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Whiskey Pineapple Chicken

Whiskey chicken with a pineapple marinade that turns into a caramelized whiskey-pineapple glaze on the grill. Sweet and smoky grilled chicken thighs are finished with quick-grilled pineapple slices for a tropical BBQ finish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Marinating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Hawaiian Fusion
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 2 lb chicken thighs Bone-in or boneless works; pat dry before grilling.
Pineapple-Whiskey Marinade and Glaze
  • 0.5 cup pineapple juice
  • 0.25 cup whiskey
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
Grilled Pineapple
  • 1 grilled pineapple slices Use fresh pineapple; grill until lightly charred.

Method
 

Make the whiskey-pineapple marinade
  1. Mix pineapple juice, whiskey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger in a bowl until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks uniform.
  2. Reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade for basting so you can use it while grilling.
Marinate
  1. Add chicken thighs to the remaining marinade, then refrigerate for 1-4 hours to let the flavors soak in.
Grill the chicken and glaze
  1. Preheat the grill to medium heat, then place chicken thighs on the grates and cook for 6-7 minutes per side, basting frequently with the reserved marinade.
Grill pineapple slices and serve
  1. Grill pineapple slices for 2 minutes per side, until you see grill marks and a caramelized surface.
  2. Serve the caramelized whiskey-pineapple glazed chicken topped with the grilled pineapple slices.

Notes

Pro tip: keep basting frequent so the glaze reduces quickly and thickens on the chicken; if it seems too thick, brush a little extra reserved marinade. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; freeze chicken only (up to 2 months) and reheat until hot before serving. For a lower-sugar option, use a sugar substitute that measures like brown sugar so the marinade still caramelizes on the grill.