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    TaraTeaspoon » Course » Main Dish » Chicken and Poultry

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    Published: by

    Tropical Chicken with Grilled Pineapple

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe Jump to Comments
    tropical chicken with grilled pineapple pin
    Tropical chicken
    Tropical chicken
    tropical chicken with grilled pineapple pin

    Tropical Grilled Pineapple Chicken is heaven from the BBQ! Make it for an easy dinner or cook it at the game when tailgating.


    Soy and ginger marinated tropical chicken with grilled pineapple on green cutting board
    Jump to:
    • Grilled Pineapple Chicken Ingredients
    • How to Make Grilled Pineapple Chicken
    • Tips for Making Grilled Chicken and Pineapple
    • Tropical Grilled Pineapple Chicken

    I love grilled pineapple. It's pretty dreamy — the juicy, smokey flavor and the caramelized bits.

    It's so versatile as well, great for savory meals like this tropical chicken or sweet desserts like my Grilled Pineapple with Praline Caramel.

    This grilled chicken and pineapple is so easy! It's great to pack up and cook when tailgating, make for a party, or even a simple weeknight dinner when you need to get out of a rut.

    A soy and ginger marinade makes this grilled pineapple chicken extra delicious.

    Bonus: the chicken can be added to the marinade ahead of time, so you can prep the meal now and enjoy it later!

    Grilled Pineapple Chicken Ingredients

    This is an incredibly easy pineapple chicken recipe that requires few ingredients. You'll need bone-in, skin-on chicken as well as fresh pineapple.

    The marinade is made with soy sauce, garlic, fresh ginger, lemon juice, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. It can be whisked together in just a few minutes!

    How to Make Grilled Pineapple Chicken

    The tropical chicken recipe is simple. I mince some garlic (try this garlic press!) and grate fresh ginger on a Microplane grater to get all the juice and pulp, then mix them with soy sauce, lemon juice, and brown sugar.

    I add some red pepper flakes for a little kick. It's really the best chicken marinade around!

    Let the chicken sit in the marinade for at least 3 hours, then throw on the grill and cook over medium heat for roughly 12 minutes.

    The pineapple gets sliced into rings and grilled alongside the chicken, but only for 3 minutes or so.

    Soy and ginger marinated grilled pineapple chicken on cutting board

    Should I Use Boneless or Bone-In Chicken?

    Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are one of the easiest ingredients to pull out of the freezer, season, and cook up for dinner. But sometimes those lean breasts are dry and get overcooked quickly on the grill.

    Unlike boneless breasts, the bone-in chicken won't dry out quickly. Legs, wings, thighs, and even breasts with the skin and bones actually come out really perfect on the grill.

    As the chicken cooks over the flame, the bones inside heat up as well and help cook the chicken evenly from the inside.

    Can This Recipe Be Prepared in Advance?

    Yes! Make the chicken marinade ahead of time so it's ready to grill when you are!

    Or, throw the marinating chicken in the cooler and head to the game. It needs time to soak up all the great flavors and you'll be ready to grill when you get there.

    Tips for Making Grilled Chicken and Pineapple

    • Grill the chicken over medium (not high) heat for juiciest results.
    • You can buy your pineapple peeled and cored to save time. The slices cook quickly and are the perfect side to this tropical chicken.
    • The result is juicy chicken and flavorful, crisped skin. You can eat the skin or discard it and still have moist, tender chicken. The skin simply adds moisture and protects the lean meat from drying out over the hot coals.

    More recipes like this:

    • Sweet Chili Pistachios Chicken Recipe
    • Flank Steak with Salsa Verde
    • Fattoush Chicken Salad
    tropical chicken with grilled pineapple

    Tropical Grilled Pineapple Chicken

    Tara Teaspoon
    Tropical Grilled Pineapple Chicken is heaven from the BBQ! Make it for an easy dinner or cook it at the game when tailgating.
    4.78 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 3 hrs 20 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 229 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken (breasts, legs and thighs)
    • ½ cup soy sauce
    • 3 cloves minced garlic
    • 1 tablespoon grated ginger
    • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoon brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 2 tablespoon canola oil
    • 1 peeled pineapple
    • granulated sugar

    Instructions
     

    • In a zip-top bag or a nonreactive bowl, combine soy sauce, garlic, grated ginger, lemon juice, brown sugar, red pepper flakes and canola oil. Marinate chicken in the mixture in the fridge for 3 to 8 hrs.
    • Heat grill to medium and discard marinade; grill chicken skin side down over direct heat for 5 to 6 min. Turn and cook 6 to 8 min more.
    • Slice pineapple into ½-inch rings and sprinkles each with ½ teaspoon sugar. Grill, turning once, until marked and just soft, about 3 min; serve alongside chicken. 

    Notes

    Make this ahead so the chicken has time to marinate. Then dinner is easy to throw together. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 229kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 4gFat: 7gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 1643mgPotassium: 336mgFiber: 3gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 430IUVitamin C: 111.8mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 1.5mg
    Want to watch videos to show you how to cook?Check out our Youtube and try this recipe and more.

    Try these finger-licking-good BBQ recipes

    • Memphis Smoked Bologna Sandwich
    • Dang Delicious Slow Cooker Brisket Sandwiches
    • Memphis BBQ Sauce
    • Homemade BBQ Meatball Subs In Under An Hour
    • North Carolina Pulled Pork Recipe
    • Kansas City Style Ribs Recipe To Make On Your Grill
    • Terrific 10 Ingredient BBQ Rub From Your Pantry
    • BBQ Mop Sauce Recipe

    For more fantastic tailgating ideas, check out these recipes from my food blogging friends!

    Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Dog Bites
    Football Game Day Cookies
    Sun-Dried Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Dip
    Buffalo Chicken Jalapeno Poppers
    Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
    Sloppy Joe Sliders
    Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
    Homemade Soft Pretzels with Mustard Cheese Dip
    Bruschetta Turkey Burger Sliders
    Bacon Cheese Ball
    Red Potato Salad with Bacon
    Easy Pizza Kabobs
    Deviled Eggs

    Tara in kitchen making salad

    About Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in the food publishing business for over 20 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television & advertising. Order my new cookbook & stick around for amazing things to eat.

    Find out more!

    Recipe by Tara Teaspoon. Photography Peter Ardito. Food styling Cyd Raftus McDowell. Prop styling Paige Hicks. Originally published in LHJ 6/10.

    « Simple No-Bake Cheesecake
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    Filed Under: Chicken and Poultry, Grilling and Smoking, Sandwiches and Burgers Tagged With: chicken, garlic, ginger, grilled pineapple, grilling, pineapple, soy sauce, tropical chicken

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bec says

      September 01, 2018 at 10:58 am

      I kid you not, grilled pineapple is the one food that I could eat every day for the rest of my life and not get tired of it!
      I'm so excited to have another recipe to make with it! Thanks, Tara!

      Reply
    2. Gina Kleinworth says

      September 04, 2018 at 9:05 am

      I swoon for grilled pineapple! So good!

      Reply
    3. Becky Tarala says

      September 04, 2018 at 10:35 am

      Some of my favorite flavors!

      Reply
    4. Rocky Mountain Woman says

      September 05, 2018 at 2:02 pm

      I'm all over anything that includes grilled pineapple!

      Reply
    5. Barbara Schieving says

      September 06, 2018 at 11:31 am

      My family loves grilled pineapple. I'll have to try this recipe!

      Reply
    6. Deb @ Cooking on the Front Burner says

      September 15, 2018 at 9:01 am

      I love this flavor combination!!

      Reply
    7. Mary Bench says

      May 06, 2019 at 10:49 pm

      These look amazing!!!

      Reply
    8. Tessa says

      July 10, 2019 at 11:24 am

      I'm loving this grilled pineapple! I love fresh recipe ideas that get me out of the plain dinner rut!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        July 12, 2019 at 10:06 am

        I'm so glad!

        Reply

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