Grilled Pineapple BBQ Chicken is an easy and delicious dinner that's perfect for busy summer weeknights! This 3 ingredient grilled chicken will have everyone fighting for seconds.
Check out some other awesome grilled chicken recipes like Coconut Cilantro Lime Chicken, Hawaiian Chicken and Lemon Pepper Chicken Drumsticks.
Pineapple BBQ Chicken Recipe
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For years, I've been kicking around the concept of a Pineapple BBQ recipe. Literally, years. But I've never actually tried making it until now. And frankly, I'm not even sure what took me so long. Because this recipe is outrageously easy and tastes fantastic!
I am all about recipes that use the bare-minimum ingredients for maximum flavor. Bonus points if the ingredients are items that already happen to be in your pantry and fridge. These check all the boxes and will instantly make their way onto your dinner rotation this summer!
Tips for making Grilled BBQ Chicken
- I encourage you to marinate this for at least an hour but you can totally assemble it the night before.
- Pull the chicken out of the fridge before you preheat the grill.
- Be sure to grease the grill with cooking spray before you heat it up to prevent sticking (I like olive oil cooking spray, but any will work). If you forget to do it before heating, it's ok, just do it carefully on the preheated grill.
- Don't throw out the marinade- Although I usually encourage people to dispose of marinades right away, this makes an excellent sauce. The important thing is to be sure it boils for at least 3 minutes before thickening it (to kill any bacteria from raw chicken.
- Be sure to rest the chicken for a few minutes before serving to redistribute the juices.
What kind of BBQ sauce should I use?
Whatever store bought BBQ sauce is your favorite will work. You can also make my homemade BBQ sauce.
Which cut of chicken is best?
The cut shown is boneless chicken thighs, but truly any cut of chicken pieces will taste great. Just be sure to adapt your cooking time to the thickness and size of whichever cut you choose. I'll definitely be using this recipe to make grilled chicken breast soon- it's my husband's favorite cut.
What's the best way to tell if barbecue chicken is cooked through?
Use a meat thermometer. You want to cook it until 160 degrees and then rest it for a few minutes. During that resting time, it will continue cooking and the temperature will go up to an internal temperature 165 degrees which is considered the safe temperature for consuming poultry.
How hot should the grill be?
For this recipe, I usually heat it to around 375 degrees or around medium heat.
How do you thicken the sauce?
I use a slurry of corn starch and water. Your other option would be arrowroot powder and water.
Ingredients for making this BBQ Chicken Marinade
- Chicken
- BBQ sauce
- 20 ounce can pineapple rings (don't drain!)
- Corn starch
Ingredients to prep ahead:
- Marinate chicken
Helpful tools:
Grilled Pineapple BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 20 ounce can pineapple rings (do not drain)
- 5-6 chicken pieces (any cut will work- I used boneless skinless chicken thighs for these photos)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
- Place chicken and pineapple rings into a large bowl or gallon zipper bag.
- Mix together BBQ sauce and all the juice from the pineapple can until well combined. Pour over chicken and pineapple rings.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least and hour to overnight.
- When ready to cook remove from refrigerator. Spray the grill grates with cooking spray and preheat grill to around 375 degrees.
- Place chicken on the grill cooking for around 5-7 minutes per side until there's a nice char (not burn!) and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees and the pineapple until it has a slight char on each side.
- While the chicken cooks, place the leftover marinade into a small saucepan and heat to a boil.
- Boil for 3-4 minutes and then reduce heat and thicken with a slurry of cornstarch and water.
- Remove chicken and pineapple to a plate and rest for a few minutes. Serve immediately with sauce on top.
If you tried this recipe please comment and rate it 🙂 I love hearing your feedback and answering your questions! And if you make it please tag me on Instagram with @thelifejolie so I can share it <3
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