Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Salsa
Submitted by CharlesC
Grilled chicken breasts topped with a fresh pineapple, red bell pepper, green onion and cilantro salsa. Bright, tropical, weeknight-friendly in 30 minutes.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
15 minREADY
30 minBright tropical pineapple salsa over fast-grilled chicken breasts. Twenty minutes of work, thirty minutes total, dinner on the table for four. The pineapple-red-pepper-green-onion-cilantro salsa is the star here; the chicken is the canvas.
Pound the chicken breasts to even thickness before grilling. The recipe mentions it lightly, but it really matters: uneven breasts cook unevenly, leaving you with overcooked thin ends and underdone thick centers. Bash to ½ inch all the way across.
Make the salsa first and let it stand at room temperature while you grill. The salt and pepper draw juice from the pineapple, the green onions soften slightly, and the flavors meld into something that tastes more developed than something whisked together at the last second.
Eight minutes of total grill time is the sweet spot. Three to four minutes per side over medium-high heat with two or three turns. Pull when the outside has nice grill marks and the center reads 165°F (74°C) on a thermometer. Resting one minute lets the juices redistribute.
Serve over rice, with black beans, or alongside grilled corn.
Pro Tips
- Use fresh pineapple if possible. Canned crushed pineapple works for a softer salsa, but fresh dice gives you crunch and brighter flavor.
- Add a small minced jalapeño or a pinch of chili flakes to the salsa for heat. The recipe is mild as written.
- Brush the grill rack with oil before laying chicken down. Sticky proteins shred when you try to flip them; oiled grates release cleanly.
- Save 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice and brush the chicken with it during the last minute of grilling for caramelized glaze.
Variations
- Add diced mango or papaya alongside the pineapple for a multi-fruit tropical salsa.
- Squeeze a fresh lime over the finished plate for an acid-bright finish.
- Substitute grilled shrimp for chicken; reduces the cook time to 2 minutes per side.
Ingredients
Directions
Light a medium-hot fire in a BBQ grill.
Pound the chicken breasts slightly to flatten evenly.
Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Finely dice the red pepper.
In a medium bowl, stir together the pineapple with its juice.
Season with salt and generously with pepper to taste.
Let stand at room temperature while you cook the chicken.
On an oiled grill rack, grill the chicken a total of about 8 minutes, turning 2 or 3 times, until the chicken is nicely browned on the outside and white but still moist in the center.
Serve the chicken topped with a generous spoonful of Garnish with the remaining green onion slices and sprigs of pineapple salsa. Garnish with the remaining green onion slices and prigs of cilantro.
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