Grilled Pineapple Barbecue Chicken - with just a few ingredients, you can make the most amazing grilled chicken dish completed with grilled pineapples and the most delicious, slightly spicy barbecue sauce. Serve it with some Easy Grilled Vegetables or Black Bean and Corn Salad.
If you have never combined chicken, barbecue sauce, and pineapple, you're missing out! It is such a delicious combination and one that you will be eating all summer long once you try it. Plus it's made with just a few ingredients that you probably already have in the house.
The key to this recipe is doctoring up your favorite store bought barbecue sauce to give it a Hawaiian twist with pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, and fresh garlic. The chicken hangs out and marinates in this semi-homemade sauce and then is grilled alongside some fresh pineapple. Yum. Seriously, this pineapple chicken is amazing.
How to Serve Grilled Pineapple Chicken
This dish is very versatile and there are many different ways to serve it. Here are the ones I make the most often.
- Serve it as the main dish with grilled vegetables and rice on the side.
- Grab some lettuce wraps and chop the chicken and pineapple into bite-sized. Serve everything wrapped up in lettuce with extra sauce drizzled on top.
- Make sandwiches! Grab your favorite rolls, layer on the grilled pineapple, lettuce, sprouts, and an extra spread of barbecue sauce.
- This makes a great protein source for a delicious green salad. Add chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, sprouts, corn, black beans, and use the sauce as the dressing. You can also stir the barbecue sauce into ranch dressing and top everything with a barbecue ranch dressing.
Tips and Recipe Ideas
- This recipe works great with chicken breast or chicken thighs depending on what you prefer. It also can easily be changed int a kabob recipe. Just chop up the marinated chicken and thread it into skewers with the pineapple and some fresh peppers and onions. Brush everything with the marinade and toss them on the grill. I also imagine it would work great for pork chops but I haven't tried it yet.
- Although I love grilled pineapple with this recipe, you could also venture out and try some other fruit variations. Fresh grilled peaches would be delicious and you could add some peach nectar to the barbecue sauce.
- I tend to like everything a bit spicy so I add Sriracha to the barbecue sauce for a sweet and spicy combination. You can definitely leave this out if you aren't looking for a spicy dish or serve it on the side for those who want it.
- When it comes to side dishes, I almost always serve this with some fresh grilled corn on the cob and a big green salad. It's my idea of a perfect summer meal.
Can I make pineapple grilled chicken thighs?
This recipe works great with chicken thighs as well. I like to use boneless and skinless chicken thighs since they cook quickly and are super affordable. They also are guaranteed to come out super tender since they have a higher fat content than chicken breasts. If you are worried about overcooking and drying out your chicken breasts, consider swapping for thighs. They are much more forgiving if they are cooked a couple minutes too long.
Could I make this chicken as kabobs?
This is a great recipe to make as kabobs. Simply chop the chicken into pieces and marinate. When you are ready to cook, thread the chicken and fresh pineapple onto skewers. You can add other veggies if you wish, Red peppers and red onions are delicious. Then grill for 5-7 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken. Drizzle with sauce and serve.
Looking for more grilled chicken recipes?
- Grilled Chicken with Peach Salsa
- Grilled Honey Sriracha Chicken
- More healthy grilled chicken recipes
Here are some tools and products I used when cooking this recipe:
- If you don't have a gas or charcoal grill at home, a grill pan is a great option for grilling indoors. I used one for years when I lived in an apartment that didn't allow grills. The two that I use most often are this nonstick version and this cast iron version. The nonstick is great for easy clean-up but the cast iron will give you deeper grill marks and more smoky flavor.
- Pineapples can be a pain to cut, especially if you want pretty pineapple rings. That's where a pineapple corer comes in handy. It slices the pineapple into perfect rings in about one minute. If you eat a lot of pineapple, it's worth it.