Honey Chicken with Glazed Pineapple is perfect for summer dinners! This sweet & tangy grilled chicken marinade recipe yields tender, juicy & flavorful chicken.
I like to pound the chicken breasts thin and cut them in half. Not only do they cook faster on the grill, but they absorb more flavor. Besides, no one ever eats an entire chicken breast anyways.
Marinate the chicken separate from any veggies you’re also grilling. I got the original recipe from Allrecipes here– they did kabobs, which are fun, but just an extra several steps in my opinion. If you slice up a real pineapple, don’t marinate it at all. Instead, just set aside some of the marinade and brush it on a few times while cooking. It’ll give it an extra zing of flavor- the honey caramelizes and it all just tastes so good.
Ingredients needed to make honey chicken marinade
- vegetable oil
- honey
- soy sauce
- ground black pepper
- lime juice
- garlic powder
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin and halved
How to Marinate Chicken
Defrost chicken if needed. Pound thin using a meat mallet and slice in half.
Mix marinade ingredients in a gallon sized ziplock bag. Close the bag, shake it all up and use your hands to squish it to combine the ingredients. It’s a very scientific process. {Not.}
Set aside about 3 TBSP of the marinade for the pineapple. If you’re grilling veggies as well, I suggest doubling the marinade to have enough for those to soak separately from the chicken. Try zucchini, mushrooms, bell pepper and red onion.
Add the chicken to the ziplock bag and once again , mix it around. Let the chicken marinate for about 6-8 hours in the fridge. Each time you open the fridge, pick it up and mix the marinade and chicken around again.
How to cut a fresh pineapple
To cut a fresh pineapple, I first slice off both the top and bottom parts. Standing the pineapple up on one of the ends, go around the outside and slice off the prickly exterior. Going from top to bottom, slice the pineapple in half, then lay it down on the cutting board. Slice each half in half again, then cut those quarters in half length-wise. Take each spear and slice the tough section of core off. Done!
How to grill chicken
Grill until juice from chicken runs clear. When it reaches 165Âş F, it’s done. To know when your chicken reaches the right temperature, your best tool is going to be a meat thermometer. My all-time favorite meat thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great meat thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well!Â
Pineapple should be on the grill for about 5-7 minutes, depending on the thickness of your spears. Brush the marinate on at about minutes 3 and 6. Enjoy!
GRILLED HONEY CHICKEN WITH GLAZED PINEAPPLE
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1-2 TBSP lime juice
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin and halved
- 1 fresh pineapple sliced into spears
Instructions
- Defrost chicken if needed. Pound thin using a meat mallet and slice in half.
- Mix marinade ingredients in a gallon sized ziplock bag. Close the bag, shake it all up and use your hands to squish it to combine the ingredients. It's a very scientific process. {Not.}
- Set aside about 3 TBSP of the marinade for the pineapple. If you're grilling veggies as well, I suggest doubling the marinade to have enough for those to soak separately from the chicken. Try zucchini, mushrooms, bell pepper and red onion.
- Add the chicken to the ziplock bag and once again , mix it around. Let the chicken marinate for about 6-8 hours in the fridge. Each time you open the fridge, pick it up and mix the marinade and chicken around again.
- To cut a fresh pineapple, I first slice off both the top and bottom parts. Standing the pineapple up on one of the ends, go around the outside and slice off the prickly exterior. Going from top to bottom, slice the pineapple in half, then lay it down on the cutting board. Slice each half in half again, then cut those quarters in half length-wise. Take each spear and slice the tough section of core off. Done!
- Grill until juice from chicken runs clear. Pineapple should be on the grill for about 5-7 minutes, depending on the thickness of your spears. Brush the marinate on at about minutes 3 and 6. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
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How to grill pineapple:
I think the best way to grill a pineapple is with an outdoor grill, cut in spears, with a delicious glaze.
Cutting the pineapple in spears makes it easier to handle the pineapple, especially on the grill. You don’t want to cut the pieces so thin they fall through the slats.
The heat from the grill caramelizes the natural sugars in the pineapple and gives a fabulous flavor.
How to cut a pineapple:
Starting with the pineapple laying horizontal on your cutting board, cut off the top and the bottom of the pineapple. Then, stand the pineapple off and shave off the skin with a knife. If there are any “eyes” left (brown indents), cut them out with a knife.
To cut the fruit into spears, start by cutting the fruit in half, then in half again. Cut out the inner core, then cut the slices once more to get 8 pieces.
For more details and photos of how to cut a pineapple click here.Â
How do you keep chicken moist on the grill?
There are a few things to keep in mind when trying to get really tender, juicy, grilled chicken breasts:
- Tenderize the chicken breast.
- Marinate the meat.
- Don’t over cook the chicken! When it reaches 165Âş F, it’s done. To know when your chicken reaches the right temperature, your best tool is going to be a meat thermometer. My all-time favorite meat thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great meat thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well!Â
How do you tenderize chicken?
Tenderizing your chicken makes a big difference. It’s really easy to do and only takes a couple of minutes.
One way is to place the chicken between two sheets of parchment paper and whack it on the thickest part of the chicken breast with a rolling pin or mason jar.
Another way is to put it in a gallon Ziplock bag and use the flat side of a meat mallet.
Only hit the thickest part of the meat to help even it out. The chicken will cook a lot more evenly if the meat is the same thickness all the way through.
Make sure you don’t over-pound your meat. A few good whacks will do the trick.
Grilled Chicken with Glazed Pineapple is a great grilled chicken breast recipe. This grilled chicken recipe is an amazing grilled chicken marinade that everyone loves to see on their dinner table.
bac1 says
No one eats a full chicken breast? Of course they do!
Kris Cook says
What vegetables would be used to grill and how long should I marinate the vegetables?? Also, what starch would go good with this dish??