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This recipe for Hawaiian BBQ chicken is so easy. It’s a delicious combination of chicken, BBQ sauce, pineapple, and more. Chicken is a neutral-tasting option and suits all kinds of flavors, so pairing it up with Hawaiian ingredients works perfectly. This dish is a great idea if you’re having a party and want to make something guaranteed to get everyone excited! Chicken and pineapple really is a winning combo.
This chicken and pineapple recipe offers such wonderful tropical flavors, as well as blending the sweet, tangy and savory elements for a mouthwatering result.
If you enjoy Hawaiian flavors, why not make slow cooker Hawaiian ribs or Hawaiian macaroni salad? And then treat yourself to a lava flow cocktail!
Why You’ll Love It
Delicious: Do you ever get tired of tropical chicken dishes? Nope, nobody ever does, and that’s because it tastes so good when prepared with pineapple juice, soy sauce and other popular Hawaiian ingredients. This perfect Hawaiian BBQ chicken at its finger-lickin’ best and every mouthful is a delight!
Versatile: This recipe goes with all kinds of tasty side dishes, such as rice, potato salad, macaroni or pasta salad, steamed veggies, or you can serve a large bowl of it as part of a buffet or party spread. Rest assured, it will disappear alarmingly fast once people realize how juicy it is!
Easy to make: It’s an easy recipe as well as a delicious one. To make Hawaiian BBQ chicken, you need to combine some ingredients for the sauce, grill the chicken, add the sauce and serve hot! The prep time is short too.
Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Chicken thighs: Although chicken breasts would work in this Hawaiian BBQ chicken recipe, chicken thighs do offer more in the way of flavor and succulence. With cooked chicken thighs usually stay more juicy.
BBQ sauce: Use any kind you like – sweet, smoky, spicy – anything!
Pineapple juice: For sweetness and tropical flavor.
Soy sauce: Adds a contrasting salty taste.
Brown sugar: For caramel-like sweetness.
Sesame oil: Adds a nutty flavor.
Extra pineapple: Grilling some canned or fresh pineapple to serve on the side is optional but highly recommended. It’s just so good with boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs.
How to Make Hawaiian BBQ Chicken
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Make the sauce: Whisk all the ingredients except the chicken together and boil for a few minutes or until thick. If you want, you can let the chicken marinate in this mixture.
Grill chicken: The next step in this Hawaiian barbecue chicken is to brush sauce over the skinless chicken thighs and grill for a few minutes over medium heat.
The finishing touches: Flip the chicken over, add extra marinade or reserved sauce and put some pineapple rings on the grill too, then close the lid and cook until done.
Serve: Serve the Hawaiian BBQ chicken hot, paired with your favorite sides.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free: Substitute the soy sauce for tamari sauce or a gluten free soy sauce and also make sure that the BBQ sauce that you use is gluten free.
Chicken: You can use either boneless thighs or skinless chicken breasts if you prefer or even turkey or pork.
Spice it up: Feel free to add some chili if you want to spice the chicken up a bit.
Pineapple: Fresh pineapple on the grill gives the Hawaiian chicken BBQ recipe an elegant accompaniment but canned pineapple slices taste pretty good too. Sliced pineapple isn’t essential here but it’s so good with the chicken!
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers: Begin your meal with one of these summer appetizers.
Side dishes: Contrasting side dishes to complement this juicy grilled chicken include jasmine rice, potato salad, pasta salad, Hawaii macaroni salad, and coleslaw. You could consider coconut rice instead of potato or pasta. Green onions add a splash of color to the main dish cuisine, and mixed sautéed bell peppers are amazing here too.
Dessert: Finish up with frozen mint julep slushies or watermelon boba popsicles.
How to Store Hawaiian BBQ Chicken
Store: Leftovers will keep fresh for up to a week if you keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. If you’ve had it at room temperature at a buffet or family BBQ though, it’s safer to toss the chicken. It might not be good to eat after more than an hour or so at room temperature.
Freeze: Freeze the chicken in freezer-safe bags or containers and use within 3 months. Don’t freeze the grilled pineapple though, or else it will get mushy.
Thaw: The best way to thaw this Hawaiian BBQ chicken recipe is overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Chicken thighs aren’t as easy to dry out as chicken breast but you still don’t want to run that risk, so warm the chicken back up in the oven or cut it into smaller pieces and microwave it for 15 second increments.
Top Tips
Cook extra pineapple: Even if you don’t use all the pineapple as a garnish or side for the chicken, you can enjoy it later, perhaps in a dessert or with your breakfast.
Don’t overcook the chicken: Once the chicken is 165 degrees F in the center, it’s cooked. Further cooking will just dry it out.
Multi-tasking: Get your sides ready while the chicken cooks. Remember, this recipe takes less than half an hour all-in!
Grilled Hawaiian BBQ Chicken FAQs
Sometimes the weather does its own thing regardless of what the forecast has promised. If that’s the case, don’t worry. This recipe can be baked in the oven. It will take around 40 minutes to cook them through in a 400 degrees F oven. Make sure you baste it a few times during the cooking time to lock in the flavor and help keep the chicken moist too.
Pineapple juice from a can, powdered garlic and ground ginger make things quick and easy. But if you’re out to impress (and love pineapple), you might prefer to use fresh pineapple for the juice (and the grilled pineapple rings) as well as fresh garlic and fresh ginger. If you’re doing this, it’s best to sauté the fresh garlic and ginger briefly before adding the remaining sauce ingredients to the pan, so they can soften a bit.
Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Recipe
Hawaiian BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 Pounds chicken thighs, about 8 pieces
- ½ Cup BBQ sauce
- 1 Cup pineapple juice
- ¼ Cup soy sauce
- ¼ Cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 Teaspoons sesame oil
- ½ Teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ Teaspoon ground ginger, or 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together BBQ sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic powder until fully combined.
- Bring to a boil for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken as it reduces. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl, the sauce will continue to thicken as it sits.
- Place your chicken thighs on a tray and use a pastry brush to coat all sides of the chicken thighs evenly.
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat then place the chicken thighs on the grill, brush on more of the BBQ sauce and cook for 7 minutes.
- Next, flip each piece, brush more sauce on and add the pineapples to the grill. Close and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Serve with rice and Hawaiian macaroni salad or your preferred sides.
Notes
Don’t overcook the chicken: Once the chicken is 165 degrees F in the center, it’s cooked. Further cooking will just dry it out.
Multi-tasking: Get your sides ready while the chicken cooks. Remember, this recipe takes less than half an hour all-in!
Nutrition
Hawaiian style BBQ chicken is ideal for a summer BBQ but equally tasty any other time of the year. Juicy chicken thighs team with ginger, garlic, pineapple, BBQ sauce and more, for an amazing result. You’ll be so impressed how juicy and absolutely delicious this recipe really is and the Hawaiian BBQ chicken marinade is just stunning.
Other Recipes to Try
- This Hawaiian Pork Tenderloin transforms into juicy deliciousness.
- Cheesy Baja Chicken & Bell Pepper Skillet is a fiesta of flavor for taco night!
- These Slow Cooker Hawaiian Ribs deliver maximum flavor with minimal fuss.
- Add some sophistication with Salted Butterscotch White Russians.
- Or whip up this Spiced Pineapple Hot Buttered Rum – it’s so good!
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
So simple yet packed with flavor—definitely making this again!
This is our new favorite way to make chicken on the BBQ!
This is the best chicken bbq that I’ve tried so far! My new favorite bbq recipe!
Okay to marinate overnight? Then boil down and use?
I haven’t done this but I don’t see why not! Let me know how it comes out.