• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Life Jolie logo
  • Thanksgiving Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
    • Work with me!
    • Video Production
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Thanksgiving Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
    • Work with me!
    • Video Production
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    The Life Jolie » Main/Entree » Grilled Pineapple BBQ Chicken

    Grilled Pineapple BBQ Chicken

    Published: Jun 22, 2020 · Modified: Aug 31, 2022 by Jessy Freimann · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Grilled Pineapple BBQ Chicken is an easy and delicious dinner that's perfect for busy summer weeknights! You can use any cut of chicken you'd like- chicken thighs, chicken breast or a combo. This 4 ingredient grilled chicken with an easy marinade will have everyone fighting for seconds.

    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.

    A close up image of a grilled chicken thigh in a serving dish.

    Check out some other awesome grilled chicken recipes like Coconut Cilantro Lime Chicken, Hawaiian Chicken and Lemon Pepper Chicken Drumsticks.

    Pineapple BBQ Chicken Recipe

    This post contains Affiliate Links. Please see the disclaimer here.

    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!

    BBQ chicken on a plate with rice and sauce on top.

    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.

    A close up image of bbq chicken thighs in a bowl

    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:

    1. Instant Read Thermometer
    2. Grill tongs
    3. Wooden spoon
    4. Saucepan

    A plate of bbq chicken on rice.

    Grilled Pineapple BBQ Chicken is an easy and delicious dinner that's perfect for busy summer weeknights! You can use any cut of chicken you'd like- chicken thighs, chicken breast or a combo. This 4 ingredient grilled chicken with an easy marinade will have everyone fighting for seconds.

    Grilled Pineapple BBQ Chicken

    Jessy Freimann
    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.
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Marinating time 1 hr
    Total Time 1 hr 25 mins
    Course dinner, Main, Main Course, Main dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 pieces

    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.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    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

    You can find a full index of my recipes here.

    Don’t forget to follow The Life Jolie on Pinterest for more recipe inspiration!

    Or if Pinterest isn’t your style, bookmark this post!

    Let’s keep the conversation going- join my Facebook group! 

    « Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bars
    Grilled Artichokes »
    • Share
    • Flipboard
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Jessy in a kitchen holding a white casserole pan and smiling.
    Hi, I'm Jessy!

    Welcome to The Life Jolie! I share simple, delicious recipes and ingredient prep tips to make your weeknight cooking a breeze!

    More about me →

    Fall Recipes

    • A spoon holding a scoop of potato ham soup.
      Creamy Ham and Potato Soup
    • A bowl of chicken and egg noodles soup with sliced bread and another bowl behind it.
      Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup
    • A square image of the Toll House Cookie Recipe
      Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Say goodbye to dry and tough pork chops: these Smothered Crock Pot Pork Chops are the ultimate fall-apart tender comfort food. With just 4 ingredients, this easy dinner will be your new go-to dump dinner!
      Fall Apart Slow Cooker Pork Chops
    • An overhead image of sliced turkey on a platter surrounded by fresh herbs in the middle of a Thanksgiving table.
      Roasted Spatchcock Glazed Turkey with Bourbon
    • Side angle image close up of Brie Phyllo Cup on a sheet pan
      Baked Brie Phyllo Cups

    Popular Recipes

    • A square image of how to melt chocolate chips in the microwave showing the chocolate once it's melted.
      How to Melt Chocolate Chips in the Kitchen
    • Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats are the healthy weeknight meal you'll want to make again and again. This is a seriously easy recipe that's full of delicious flavor without all the guilt!
      Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats
    • Shrimp Macaroni Salad
      Very Best Shrimp Macaroni Salad Recipe
    • A square image of a white pot pouring cheese sauce over a bowl of broccoli with a blue towel behind it.
      Cheese Sauce for Broccoli Recipe
    • Do you love the Cheesecake Factory's Thai Lettuce Wraps! Well then why not make them at home? They're easy to make and totally delicious!
      Reader Request: Copycat Cheesecake Factory Thai Lettuce Wraps
    • A square image of Greek Yogurt Roasted Chicken Thighs.
      Greek Yogurt Roasted Chicken Thighs Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy + Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Video Production

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright 2014-2021 - Jolie Ventures, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy.