Cheesy Grilled Pineapple Chicken made with an easy marinade & topped with grilled pineapple and a slice of jack cheese. Tender, juicy grilled chicken recipe with fantastic flavor!
My older sister, Jenn described this recipe to me at least 10 years ago and it’s one we enjoy repeating each grilling season. It’s so simple yet tastes like a dish much more complicated. It’s versatile and delicious and feels like a perfect summer dish.
Chicken With Pineapple and Cheese
If you’ve never had it or had anything similar then let me tell you that you are in for a real treat. This dish is packed with some smokey BBQ flavors from the grill and both sweet, caramelized, cheesy tangy goodness from all of the components that it’s really a great mixture of all things good in life. With the melted cheese on top of the pineapple and marinated chicken, this recipe is juicy, pretty, and easy to make.
Cheesy Pineapple Chicken Ingredients
-Canned Sliced Pineapple: You’ll need to use a 20 ounce can of sliced pineapple and 1/2 cup of the pineapple juice so make sure you don’t waste any!
-Chicken Breasts: Boneless and skinless chicken breasts work best for this recipe. You will need 3-4 breasts.
-Monterey Jack Cheese: We like to top our chicken with Monterey Jack cheese, but you can use mozzarella or even provolone if you’d like. About 8 or more slices will work.
-Salt and Pepper: Added to taste.
For the marinade, you will need:
-Soy Sauce: You will need 2/3 cups of soy sauce. This will help to add flavor and salty flavor to the chicken and works in the marinade to help tenderize the meat.
-Sherry: This cooking wine works great to help to add a sweet and nutty flavor to this recipe. You will need 1/3 cup of sherry.
-Ground Ginger: Adding in 1 teaspoon of ground ginger will make this dish well flavored.
-Garlic: You can use 1 clove of minced or chopped garlic depending on how big you want your garlic pieces to be.
-Olive Oil: 2 tablespoons of olive oil will act as the fat to help distribute the chicken marinade and get the flavors to blend seamlessly.
How to Make Cheesy Grilled Pineapple Chicken
Slice each chicken breast in half and then pound them thin.
Prepare Marinade
In a large Ziploc bag or bowl, add your soy sauce, sherry, ginger, garlic, and olive oil.
Open the can of pineapple juice and pour ½ cup into the Ziploc bag as well as the salt and pepper if desired.
Set aside the remaining pineapple for later.
Add the chicken to the bag or bowl, and let the mixture marinate for 5-6 hours, moving it around and flipping it over occasionally.
Cook
After the chicken has finished marinating, slice your cheese and fire up the grill.
Cook the chicken until it’s nearly done. You can add pineapple slices directly to the grill to warm them up if desired.
Assemble
When the chicken is almost finished, lay a piece of pineapple over the top and then cover the pineapple with cheese. Close the grill lid and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melting.
Remove from the grill and then serve with additional pineapple slices. Enjoy!
What is a Good Meat Thermometer?
A good meat thermometer is key. My all-time favorite meat thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great meat thermometer is the ThermoPop, a more basic version that works just as well!
CHEESY GRILLED PINEAPPLE CHICKEN
Ingredients
- 20 oz sliced pineapple {you'll use 1/2 cup of the juice + the pineapple}
- 8 slices Monterey Jack cheese
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper to taste
Marinade
- ⅔ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup sherry {cooking wine}
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 2 TBSP olive oil
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast in half and pound thin.
- Add the soy sauce, sherry, ginger, garlic and oil into a large ziplock bag. Open the can of pineapple and pour out 1/2 cup of pineapple juice and add that to the ziplock bag. I also add in a bit of salt and pepper. Set aside the remaining pineapple for later.
- Add the chicken and let marinate for 4-6 hours, turning the bag over occasionally.
- Fire up the grill and first cook the chicken until it's nearly done. I also like to lay the pineapple slices on the grill as well, to get them nice and hot.
- When the chicken is almost cooked through, slice the cheese. Lay a slice of pineapple on top, then cover the pineapple with a slice of cheese. Close the grill lid and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes, until cheese is melted.
- Make sure chicken is registering at 160°F with a cooking thermometer. Remove from grill and serve with additional slices of pineapple. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Can I freeze grilled pineapple chicken?
Yes, you can freeze this dish, but it’s best to do it when the chicken is marinading so that it’s ready to cook when you are. I often divide the recipe in half and freeze a marinading portion of chicken for later. Feel free to do what works for you!
What to serve with cheesy grilled pineapple chicken
This flavorful dish would be great when served alongside some cooked white rice or other tropical and Asian-inspired side dishes. Depending on your mood you can easily have it go with just about anything!
Can I use fresh pineapple?
You can use fresh pineapple if you cut it up and reserve juice or buy canned/bottled pineapple juice. This just means a lot more work on your part, but fresh pineapple does taste amazing on the grill so it could be well worth it!
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 165º 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!
Hungry for more? Try some more grilled chicken recipes!
- Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
- Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe
- BBQ Chicken with Pineapple Salsa Recipe
- Easy Smoked Chicken Legs Recipe
- Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe
- Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe
- BBQ Chicken Kabobs with Bacon and Pineapple Recipe
- Honey Glazed Chicken Wings Recipe
- Sweet and Spicy Grilled Sticky Chicken Recipe
- Ranch Chicken Kabobs Recipe
- Grilled Chicken BLT Salad Recipe
- Grilled Spatchcock Chicken Recipe
- BBQ Chicken Kabobs with Bacon
- Greek Chicken Souvlaki with Lemon Rice
- Ranch Chicken Bacon Kabobs
Cheesy grilled pineapple chicken is a simple and delicious summer recipe you’ll want to try again and again. Packed with flavor and minimal effort, it’s a win-win!
Christine Campbell says
Mmm! That looks delicious, and so easy to make. Must try. Thank you.<br />Christine<br />cicampbellblog.wordpress.com