BBQ Pineapple Chicken
This BBQ Pineapple Chicken is sweet, smoky, savory, and just a little spicy. It’s an easy baked chicken dinner loaded with tender chicken, bell peppers, onions, pineapple, barbecue sauce, and jalapeño.
We love this recipe because it feels like a tropical BBQ dinner without needing to fire up the grill. It’s simple enough for a weeknight, but still colorful and flavorful enough to serve when we want something fun.
For more easy chicken dinners, you may also love our chicken broccoli and rice casserole, honey garlic chicken drumsticks, or cheesy chicken potato bake.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy Dinner: Everything bakes together in one dish.
- Sweet and Savory: Pineapple and BBQ sauce make the best flavor combo.
- Family Friendly: The jalapeño can be adjusted to control the heat.
- Great With Rice: The extra sauce and juices are perfect spooned over rice.
Ingredients
We’ve made this list to help you save time on your next trip to the grocery store. You can find the full amounts needed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
This recipe uses boneless skinless chicken breasts, barbecue sauce, onion, bell peppers, pineapple chunks, jalapeño, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. The chicken gets coated in BBQ sauce before baking, while the peppers, onions, pineapple, and jalapeño add color, sweetness, and a little kick.
Variations
- Use Chicken Thighs: Boneless skinless thighs will stay extra juicy.
- Make It Spicier: Leave some jalapeño seeds in or add crushed red pepper.
- Try Different BBQ Sauce: Use honey BBQ, spicy BBQ, or smoky mesquite.
- Add More Veggies: Zucchini, mushrooms, or snap peas would work well.
Instructions
This is a quick overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Toss chopped chicken with 2/3 cup barbecue sauce and let it marinate for 15 minutes.
- Add some of the peppers and onions to the bottom of the dish. Place the chicken over the veggies, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic.
- Add the remaining veggies on top. Drizzle with the rest of the BBQ sauce. Sprinkle pineapple and diced jalapeño over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F. Serve over rice with the extra sauce spooned on top.
Expert Tips
- Cut the chicken into similar-sized pieces so it cooks evenly.
- Separate the onion layers so they are easier to eat with the peppers.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Add a small splash of water to the BBQ sauce if it is too thick to drizzle.
- Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving so the juices settle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Yes, just make sure it is thawed and drained before adding it to the dish.
It has mild heat from the jalapeño, but you can leave it out for a sweeter version.
Yes. You can chop the chicken and veggies ahead of time and store them separately until ready to bake.
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📖Recipe
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
BBQ Pineapple Chicken
Equipment
- 9 x 13 inch baking dish
- Mixing Bowl
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Spoon or spatula
- Cooking spray
- Meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup barbecue sauce divided
- 1 large onion chopped into bite-size pieces with layers separated
- 2 bell peppers red and/or green, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 12 ounces pineapple chunks fresh or frozen and thawed
- 1 jalapeño seeded and diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- Cooking spray
- Optional: small splash of water to thin the barbecue sauce
- Cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped chicken with 2/3 cup of the barbecue sauce. Toss well to coat and let marinate for 15 minutes.
- Spread one-third of the chopped onion and bell peppers evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Add the marinated chicken on top of the vegetables.
- Season the chicken with the salt, black pepper, and minced garlic.
- Spread the remaining onion and bell peppers over the chicken.
- Drizzle the remaining barbecue sauce over the top. If needed, add a small splash of water to make it easier to pour.
- Sprinkle the pineapple chunks evenly over the top, then add the diced jalapeño.
- Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Serve over cooked rice and spoon the sauce and juices over the top.
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
We love this Pineapple Chicken and all the fun veggies. So much flavor and crunch! Thanks for sharing!!