Tender pineapple chicken brings some tropical flavor to your weeknight dinner routine. Sweet, savory, and a little bit spicy, it’s guaranteed to be a hit!

Overhead view of pineapple chicken in bowl with white rice

If you love pineapple combined with savory flavors (like these Grilled Pineapple & Tofu Kebabs, or on pizza—hey, there’s no judgment here!), you’re going to flip for this pineapple chicken recipe. It combines juicy, golden pineapple with tender marinated chicken to create a perfect balance of sweet and savory, umami flavor. A little bit of sriracha adds some heat, but in a warm, pleasant, not-scorching-hot kind of way.

What Makes This Pineapple Chicken Perfection on a Plate

It’s hard to put into words how much I love this recipe! (But if I could put it into visuals, it would definitely be a heart-eye emoji.) Here’s what makes it so fantastic:

The sweet, tangy, umami, and spicy marinade. Basically, this marinade has ALL the flavor and you’re going to love it. It also helps ensure that the chicken turns out juicy and tender.
True pineapple flavor. Some pineapple recipes have you using canned pineapple, which leans heavily on the sweet side. By using fresh pineapple, the flavor in this pineapple chicken is more vibrant and nuanced, with a little bit of acidity to balance the sweetness.
Versatile. Serve pineapple chicken with some traditional sides, add it to a meal bowl, or even use it as an addition to a salad. Any way you serve it, it's going to be delicious!

Overhead view of ingredients for pineapple chicken

What You’ll Need

Here’s a quick list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this epic pineapple chicken recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

For the Marinade:

Pineapple juice – I recommend using fresh pineapple juice for the best flavor.
Soy sauce – Or use tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten-free version.
Rice wine vinegar – Also known as rice vinegar. Be sure to use unseasoned.
Honey – For a lovely natural sweetness.
Sriracha – Feel free to adjust the amount to your liking.
Olive oil

For the Chicken and Pineapple:

Chicken breasts – Thinly pounded for even cooking.
Fresh pineapple – If fresh isn’t an option, you can use frozen, but don’t use canned; it’s so soft, it will simply fall apart in the sauce.
Red pepper flakes – This can also be adjusted for a milder or spicier dish.
Salt and pepper
Cilantro or green onions – For garnish.

How to Make Pineapple Chicken

Below you’ll find a visual overview of the steps involved in making this pineapple chicken recipe.

Overhead view of marinade for pineapple chicken — Make the marinade.

Overhead view of chicken in bowl of marinade — Make the marinade.

Marinate the chicken. Whisk together the marinade ingredients and reserve half. Add the chicken to the other half and marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.

Overhead view of chicken breasts cooked on sheet pan — Bake the chicken.

Overhead view of sauce and pineapple in pan — Bake the chicken.

Bake the chicken. Discard the marinade, season the chicken, and bake at 400ºF for 20 to 25 minutes.
Make the pineapple sauce. Add the reserved marinade and red pepper flakes to a pan and bring it to a simmer. Add the pineapple and cook until the fruit is tender and the sauce is thickened.
Assemble. Plate the chicken with the pineapple and sauce, then garnish as desired.

Tips and Variations

Here are some tips and variations to help you customize this pineapple chicken recipe to your tastes.

Don’t over-marinate. Pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain, which is awesome for tenderizing meat because it breaks down proteins. But the flip-side of this is if you leave the chicken in the marinade too long, it will get mushy. Do not marinate more than the 2 hours recommended in this recipe.
Add some vegetables. Adding bell peppers or red onions would be delicious in this recipe! I recommend baking the veggies on a sheet pan with the chicken and then stirring them into the sauce.
Cook it in a skillet. You can cook the chicken in a nonstick skillet, then transfer it to a plate and cook the sauce and pineapple.

Spooning sauce over pineapple chicken in bowl with rice

Serving Suggestions

Pineapple chicken is perfect for serving over a bed of steamed white rice, brown rice, or cooked quinoa. You can also pair it with a veggie side like Easy Roasted Zucchini or Roasted Butternut Squash, or a crisp, refreshing salad like Asian Cucumber Salad or Asian Slaw.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Refrigerator: Store any leftover pineapple chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Transfer leftovers to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Reheating: Warm leftovers in a nonstick skillet set over medium heat or in the microwave.

Two bowls of pineapple chicken with white rice with pan of sauce and pineapple

More Easy Chicken Dinner Ideas

Prep: 10

Marinating Time: 2

Total: 2 10

Ingredients

For the marinade:

1 cup fresh pineapple juice unsweetened
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon Sriracha
1 ½ tablespoon olive oil

For the chicken and pineapple:

4 chicken breasts pounded thin
0.5 pound fresh pineapple cored, cut into quarters
1 good pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Additional:

Chopped cilantro or thinly sliced green onions for garnish

Instructions

Marinate the chicken:

Add fresh pineapple juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, Sriracha, and olive oil to a large bowl. Whisk until combined. Reserve half the marinade and set it aside.
Place the chicken between two pieces of plastic foil and pound it until evenly thin, a little less than ½-inch thick (between ¼-inch to ½-inch thick).
Add the chicken to the prepared marinade. You can also slice the chicken in half by length, so you get two pieces out of each chicken breast.
Cover the bowl with the plastic foil and refrigerate the chicken for 2 hours.

Bake the chicken:

Heat oven to 400F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off the excess. Discard the marinade in which your chicken was marinated. Add the chicken pieces to the baking tray. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper, just a pinch.
Bake the chicken for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165F.

Make the pineapple and assemble:

Add the reserved marinade and red pepper flakes to the saucepot. Set the saucepot over the stove. Bring the marinade to a simmer. Simmer it for 2-3 minutes, then add pineapple slices. Cook the pineapple slices and cook until tender, for 6-8 minutes, and the cooking liquid is reduced and slightly thickened.
Remove the chicken from the oven and serve on a plate. Add the pineapple slices and pour over the cooking pineapple liquid.
Garnish the chicken and pineapples with chopped parsley or sliced green onions.

Notes

You can make this recipe in a skillet if you want. Cook the marinated chicken in a skillet for 4-5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet, add reserved marinade, simmer it, then add the pineapple slices and cook until tender.
Serve the pineapple chicken with some rice or cooked quinoa.
If you do not like spicy food, you can omit the Sriracha and red pepper flakes.
Instead of pounding the chicken with a meat mallet, you can cut the chicken breasts in half by length. Also, if you end up with thin chicken, adjust the baking temperature.

Nutrition

cuisine: American

course: Dinner, Main Course