Pineapple Barbecue Chicken
Published Aug 30, 2026
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This pineapple barbecue chicken recipe is a one-pan, 3-ingredient weeknight chicken dinner with plenty of sweet, tangy, savory flavor. It has juicy baked chicken breasts slathered with your favorite smoky barbecue sauce and topped with canned pineapple.
Juicy Baked Barbecue Chicken With Pineapple
This pineapple barbecue chicken recipe combines juicy baked chicken breasts with homemade barbecue sauce and tropical canned pineapple. It’s a delicious, easy chicken dinner that I can throw into the oven in 10 minutes on a busy weeknight, with enough time to whip up a side of rice or veggies while it bakes. Everything bakes in one pan, so cleaning up is just as quick.
When I have more time, I like to toss everything together in a baking dish ahead of time to let it marinate. The smoky, sweet-tangy flavors are so good, and they’re even better after an hour in the fridge.
I’ll serve this saucy pineapple BBQ chicken with corn ribs, a Hawaiian macaroni salad, or homemade mac and cheese for a summer cookout. Or, I add vegetables and turn it into my sheet pan Hawaiian chicken. I think you’re going to love it!
Why I Can’t Get Enough of This Pineapple Barbecue Chicken Recipe
- Only 3(ish) ingredients. Apart from salt and pepper, you need just chicken, your favorite barbecue sauce, and a can of pineapple.
- No grill needed, and just 10 minutes of hands-on prep. Afterward, let the chicken marinate or pop it straight into the oven.
- Family-friendly. Kids and adults love the mild, sweet-savory flavors of this barbecue chicken.
- Saucy pineapple chicken goes with everything! Since I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, it’s easy to shred the leftovers to make pulled chicken sandwiches or sliders. Sweet-sticky barbecue chicken is great for feeding a crowd on game day. Just sayin’.
For a variation without barbecue sauce, check out my recipe for Hawaiian baked chicken.
Only 3 Ingredients
All you need for this easy, one-pan tropical chicken recipe is the following ingredients, plus pantry staples like salt, pepper, and olive oil to season. See the recipe card below for the full recipe details.
- Chicken – I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Bone-in chicken or chicken thighs also work, though these will be juicier and will take longer to cook.
- Barbecue Sauce – Your favorite store-bought barbecue sauce will work, but I highly recommend my homemade honey barbecue sauce.
- Pineapple Chunks – Drained if you’re using canned. You can also chop up pineapple rings into smaller chunks.
Success Tips
- Check the chicken for doneness. The cooking time varies a little depending on the size and thickness of the chicken. Use an instant-read thermometer to check that the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
- Remember to drain the canned pineapple; otherwise, the dish will be too watery.
- If you’re using fresh pineapple, chop it into bite-sized chunks. It won’t be quite as juicy as canned pineapple, but the flavor will still be delicious.
- Spice it up. Go ahead and use a spicier barbecue sauce, or mix hot sauce in with what you have. You can also add diced jalapeños or chili flakes.
Serving Pineapple Barbecue Chicken
Turning this baked barbecue pineapple chicken into a meal is pretty effortless. It goes with just about anything, from a quick side of air fryer French fries to steamed broccoli. These are easy serving ideas loved by my family and friends.
- With rice: This saucy pineapple chicken goes great with a bed of jasmine rice or low-carb cauliflower rice for a filling meal.
- Cornbread: Serve this barbecue chicken with sweet potato cornbread or cornbread pancakes on the side.
- BBQ sides: Pair with comforting sides like loaded potato salad or slow cooker mac and cheese.
- Sandwiches: Shred the chicken and pile it onto fluffy Hawaiian rolls with coleslaw for easy BBQ chicken sliders.
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Pineapple Barbecue Chicken
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Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (breasts should be 4 ounces each)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup honey barbecue sauce, divided
- 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Prep the chicken. Grease a baking dish with cooking spray. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken breasts in the baking dish and top with 1/3 of the barbecue sauce; rub in the barbecue sauce, then top with pineapple chunks.
- Marinate. Add the remaining barbecue sauce on top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Remove the plastic wrap. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken.
- Bake. Bake the chicken 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.
- Serve. Remove from the oven; let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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 to Make Pineapple Barbecue Chicken
The three quick steps to make the juiciest, sweet-smoky pineapple barbecue chicken really couldn’t be easier. For best results, give your chicken at least 30 minutes to marinate in the BBQ sauce before baking.
- Prep the chicken. First, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add it to a greased baking dish with the barbecue sauce. Rub the sauce generously over the chicken, then top with pineapple chunks.
- Marinate. Cover the dish and place it in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours. This step is optional, but it does bring the flavor up several notches.
- Bake. When ready, take the chicken out of the fridge, drizzle it with olive oil, and bake it uncovered at 400ºF for 30-35 minutes. Rest the chicken for a few minutes after baking and before serving. Enjoy!
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate. Store the leftover pineapple barbecue chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat. Warm up the chicken in the oven covered in foil, or in the microwave.
- Freeze. Freeze this pineapple barbecue chicken in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag for up to 2 months. Thaw it fully in the fridge before reheating.
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!