This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Step up your chicken game with this pineapple throne chicken recipe.  Full of flavor, this tropical delight is one for the books.  The tenderness of the chicken, juiciness from the pineapple and crunch from the salsa will have you dreaming of a beach vacation all day long.  

Pineapple Throne Chicken

Step 1: How to grill the perfect pineapple throne chicken.

Have you heard of beer can chicken?  Well, this recipe is similar but you grill a whole chicken on a pineapple core.  The sweetness and juiciness from the fruit will penetrate into the bird while it cooks over the warm charcoal.  

To get started, chop off the leafy top.  Next, slice around the bottom of the pineapple to mark the base.  Finally, peel off the rind and cut off the top portion of the fruit just leaving the core in the middle.  Leave the cut off pineapple for a homemade salsa.

Pineapple Thrown Chicken

Take the whole chicken, season with your choice of sweet BBQ rub and set it on the pineapple core.  

Preheat the grill to 375 degrees and set for indirect heat.  Place the chicken onto the grill and cook from about 1 hour or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.  While that’s grillin, time to get started on the salsa.

Dad’s Seasonings

Must have grillin seasonings!

Step 2: Best homemade pineapple salsa.

Pineapple Salsa Ingredients
Pineapple Salsa

It would be a shame to waste all that cut off pineapple, so instead, why not make a homemade salsa. This will add more flavor and crunch to the recipe. 

Start with dicing up the left over pineapple, red bell pepper, jalapeno, red onion and cilantro.  Add salt and freshly squeezed lime juice.  Mix the ingredients together and set aside.

Step 3: How to make Huli Huli sauce.

Huli Huli sauce glaze

Last but not least, this Huli Huli sauce will bring this pineapple throne chicken recipe together.  It is a traditional Hawaiian sweet and spice sauce that I used as a glaze at the end of the cook.

In a saucepan, add soy sauce, ketchup, pineapple juice, mirin, grated ginger, grated garlic, light brown sugar and chili paste.  Mix the ingredients together over a low simmer and cook until the sauce thickens. 

Once the chicken reaches an internal temp of 140 degrees, glaze the entire bird with the Huli Huli sauce.  Let it finish cooking, then rest for 10 minutes and enjoy!

Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I make this in the oven or stove top?

All my recipes can be replicated in the oven, stove top or gas grill. You do not need a big green egg or weber grill to replicate any of my recipes.

Similar Recipe Ideas:

Printer friendly recipe and video below:

4.63 from 54 votes

Pineapple Throne Chicken

Step up your chicken game with this pineapple throne chicken recipe.  Full of flavor, this tropical delight is one for the books.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 People

Ingredients 

  • 1 Whole chicken
  • 4 tbsp Sweet BBQ rub
  • 1 Pineapple

Salsa

  • 1 cup Chopped leftover pineapple
  • 1 Red bell pepper
  • 1 Jalapeno
  • 1/2 Red onion
  • 1/2 cup Cilantro
  • 1/2 tbsp Salt
  • 2 Limes

Huli Huli Sauce

  • 1/4 cup Soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup Ketchup
  • 1/2 cup Light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup Pineapple juice
  • 2 tbsp Mirin
  • 1 tbsp Chili paste
  • 1 tbsp Freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tbsp Fresh grated garlic

Instructions 

  • Chop off the leafy top.  Next slice around the bottom of the pineapple to mark the base.  Finally, peel off the rind and cut off the top portion of the fruit just leaving the core in the middle.  Set aside the cut off pineapple for a homemade salsa.
  • Season the whole chicken with sweet bbq rub and set it on the pineapple core.  
  • Preheat the grill to 375 degrees and set for indirect heat.  Place the chicken onto the grill and cook from about 1 hour or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. 
  • For the homemade salsa, dice up the left over pineapple, red bell pepper, jalapeno, red onion and cilantro.  Add salt and freshly squeezed lime juice.  Mix the ingredients together and set aside.
  • To make the Huli Huli sauce, in a saucepan, add soy sauce, ketchup, pineapple juice, mirin, grated ginger, grated garlic, light brown sugar and chili paste.  Mix the ingredients together over a low simmer and cook until the sauce thickens. 

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 890mg | Potassium: 680mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 1109IU | Vitamin C: 117mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Check out the Recipes Page for other tasty ideas!

About Maciek

I make easy meals that anyone can replicate at home. I’m not a professionally trained chef, just your average guy that likes to fire up the grill. So follow along and see what’s cooking today!

You May Also Like:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




19 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Excellent! New favorite in our house. Especially love the pineapple salsa. The huli holiday sauce is perfect for this recipe.

  2. 5 stars
    I made it, looked just like yours, was delicious, juicy. Salsa was amazing n huli sauce was divine

  3. 3 stars
    Loved the salsa. The chicken was under seasoned with just the barbecue rub. Next time I’ll definitely add other seasonings.

  4. This looks gorgeous,can I ask if u have a recipe for the sweet BBQ rub as in Ireland we cannot get a dry rub only sauce in a bottle .
    I would like to try this recipe as it looks really good and thank you for the recipe .I would also like to try your other recipes .

  5. 5 stars
    Seriously this is just a brilliant recipe. Fresh healthy goodness – I would maybe cut down the brown sugar in the sauce but otherwise wouldn’t change a thing. So yummy can’t wait to make it again 🙂

  6. 5 stars
    Came out spectacularly…. Although my chicken fell over in the grill and could not sit back upright.

    Juicy, flavorful and perfectly cooked.