted molasses on its own?  Even though it tastes somewhat toffee-like, it’s a tad bit bitter and needs other ingredients to offset it.

Which if you think about it is weird.  To me anyway.  Molasses is just syrup (the “impurities”) from raw centrifuged sugar lol ahh food. It’s fascinating and frustrating sometimes. Of course, it’s a little more complicated than that ingredient-wise but I encourage you to play around with it.  Have you ever added molasses to your chocolate chip cookie recipe?  It’s quite delicious.

If you are watching your glycemic index there really isn’t a major difference between sugar in any form except for pure sucrose.  I believe sugar has a GI of 65 and sucrose is 100. Yikes! It’s bad.

I’m not a fan of modified sugar, are you?

I don’t know you guys.  I have tried it all.  All the alternative sweeteners and “natural” sweeteners; and I just can’t seem to wrap my taste buds around them.  What I do love is the natural sugars that we can purchase at the store without spending millions of hours searching the internet. Oh, and ones we can actually pronounce. Honey, maple syrup, sorghum syrup, coconut sugar…these are my jam.  Yes, I’m aware that stevia and the like are natural sweeteners but they leave an aftertaste that I just can’t get over.  Am I the only one that has the aftertaste problem?  It could just be me and if it is, that makes me sad.

Brandy.

It’s carbohydrate and sugar-free.  WOO HOO! That is all. 🙂

My apologies for the sugar tangent but I’m really trying to be aware of what is not only going into my own body but my families as well.  There really is no reason that you can’t flavor your food with natural ingredients. Besides…if we eat less hidden sugar in our food, we have more room for good carbs like bread.  Am I right? LOL I kid, I kid…but seriously. Bread.

Brandy & honey glazed pork kebabs!

Let’s get this show on the road!

I love coconut oil.  One day I will dive deep into the why and how it magically transforms animal protein. There is one caveat…eggs. I do not like coconut oil eggs and ham..I do not like them, you guys, I am.  It’s a little too sweet and that’s just not what I’m looking for from my eggs.

One nice thing about this and most of the recipes I post is that you can really use any type of protein you’d like with this.  Also, if you don’t want to buy a pork loin roast you could use thick cut boneless pork chops as they are just cut from the loin anyway. Same/same.

Don’t forget to prep your skewers…

Before starting the cooking process, if you are using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them for 30 minutes to an hour prior to cooking your honey glazed pork kebabs.  You’ll want to do this so the wood does not burn on the grill or splinter while you are sliding your ingredients onto the skewer.  You’ll see I had one splinter just a bit but this occurred during the cooking process and that is perfectly okay.  Just be sure to remove them before you disassemble the kebabs so they do not catch in your food and someone accidentally gets one in their mouth.  The wooden skewers don’t really taste all that great and they are rather painful if ingested, so be mindful of that.

Then, cube your pork loin into 1-inch cubes and place in a bowl.  If your coconut oil has solidified, melt it into a liquid with the least amount of heat possible.  The coconut oil will solidify once it hits the cold protein, as you can see in the photo below, and that’s okay.  Don’t worry about that it’s not a huge deal.  Season with kosher or sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Cover and place in the refrigerator while you prep the rest of your Brandy and honey glazed pork kebabs.

marinated pork loin with salt, pepper, garlic powder, coconut oil

For the most part, the Murcott Mandarins (a.k.a. Cuties) that I seemed to peel today, had nine individual sections.  Peel your mandarin oranges and then section into thirds.  So, if you have nine sections, pull them apart at every third one so you have three parts available for your brandy and honey glazed pork kebabs.

Next, peel your onion and divide by cutting it into eight sections, set aside.  Then, cut your red peppers into 1-inch squares.

Red bell pepper, mandarin oranges, onions ready to skewer

Begin to assemble your kebabs!

Pour 1/3 cup of Brandy into a small dish and add 1 tablespoon of honey.  Stir to combine..this is your magic sauce.

Assembled pork loin skewers with basting brush and brandy glaze

I absolutely love, love, love grilled onions. Roasted onions. Caramelized onions. Okay, so I’m an onion lover.  I made several different combinations of kebabs. The main dish with the bell peppers, mandarin oranges, red onions and pork as well as all protein kebabs and some all veggie kebabs.

Once your Brandy and honey glazed pork kebabs are assembled, glaze them with your Brandy/honey mixture and get ready to throw them on the grill.

Brandy honey glazed pork loin skewers on bbq grilling

I started with my super fancy wrought iron skewers…they are fun to maneuver on the grill, lol, that is why I started with them.  If you are using straight skewers just line them up and let the grill do its thing.

Brandy honey glazed pork loin skewers on bbq grilling

To make sure your pork loin is cooked all the way through, check with a digital thermometer. Once that reads 145º, remove from the grill and set aside to rest for about 5 minutes on your serving tray.

That’s it, you guys! We served our Brandy and honey glazed pork kebabs with super cheesy crumb(y) topped mac-n-cheese and jalapeño cheese bread.  It was fabulous and I honestly can not wait to make these again on Memorial Day.   That’s the plan anyway!

These would also go fabulously well with our Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Onion and Orecchiette Pasta Salad!

What are your plans for this Memorial Day?  I’d love to hear about them! Perhaps you’ll try these Brandy and honey glazed pork kebabs!

So, what are we waiting for?  Let’s get cooking!

xoxo

Ovenstruck the best recipes on the web

Brandy Honey Glazed Pork Kebabs | Grilling Favorites

Brandy and honey glazed pork kebabs. Pork Loin roast marinated in coconut oil, salt, pepper, honey, and garlic powder then combined on a skewer with purple onions, red bell peppers, and Murcott Mandarin Oranges; glazed with a Brandy and honey sauce.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings: 5 -6
Author: Oven Struck

Ingredients

For the Kebabs

  • 4 lbs Pork loin / chops
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon raw honey
  • 2 large red onions
  • 8-10 Mandarin oranges - sectioned in thirds
  • 2 large red bell peppers

For the Glaze

  • 1/3 cup Brandy
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

  • Makes 20 - 24 skewers

Prep

  • If using wooden skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes. This can be done right before you begin to prep your ingredients.
  • Cube pork loin into 1-inch pieces and place in a bowl. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, honey, and coconut oil. If your coconut oil is solidified, warm until liquid consistency. Stir until evenly coated, cover, and place in refrigerator while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
  • Peel your onion and cut into 8 wedge sections, set aside.
  • Peel your Mandarin oranges and section into set aside.
  • Slice bell pepper into 1-inch squares, set aside.

The Glaze

  • Pour 1/3 cup brandy into a small dish and whisk in 1 tablespoon honey.

Assemble

  • Start placing ingredients on individual skewers by alternating ingredients. Mix and match your skewers and make them any way you like. Pork, orange, pepper, onion, pork, onion pepper, orange, pork is one combination. We also made all protein and all veggie kebabs.
  • Once assembled glaze with Brandy and honey mixture and place on your preheated grill.
  • Cook for 20 - 25 minutes or until the pork reaches 145 degrees. Remove and rest for at least five minutes.
  • Serve and Enjoy!
Brandy and honey Glazed Pork Kebabs Brandy Brown Sugar Onion Red Pepper Mandarin Orange
 
0 from 42 Reviews

42 Comments

  • Lisa Peele @ Wonderling

    Oh my goodness this food looks amazing! Anything glazed in honey is an instant winner in my books. Will have to try it out!

  • robin rue

    Kebabs go over pretty big in my house, but honestly I think it’s just because my kids like eating off sticks. Hey, I’ll take it.

  • Melissa @ Think About Such Things

    These look super tasty! I love that you also grill Mandarin oranges as well. What a combo with the pork. And your skewers are super cute. Never seen ones like that.

  • Amanda @ Old House to New Home

    These look amazing! And I especially love those curved skewers! They are so cute!

  • Kristina

    Love kebabs and these look great! Serve with a salad or over white rice. Yum! Perfect for our next BBQ.

  • Rikki Singh

    Nice Recipe Thanks to Share

  • Jane Davidson

    I cannot tell you how excited I am for this recipe!! This looks AMAZING! I can’t wait to try it. It will be perfect for Memorial Day!

  • Captain macoy @mactheexplorer

    Thanks for this food article, i learn something new today about food, it looks so good and mouth watering, i wanna try this on weekend!?

  • Dwan - Travel Blogger

    I love using brown sugar in my glaze. But what I love the most about this are those awesome curved skewers! I’ve never seen those before.

  • karen

    This recipe looks really yummy, especially on those cute kabob holders! I’m a whim shopper too, so I get it! And interesting about brown sugar. Had no clue – but that molasses makes sense!

  • Marcie in Mommyland

    My husband is diabetic and I’ve been thinking about substituting honey for sugar in some of our recipes. I hadn’t even thought about marinades and we grill a lot! This recipe looks super tasty!

    • Oven Struck

      I think you may have found a new ingredient to play with in your marinades! Woo hoo! Have fun, Marcie!

  • Jalisa

    These look amazing. Knowing you used honey instead of regular sugar is amazing. I’ve been seeing a lot of recipes like this lately and I love it.

    • Oven Struck

      It’s amazing how much sugar is hidden in our food and we don’t even thing about it! Thank you, Jalisa!

  • belbe

    Omg this is a food native to my country, well sort of. It’s called suya ( pronounced SOO-yah ). It’s a street food and it’s sold mostly at night. Because it takes all day to marinate and prepare. Mostly beef but chicken and pork too. I love the grilled onions part. IT’s so sweet. Can you tell I’m excited? I miss home, Nigeria.

    • Oven Struck

      Sweetest comment EVER. Aw, I’m sorry you are missing home! Hopefully, this inspires you to cook up some Suya for yourself! 🙂

  • Vera

    This looks so delicious. I have to pin this for later.

  • Amanda Love

    That’s amazing! I can only imagine the burst of flavor from these kebabs. I love that you added honey instead of sugar, I always prefer honey over any kind of sweetener.

  • Elizabeth O.

    That kebab is perfect for barbecues especially this summer! I’ll be sure to keep the recipe in case the family decides to have a barbecue here at home. I’m sure this is going to be a huge hit!

  • daniella

    Those are some delicious looking kebabs! And I also love the type of skewers you used. Very cool and creative!

  • Jessica Joachim

    These loom amazing! They would be perfect to do on the grill this summer. It’s funny, I use brown sugar all the time, but I never really thought about what makes it brown sugar.

  • reesa

    5 stars
    These look delicious! I love the kebab holders you are using too! I will be saving this recipe to make this summer!

  • militaryfamof8

    This pork kebab looks so delicious! Perfect for summer especially when going on a beach! Cant wait to try this recipe.

  • Melissa

    4 stars
    Today is the second hot day in a row so my mind starts to think grilling season is really here even though we do grill in cold weather sometimes. I never knew what brown sugar really was. This recipe does look good and skewers are a good way to grill.

  • Erin F

    Oh wow! These look phenomenal! I love that you used coconut oil. I have slowly been transitioning most of my recipes to use this instead of olive oil. I like the way it cooks the food so much better!

  • Cindy Ingalls

    I find that using maple syrup and honey makes my food taste so much better than processed sugar. And anything tastes better when you add some brandy.

  • Blythe Alpern

    I love a good kebab made on the grill. There is just something about that smokiness that brings out all the flavors, especially when you mix the sweetness of honey and the rich brandy.

  • Brittany

    Ooh these look so good! I could definitely see myself whipping these up during the week or on the weekend over the grill!

  • aish das-padihari

    These grilled recipe look way too tempting. I’m definitely going to try these this weekend.

  • Tereza

    These look insane – I never cook with liqueurs (I’m too much of a scaredy cat haha) but I do love the taste of it in food – I might tempt my boyfriend into making this for us this weekend! x

  • Roxanne

    4 stars
    Such beautiful presentation! This recipe looks amazing – I am adding to my list to try this week!

  • Katriza

    Wow what a cool way to use that as a skewer! Great presentation! I love how this recipe sounds so full of flavor! It reminds me of how my mom does her BBQ pork! I love that so I know I will love this!

  • Jeanine

    These look delicious! Simple and easy to make and I love the scewers you used. Very unique!

  • Rachel

    Yum! These look delicious and I can’t wait to try them at home. I love the skewers too!

  • Claire

    Omg, those look so good! I really like the hook thingy you used! I also agree on not using modified sugar, because every food has its own natural sugar!

  • Heather

    These look amazing! And we just broke out our grill from a very long cold winter, so I am going to put these on the menu for next week! And I love brown sugar…we use it pretty much daily in our morning oatmeal here 🙂

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