This grilled pineapple chicken is such an easy to make and tasty meal. The pineapple and soy marinade is the star of the show and makes for a great finishing glaze.
This is such a great recipe for the summer and the grill. It takes very little time and the marinade does all the work. While you don’t want to marinate for too long this is one that you can prepare a few hours in advance and perfect for those that don’t have a lot of time. Get ready to watch this chicken disappear especially if it is on top of some tasty coconut rice.
In this recipe
This is a pretty simple recipe and straight forward recipe which you can never go wrong with. The ingredients are easy to come by which makes this perfect to just throw it together.
Pineapple: both the fresh fruit and the juice will provide a great flavor as well as sweetness to the dish.
Soy sauce: provides the salt for the dish as well as deepen the flavors of the chicken and pineapple.
Chicken thighs: these are higher in fat but will be more juicy than breasts. However if you prefer a chicken breast slice it in half width wise to make them nice and thin so they cook quickly.
Time to marinate
The best thing about this marinade is that it takes about 5 minutes to put everything together. Then all you need to do is pour it over the chicken. One of the more important things you need to be aware of is how long you marinate the chicken. Both pineapple and honey contain enzymes that are great for tenderizing however if you marinate for too long like overnight the enzymes will break down the chicken and you will end up with something you don’t want.
Grilling pineapple chicken
Once everything is ready to go you will want to make sure that you brush or spray oil on the grill. This will help keep the chicken and pineapple from sticking to the grill. Once the grill is nice and hot you will want to cook it with the skin side up first. Once it is ready to flip you want to make sure you don’t move it to make sure it gets those nice grill marks.
What do I serve this with?
Some of my favorite things to serve this chicken with are:
- coconut rice
- grilled bok choy
- grilled zucchini
- roasted artichokes
- green beans
Looking for other grilled chicken recipes?
Grilled Pineapple Chicken
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Ziploc bag
- Whisk
- Grill
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs
- 1 pineapple
- 1½ tablespoons green onions thinly sliced
Marinade
- 6 ounces pineapple juice canned not fresh
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine the marinade ingredients and whisk to combine set and set aside.
- Place the chicken breasts in the Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the chicken. Remove the excess air and refrigerate. Allow to marinate for at least an hour but no more than 4.
- Preheat the grill to 500°F or 260°C.
- While the grill is heating remove the skin from the pineapple and slice into roughly ¼ inch thick rounds.
- Spray or brush the grill with oil and add the chicken thighs and the pineapple. Make sure the pineapple is not over direct heat. Grill the chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side to make sure they are cooked through.
- Serve brush with the glaze if desired. Top with sliced green onion.
Making the glaze
- In a saucepan heat the marinade and bring to a boil. Reduce by ⅔ and allow to cool. Brush on the cooked chicken.
Nutrition
This was my first time ever grilling fruit… and I’m obsessed. It’s so perfect with the marinade on this chicken. We’ll be eating this all summer!
Grilling fruit is one of my favorite ways to eat it.
I was looking for a fresh take on chicken night and this came out great. The pineapple pairs perfectly with the chicken and my family loved it.
I am so glad that your family enjoyed it.
I’m hooked on this one! I love your idea of serving this with coconut rice! Absolutely delicious!
Love the idea of pairing grilled chicken with pineapple! Saved to try, thank you!
A perfect summertime meal that evokes all the fun flavors of the season. Love the sweet and savory plus the smokiness from grilling. Delish!
Mmm mmm mm. You had me at grilled pineapple but with all that flavour, I’m here for the chicken too. I’ve just found my new go-to summer grilling recipe thanks to you.
Just tried pineapple chicken for the first time, and wow, what a delicious combo! We had it wraps and rice and it was perfection. Cheers
They make great wraps. It is how I eat the leftovers. I am glad you liked it!
I loved how the pineapple acted as a tenderizer and marinade all in one. This recipe is a must during the summer months.
Gotta love some nice and tender chicken!
Fire up the grill. This chicken is sure to be a hit at my next bbq party. You can never go wrong with a great chicken dinner any night of the week.