Pineapple Barbecue Chicken is a delicious dinner that is perfect for a quick meal. The sweet and tangy flavors of the barbecue sauce and pineapples complement the chicken perfectly, and the dish is sure to be a hit.
Juicy chicken prepared with pineapples in a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce!
FRIENDS! If you’ve never combined pineapples, barbecue sauce, and chicken in one baking dish, THIS is your time! This is it!
Pineapple barbecue chicken is a delicious and tropical twist on a classic barbecue dish. It’s a perfect option for an easy and quick dinner, but also great for a crowd.
You know, it’s almost May, and since grilling season has yet to “officially” start, I went ahead and used the oven for this super easy, 3-ish ingredient recipe.
Barbecue chicken with pineapple is a dish that combines chicken breasts with a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, plus a handful of pineapple chunks. The chicken is typically marinated in the sauce before it is cooked, but that’s optional and totally up to you if you want to wait that long.
But yeah. If you’ve ever wanted to fall face first into a pile of pineapple chicken, here’s your chance.
This is so simple to make, you guys.
Ingredients for Barbecue Sauce Chicken
- Four boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Salt and pepper.
- Barbecue Sauce.
- 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks.
- Olive oil.
How To Make Barbecue Chicken with Pineapples
Basically…
- First, you’re going to season the chicken with salt and pepper;
- Then, you’ll add some barbecue sauce (I highly recommend my Homemade Honey Barbecue Sauce! ) over the chicken breasts, rub it all in, pile all the pineapples on top, cover with plastic wrap and let it chill for a bit. For about 30 minutes to 2 hours. You don’t have to do that, but it does bring the flavor up several notches.
- When ready, take the chicken out of the fridge, drizzle with olive oil and boom! I mean, first BAKE, then BOOM!
- Bake, then appreciate.
…and thhhh thhhhh that’s all folks!
This dish is a great option for a summer cookout or a weeknight dinner, and it is sure to be a hit with both adults and kids.
P.S. Don’t like barbecue sauce!? Check out my awesome recipe for Hawaiian Baked Chicken!
More Barbecue Sauce Recipes
- PINEAPPLE BARBECUE SAUCE GLAZED MEATBALLS
- CROCK POT PINEAPPLE BARBECUE SAUCE PORK CHOPS
- BARBECUE PINEAPPLE AND PORK SKEWERS
ENJOY!
Pineapple Barbecue Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (breasts should be 4 ounces each)
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- ½ cup low sugar honey barbecue sauce, divided
- 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Grease a baking dish with cooking spray.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the chicken breasts in a baking dish and top with 1/3 of the barbecue sauce; rub in the barbecue sauce, then top with pineapple chunks.
- Add remaining barbecue sauce on top and cover with plastic wrap; place in the fridge for 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400˚F. Remove plastic wrap. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken.
- Bake uncovered for 32 to 35 minutes or until the chicken's internal temperature reads 165˚F. Use an Instant Read Meat Thermometer to check for doneness. Cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts.
- Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How do I save a recipe? I don’t see a favorite button!
HI!
There’s an “Add To Favorites” button toward the top, before the beginning of the post, under all the sharing buttons. I also have the same button located toward the bottom, right underneath the recipe card. Do you not see it? Please let me know so I can look into it.
Do you think I could leave this in fridge all day while at work then cook it
Hi!
Yes, definitely. Just don’t leave chicken soaking any longer than say overnight. Too long in marinade and the chicken will be tough and stringy.
Turned out well. So tasty, the flavors blended well. Chicken was really .
No leftovers!
What do you serve this with?
I serve it with a side of broccolini or roasted cauliflower, but it tastes really, really good served with mashed potatoes or rice. 😊
Can u use frozen chicken
I add baby corn, sliced water chestnuts and serve it over rice with some steamed broccoli! Love the fact that you can switch this up with anything you want to add! This time I used teriyaki flavored BBQ sauce! Awesome recipe!!
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
If I want to add baby corn when do I put it in?
This was delicious. I added onion and also added some shredded coconut in the last 10 minutes and served with rice. Super delicious!
That’s great! I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Hi, I ran out of pineapple so tried with fresh mandarin oranges cut into slices. It turned out great and was thankful for this recipe for inspiration and will try again when we get pineapple!
That’s great! I will have to try that! Thank YOU! 🙂
I never count salt & pepper as ingredients, they belong on everything 🙂
Was good,but I way too much watery liquid when it was all done. Not sure if it was from thechicken, or the pineapple, or if my Sweetbaby ray’s was toothin….but the sauce was not thick enough to even stay on the chicken when done. Next time I’ll save some sauce for the side, or try a different way to heat them I guess.
Can you use chicken quarters
I’m sure you can use anything you want. Make the recipe yours.
Excellent recipe. Tried today and the taste was fabulous. This one goes in my favorites pile.
Cooked longer, but that is based on personal preference.
Thanks!
I’ve made this 3 times now (making it tonight for my boyfriend) and I’ve found that if you put a sliced green pepper in it, it makes it a little spicy and makes it more of a sweet-and-sour type dish. Super yummy!
What is bakingtemp? Thank you
Two months later, and no oven baking temp! Maybe everyone is assuming 350, but I hate to assume. Also, the pics show both uncut breasts AND cut up meat, but nowhere does the recipe mention cutting the meat. Grrrrr.
The oven temp is in Step #6 inside the recipe box found down at the bottom past all the pics. Oven temp is 400F.
That’s not cut up meat – those are the pineapple chunks.
Thanks for the bell pepper tip!
Instead of adding all the BBQ sauce first, I put just enough in to marinade. I then.checked to see if there was to much liquid then drained / or not. Added the rest of BBQ sauce. Serven with rice and salad. YUMMY!
I too added green pepper! Delicious. Someone else mentioned Broccoli. Might try that next time. And yes over rice too!
What are your cooking directions if this is made in a slow cooker ? (High, low, 6 hours, 12 hours etc)
John Finn,
Slow cook it for 1-2 hours on LOW, until chicken registers 160º-165ºF. Check it after 1 hours if your slow cooker runs hot.My Cuisinart 3.5qt cooks chicken breasts in 1.5 hours,
Can you grill this?
Of course!
I’m going to answer a couple comm, and hope blog chef doesn’t mind! 🤍🤍🤍🤍
Yes of course you can grill. Just grill as normal, and pan make sauce on stove. It’s better in oven, though, as juicy is as juicy does!
Yes, you can add anything you want into it, but it’s up to you… but.. the beauty of the recipe is the best juicy taste with just a few ingredients. I think a sliced red pepper, vidalia onion, and chunked pineapple is the perfect combination. It’s all up to you. I like this so much with steamed rice, never tried mashed potatoes, with it, but sounds yummy also.
Just experimenting is fun, hey? Thank you to the super nice lady that posted this recipe. I love her blog! I’m going to have this tonight.. will betossing in a handful of whole garlic cloves. They bake up much less strong, almost a soft nutty finish. Think the honey bbq sauce is made for this chicken! Enjoy your experiments, kids! Love from me to you, Jill in the kitchen
This looks delicious! I love the summer flavors. I’ll have to give this a try!
Mmmmnn, sweet and savory just like I like chicken!
Could I cook rice under the chicken and use the drained pineapple juice as some of the rice cooking liquid and how? Thanks!
This was awesome! I added jalapenos to this prior to cooking and it added a spicy kick!
I’m wondering where the 450 mg of sodium per serving is coming from – anyway to cut down on that ?
Hi! Yep, you can cut down on the salt, but will need to find a barbecue sauce that is low in sodium.
Was wondering if you drain the pineapple before adding it to the chicken.
Yes the recipe states pineapple drained I wpnder that also so iI read closely making this today with rice yum
I loved this!!!! What an easy and tasty dinner. My kids absolutely loved it, and they can be really picky :). I made it exactly as written. I used sweet baby rays honey barbq sauce. And I paired it with white rice and broccoli. Definitely added to my weekly menus :))))
How about Chicken Thighs? Was thinking of trying it with them but wondered about the fat getting really greasy at the bottom. Boneless Skinless of course, so might be ok… maybe i’ll raise them on a rack? What’s your opinion? BTW I’ve made this recipe a few times with breasts and it’s amazing!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Was wondering if I can let it sit in the refrigerator for more than 2 hours? We like to eat dinner kind of early and it would work better for me to throw the dish together in the morning and cook when I get home. Thoughts?
I went to culinary school. The reason they are telling you to let sit is so that the flavors can soak into the chicken. The longer the better (up to about 24 hrs. At that point you need to use it as chicken thawed is only good for about 48 hours)
Silly question but I don’t have much experience cooking chicken, but I live in Colorado. Do I need to increase my cooking time since I’m in high altitude? And if yes by how much?
I live in Denver and I may adjust my baking times by a few, but rarely my meal dishes …. it’s more depending on the accuracy of your oven temps 🙂 Cook for the allotted time initially and check with a meat thermometer to ensure it’s cooked thru 🙂
Made this tonight and it was a hit, and so quick and easy! I always use thighs and they turned out very juicy and tender. Served it over rice. Next time I will add more sauce and maybe cut the chicken into bite size pieces.
Do you have to put it in the fridge first? that makes the prep time so much longer. im wondering if you can just put it right into the oven.
Hi! You can most definitely just pop it in the oven. I like to put it in the fridge when I have a bit of time just to heighten the flavor a bit and soften the chicken.
They said you didnt have to put it in the fridge but that it would give it more taste just like marinating
Someone asked the purpose of the olive oil, but I didn’t see the response. Im curious too about the olive oil. is it necessary?
Hi! No, you don’t have to use it, but it does add flavor. That’s all. 😀
I love thi recipe will make it many times over, can I also substitute turkey for the chicken?
Hi Paula! I have not made/tested this recipe with turkey meat, but if you give it a try, please let me know! I’d love to hear how it went. 🙂
This recipe sounds great. I’m also thinking of preparing this with boneless pork chops!
That sounds good… I wonder what it of pork to use that would be tender. Maybe a pork tenderloin??
I also made this tonight. I let it sit in the refrigerator for about the hour and drizzled w/ olive oil. The ONLY thing I did different was use more BBQ sauce (Jack Daniels #7) – I eyeballed it. I also drizzled some pineapple juice as well into pan as well. It made a GREAT sauce to put on top of that white rice I served it with.
Thank you so much, I’ve made this four times in the last month at my family’s request. Last night we had a big gathering and everybody raved about it. I can’t believe how easy it is when it’s such a slam dunk! I use boneless chicken thighs and it’s delicious.
I’m definitely going to add this to my meal plan for next week! I would say oil, S&P are ingredients since they go into the dish, buuut you could just say “3 MAIN ingredients.”
Can I freeze this after I make it up? I’m looking for good make-ahead recipes and this looks like a good candidate. 🙂
Hi!
Yes, you can definitely freeze this. Place the cooled down chicken in a freezer bag and then pour the pineapple sauce over the chicken and put in the freezer.
This chicken is fantastic. Thanks.
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I have this sitting in my fridge right now, can’t wait for my hubby to get home so I can cook it, looks delish….
Thank You!!
I hope you’ll enjoy it!! 🙂
It was a huge hit!!
My husband and I Loved it sOoOoOo much!!
Thank You So Much!!
That is so awesome!!! Very happy you enjoyed it! 😀
I made my own pineapple bbq sauce. Was even better
I LOVE homemade bbq sauce!! I have a recipe on here for that, too, but would love to know yours! 😀
I made this tonight and it was great. I used your bbq sauce recipe but used pineapple juice instead of lemon juice. I also added some minced garlic.
Very happy you enjoyed it!! Thank YOU! :-))) So you used lemon juice in the bbq sauce? That sounds really good!! Did you like it? I’m sure it wasn’t as sweet, but healthier, for sure! 😀
Can you use chicken tenders instead? Have any idea about the difference in cook time? Super excited to try this!
Hi! Yep, you can definitely use chicken tenders, but I would start checking for doneness around the 25ish minute mark. I would highly suggest using a meat thermometer – chicken is done at 165F. I hope this helps. Have a great weekend ahead! 🙂
any thoughts on adding brown sugar crumbles on top before baking? Also, 40 minutes seems like a LONG time to cook it at 400…. is this correct??
I love fresh pineapple. Can fresh be used in this recipe, or is canned the only way to go?
Oh yes, you can definitely use fresh pineapple. 🙂
Thank you!
I wonder how this would do in the crock pot? I want to try it at work and can oñly use a crock pot. Also what do you think would be an easy side dish that can just be microwaved at work?
I’m wondering the same thing… also how could I use this in the instant pot.
Hi! I know I left this reply previously for the commenter above you, but my response is missing! So sorry!
For all oven to crock pot recipes, I have found this website to be super helpful >>> https://civilizedcavemancooking.com/meal-plans/converting-oven-recipes-to-crockpot/
They suggest to only convert oven to crock-pot recipes that take at least 1 hour in the oven, and to reduce the liquid by half.
In as far as cooking in the instant pot, I honestly have no idea. I am in an instant pot group on Facebook and they have been very helpful with figuring out the IP; this is the group >> https://www.facebook.com/groups/InstantPotCommunity/
I hope this helps! 🙂
What is the purpose of the oil? Is it necessary?
Dinner tonight, without a doubt! 😀
Love pineapples, they give so much extra flavor!
This looks so flavorful! Perfect to feed the family!
Wow! This chicken looks awesome!
Doing this tonight with pork chops instead of chicken. I’m thinking it will be equally good! Thanks for an easy recipe for a busy night.
I bet that was delicious! I love pork with pineapples and bbq sauce! 😀 I have a slow cooker version for that right here: https://diethood.com/crock-pot-pineapple-barbecue-sauce-pork-chops-recipe/
Well, too late for the crockpot this time, BUT I do have some French fried onions in the cabinet that I will sprinkle on top. Serving with some yellow rice with black beans and peppers. Can’t wait!
Hi! This looks delicious! Do you think I could put the ingredients together in the morning & cook after work or would that be too long in the refrigerator? Looking forward to trying it! Thanks!
Hi!! So, chicken in a marinade that contains vinegar or acid (bbq sauce contains vinegar) should not be left to marinate for longer than 2 hours because acid breaks down tissue and can toughen the chicken. To be completely honest, I hardly ever have time to let this sit in the fridge – I just throw it together and pop it in the oven. 😀
Thank you!!! I’ll just go that route then and put it in right away! I appreciate the advice:)
Making it right now. How about some fresh broccoli and fresh sliced carrots. Kind of like sweet and sour. But with bbq. Over rice. I’m going to try it.
That sounds so, sooo good!! I hope you enjoyed it!
That looks just delicious!!
I’m going to make this tonight. Do I bake it or cook on stove? If baking it what temp and for how long?
Hi!! Can you see the recipe up there right above these comments? All the steps on how to make this are written up there. Please let me know if it isn’t coming up for you.
This looks amazing. I must be blind though because I don’t see anywhere what temp you bake it for 40 minutes at/
Hi!! 🙂 It’s under the instructions, step #6.
6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400F.
7. Remove plastic wrap.
8. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken.
9. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes, or until chicken’s internal temperature reads 165F.
10. Remove from oven and serve.
If you have a minute, please let me know if you were able to find this information in the recipe card on my website. I would like to know so I can see to fix it, just in case that maybe some of you aren’t able to see all the instructions.
Yep I was right; I am blind. Thanks for pointing it out.
LOL! 😀 I do the same thing! I just want to read through everything real quick, but because of that, I always end up missing the most important information! 😀
I made this in my crock pot it was very good but I really think in the oven would be better.
I made this tonight and it was great! Super easy and will definitely make it again. Even my picky 7 year old liked it. I served it over wild rice.
YAAAY!! So happy you liked it! 😀 Thank YOU!
I noticed that you added a green seasoning on top of the dish, like parsley or thyme. Can you please tell me what it is, because you left it out of the recipe.
Hi! That’s dried parsley. 🙂
I was wondering also. Glad I read through the comments before asking. It was not in the instructions.
OMG! This was so good. No leftovers. Will do again.
I am a sucker for pineapple! I need to try this very soon!
BBQ sauce and pineapple are a winning combo! I think that pairing this chicken dish with a New England style IPA would amplify the flavors:)
I’ve made several of your recipes and have enjoyed each one. I’m going to make this soon.
Thank you so much for all your help in making meals simple to prepare and delicious.
This sounds wonderful to me! I love bbq chicken pizza with pineapple so I know I’ll love this!
This is so crazy easy to make! 🙂 Definitely adding this to my weekly meal plan soon.
I love the combination of the smokey BBQ sauce and the sweet pineapple.
I want to put this on a bun and eat it like a slider!
Hi, looks amazing. I wonder if this recipe can also be made with bone in chicken thighs and legs. I love chicken, and my favorite for flavor is chicken thighs. Let me know what you think, OK!
As an experiment I made this with boneless chicken thighs in one pan and chicken breasts in the other (I always have to make two pans because my family can’t get enough of it). Results were unanimous: the thighs were a hundred percent improvement over the breasts, incredibly juicy and tender while the breasts come out a little drier and just don’t take in the flavour as well. So I highly recommend the thighs, and just cook them the same way and time as you would with chicken breasts.
I love it!! Chicken thighs are always soooo much better. Thank you for chiming in! 😀
I love the smoky, spiciness of the barbecue sauce with the sweet/tart of the pineapple…this dish looks amazing!