Delicious, marinated chicken with a simple cilantro-pineapple salsa. Pineapple Chicken is easy to make and mega flavorful!
Pair this with coconut rice or white rice for a complete meal.
Why We Love This Pineapple Chicken
- Rich Taste: Combines sweet, zesty, and smoky flavors.
- Versatile: Pairs well with various sides.
- Easy: Straightforward and quick to prepare.
- Healthy: Focuses on fresh, nutritious ingredients.
- Flexible Cooking: Suitable for grilling, baking, or sautéing.
Ingredients
- Chicken: Main protein, marinated for flavor.
- Oils (Olive & Vegetable): Enhance pineapple chicken marinade adherence and prevent grill sticking.
- Marinade (Lime, Garlic, Honey, Cumin, Coriander): Infuses chicken with a zesty, sweet, and aromatic flavor.
- Salsa (Pineapple, Lime Juice, Cilantro, Jalapeno, Red Onion, Avocado): Adds sweetness, acidity, spice, and creaminess for contrast.
How To Make Pineapple Chicken
- Marinate: Combine olive oil, lime, garlic, honey, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper; marinate chicken for 30 mins to 3 hrs.
- Grill: Oil grill, grill pineapple until charred, then grill chicken to 165°F, basting with marinade.
- Salsa: Mix diced pineapple, cilantro, jalapeno, onion, lime juice, cumin, avocado.
- Serve: Place chicken on rice/quinoa, top with salsa.
Tips For Pineapple Chicken
- Use Jarred Garlic: Nearly as good as fresh for marinades, speeding up prep.
- Buy Pre-cut Pineapple: Saves time without significant cost increase.
- Get a Juicer: Streamlines lime juice extraction.
- Even Chicken Thickness: Slice or pound for uniform cooking and better flavor absorption.
- Oil Grill Grates: Prevents sticking and improves sear.
- Baste with Marinade: Boosts flavor while grilling.
- Rest Chicken: Allows juices to redistribute, enhancing tenderness.
Variations
- Healthier Option: Serve over quinoa, brown rice, or whole grains.
- Baking Method: Preheat oven to 425°F, bake chicken on parchment paper for 18 mins, flipping once. Rest before serving with salsa.
- Sautéing Method: Cook pineapple chicken in oil over medium-high heat for 4-6 mins per side, baste with marinade, rest, then serve with salsa.
- Slow Cooker: Slow cook chicken, shred, and top with salsa. Follow this Salsa Chicken Crockpot recipe.
Storage
- Chicken: Refrigerate pineapple chicken in airtight container, use within 3-4 days.
- Salsa: Keep refrigerated, best used within 1-2 days.
- Leftovers: Store combined or separately; reheat gently, consume within 3-4 days.
Other Recipes To Love
- Grilled Chicken Taco Bowls
- Jamaican Jerk Tacos (with a mango salsa)
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Pesto Chicken Tortellini
- One Pan Italian Sausage and Veggies
Pineapple Chicken
Pineapple Chicken is bursting with flavor! Juicy marinated chicken pairs perfectly with a fresh cilantro-pineapple salsa that’s sweet, tangy, and just a little zesty. It’s easy to make and packed with vibrant ingredients!
Equipment
- Grill or grill pan
Ingredients
Grilled Chicken
- 1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 limes
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- Salt and pepper
- vegetable oil for greasing grill/grill pan
Pineapple Salsa
- 3 cups diced pineapple 18 ounces/most of 1 pineapple; see note 1
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro measure loosely packed, then finely dice
- 2 tablespoons finely diced jalapeno
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 lime
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 large avocado finely sliced or diced, see note 2
- Coconut rice or cilantro-lime rice or quinoa, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Trim the chicken breasts of fat, then slice large breasts evenly in half, widthwise. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of your fry pan, pound breasts to even thickness (not super flat, just even in thickness). Place prepared chicken in a large resealable plastic bag and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, 1 teaspoon lime zest, 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, minced garlic, honey, cumin, coriander, and salt and pepper (I use about 1/2 teaspoon of each; add to your preference). Once mixture is well combined, remove 3 tablespoons of it and reserve for later.
- Add the rest of the marinade to the bag with the chicken. Seal the bag and knead with your hands to ensure all the chicken is well coated. Place in fridge and marinate for at least 30 minutes and preferably 2–3 hours, but no longer than 6 hours. (Acid from lime begins to "cook" the chicken.)
- Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (about 400°F.). Generously oil the grill (I drench a roll-up paper towel in vegetable oil and, holding it with tongs, rub it over the grill grates. Don’t skip this step.) Grill the pineapple first (see note 1) so you can work on the salsa while chicken cooks. Rub 1–2 teaspoons vegetable oil over all sides of the pineapple. Cook about 2–3 minutes per side or until lightly charred (or grilled to your liking). Remove to a plate to allow to slightly cool before dicing.
- Remove chicken from marinade and discard any remaining marinade from the bag. Grill the chicken, turning halfway through grilling, about 4–6 minutes per side (until the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F and juices run clear). Baste the chicken with the reserved marinade as you grill and after flipping. Transfer chicken to a plate and cover with foil so the juices can redistribute. Slice thinly or chop into bite-sized pieces.
- While the chicken cooks, prepare the salsa. Dice pineapple, cilantro, jalapeno, and red onion. Toss everything together in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. I add about 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, but add to preference. Gently toss together, taste, and adjust seasoning if needed.
- I like to serve Pineapple Chicken over coconut rice or cilantro-lime rice. Enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: You don’t have to grill the pineapple, but it adds an amazing sweetness (it caramelizes as it grills). Check pictures in the post for the size of pineapple. I cut the cored and peeled the pineapple and cut into about 9 or 10 long strips. Once grilled, I slice each pineapple strip in 3 long strips and dice those strips into small pieces for the salsa. You will likely have more pineapple salsa than needed to top chicken, but I like a lot—or finish the rest off with chips.
Note 2: A good, ripe avocado adds a delicious creamy element to this dish. If you don’t add avocado and want a creamy element, I’d recommend the jalapeno sauce from this recipe.
Nutrition Note: Nutritional information does not include rice.
Storage: Keep pineapple chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. Store salsa in the fridge for up to 1–2 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 206mg | Potassium: 1077mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 212IU | Vitamin C: 75mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Anyone add black beans when they made this? I feel like that would be good.
Just made this for the first time tonight. I’ll definitely add it to my healthy dinner repertoire. I subbed a packet of stevia for the honey and grilled the pineapple as suggested. Reduced the cumin to 1.5 teaspoons for the marinade and just a dash in the salsa because it’s not my favorite spice. Delicious! The whole family liked it.
So happy to hear this was a hit! Thanks for the comment 🙂
you can use the leftover pineapple juice instead of honey. I thought it was ok but only adding cumin…..it needed something else. Also, I think grilling the red onion before adding the salsa might be good. I’ll try it next time.
Sounds great! Thanks for your comment!
Love this. I made cilantro lime cauliflower rice to serve with it. Soooo good!!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks Bryttney! 🙂
Great summer meal! I made the coconut rice with it and my family loved it. Will add this as a regular on my summer meal planning!
I’m so happy to hear this Jess! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Question, I cannot do cilantro so what would you suggest as a substitute?
Hmm I think flat leaf Italian parsley will be your next best bet!
Made this vegetarian by subbing extra firm tofu for the chicken and baking after it marinated. Served over cilantro lime quinoa. It was really good!
MMM that sounds awesome!! Thanks for the tip! 🙂
Trying this tonight. I don’t grill and the hubby isn’t home so I am doing it on the stove top. I think the stove top method repeats the chicken steps twice or maybe the word chicken is used instead of pineapple. I can’t wait to eat this!!
Hey Chris, I’m not sure where you’re seeing that! Is that on this recipe? “Pineapple chicken”? Thanks!
Used canned pineapple bc it’s what i had and still… amaaaaazing! Hubby grilled the chicken after a 30 min. marinade and everything was delicious. Served with pineapple jalapeno margaritas and it was a hit. Will make again for sure!
Yay! So happy to hear this was a hit! 🙂 Thanks for the comment Amy!
This was a big hit. I had to sub shallots for red onions because that was all I had on hand and it was still great! I had never made grilled pineapple before but will certainly be making it again. Great recipe!
I’m sooo glad you enjoyed!! Thanks so much! 🙂
I made this tonight and it was great! I did not have a grill, so I pan-fried the diced pineapple in vegetable oil and they were so good! Salsa was a perfect combination over the chicken. I probably would salt and pepper the chicken first before adding a marinade.
So happy to hear this was a hit! Thanks so much for the comment Kesi 🙂