Spicy-Sweet Grilled Chicken

By Liv Dansky | August 27th, 2025

This dish is all about the sweet heat

Made with pineapple, avocado, and chipotle, Spicy-Sweet Grilled Chicken strikes the perfect balance. Enzymes in the fresh pineapple help tenderize the chicken breasts in only 15 minutes. Be sure to take them out of the marinade after the 15 minutes is up to prevent the meat from breaking down. To save time, you can use pre-cut pineapple.

Spicy-Sweet Grilled Chicken & Pineapple with Avocado

Serves 6

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 large fresh pineapple (about 3 pounds)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 (7-ounce) can chipotles in adobo sauce, divided
2 tablespoons honey
4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 ripe avocados, cut into wedges

Directions:

Peel and core pineapple. Cut the pineapple flesh into planks about 1 inch thick and 3 inches long to yield about 2 cups. Place the sliced pineapple, oil and 1 tablespoon adobo in a medium bowl; toss until combined.
Finely chop more pineapple to yield about 1/4 cup. Transfer the chopped pineapple to a large bowl along with any accumulated juices. (Reserve remaining pineapple for another use.)
Finely chop 2 to 3 chipotles to yield roughly 2 tablespoons; add to the large bowl with the chopped pineapple. Whisk in honey and 1/4 cup adobo. (Reserve remaining chipotles and adobo for another use.) Add chicken; toss to coat. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Preheat grill to high (450 F to 500 F). Remove the pineapple planks from the marinade; place on oiled grates (reserve remaining marinade). Grill, uncovered, turning once, until charred and tender, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a large platter.
Remove the chicken from the marinade; sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt (discard chicken marinade). Grill the chicken on oiled grates, uncovered and turning once, until the outside is caramelized and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 165 F, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Brush the tops of the breasts with the reserved pineapple marinade; grill for 1 minute more. Transfer to the platter with the pineapple.
Serve the chicken breasts whole or sliced with the grilled pineapple and fresh avocado. Season everything evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt before serving.

Recipe nutrition per serving: 300 Calories, Total Fat: 15 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 83 mg, Carbohydrates: 15 g, Fiber: 6 g, Total Sugars: 7 g, Protein: 27 g, Sodium: 473 mg, Potassium: 765 mg, Phosphorus: 281 mg, Iron: 1 mg, Folate: 75 mcg, Calcium: 21 mg, Vitamin A: 226 IU, Vitamin C: 33 mg, Vitamin D: 1 IU.

Also try Peachy Twice-Baked Barbecued Chicken

And these grilled sides: Sweet Peppers & Eggplant and Easy, Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes

EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com.