Grilled Pineapple Chicken

Pineapple plant has its origins in south America and more specifically in area between south Brazil and Paraguay. Inhabitants from Brazil and Paraguay spread pineapple to the whole south America and eventually to the Caribbean, central America and Mexico. Mayas and Aztecs cultivated pineapple. In 1493 Christopher Columbus discovered pineapple in the beautiful island of Guadeloupe. He named it “Piña de Indes” which means the “Pine of the Indians” and brought it back to Europe.

Spanish brought pineapple to Philippines and Hawaii, to imbibe and Guam. It is said that in Hawaii, pineapple was introduced by a Spanish ship at 1500. Portuguese took the seed from brazil and brought it to India in 1550.

Grilled Pineapple Chicken

In northern Europe pineapple came from Surinam which was a Dutch colony. The first pineapple that was cultivated in Europe was by Pieter de la Court in 1658 at Meerburg.

Because of the high import cost and the increased financial resources necessary to cultivate the plant, initially, pineapple was a symbol of high status and wealth. All royalties throughout Europe were eating pineapple, from Great Britain to Luis IV of France to Catherine the Great in Russia.

Grilled Pineapple Chicken

In 1900 a large-scale cultivation of pineapple started in Hawaii by James Dole who moved himself there in 1899 and started his own pineapple plantation. Dole and Del Monte companies started the cultivation of pineapple in the island of Oahu. In 2006 Del Monte withdrew from Hawaii and moved to Costa Rica its pineapple cultivation considering the latter as more suitable for this.

Although pineapple came to our lives quite recently we embraced it with much love and use it mainly in sweets but lately in savory treats as well. Did you know that pineapple is a great meat tenderizer? Yes, indeed, something in its consistency breaks the hard meat fibers and makes meat softer and certainly tastier.

I love pineapple and the sweet touch it gives to all savory meals. Since it is summer and our little BBQ is permanently outside in the patio, I decided to fire it up and make some grilled chicken with pineapple glaze. It was simply delicious and my son and husband were asking for refills. Very easy and super tasty what more could I possibly expect?

Grilled Pineapple Chicken

 

5.0 from 2 reviews
Grilled Pineapple Chicken
 
Author/ Συγγραφέας:
Recipe type/ Τύπος Πιάτου: Main Course
Ingredients/ Συστατικά
  • 3 chicken breasts
  • 1 can pineapple chunks with their juice
  • ¾ cup ketchup
  • ½ cup low sodium soya sauce
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
Instructions/ Εκτέλεση
  1. Place all the pineapple chunks but ¼ cup of them, which you will put aside, plus their juice in your blender and puree them.
  2. In a non-reactive bowl add the pineapple puree, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and ginger and stir to combine
  3. Add the chicken breasts and make sure they are all covered with the marinade.
  4. Place them in the fridge for at least 3 hours up to overnight.
  5. Fire up your grill and when you are ready remove the breast from the marinade and start grilling them along with the pineapple chunks you reserved from the can.
  6. Baste with marinade and grill about 8 minutes per side.
  7. While the chicken is grilling, place most of the marinade (except about ¼ cup which you use to baste the chicken while is grilling) in a pot and bring to boil.
  8. Boil until the sauce starts to thicken about 6 minutes.
  9. Serve the chicken with the charred pineapple chunks and the sauce.

 
5.0 from 2 reviews
Κοτόπουλο Μαριναρισμένο με Ανανά στη Σχάρα
 
Author/ Συγγραφέας:
Recipe type/ Τύπος Πιάτου: Κυρίως Πιάτο
Ingredients/ Συστατικά
  • 3 στήθη κοτόπουλο
  • 1 κονσέρβα κομμάτια ανανά με το χυμό τους
  • ¾ φλ. κέτσαπ
  • ½ φλ. σάλτσα σόγιας με χαμηλή περιεκτικότητα σε νάτριο
  • ½ φλ. καστανή ζάχαρη
  • 2 σκελίδες σκόρδο, ψιλοκομμένες
  • 1 κ.γ. τριμμένο τζίντζερ
Instructions/ Εκτέλεση
  1. Τοποθετήστε όλα τα κομμάτια ανανά, εκτός από ¼ φλ. από αυτά, που θα τα βάλετε στην άκρη, συν το χυμό τους στο μπλέντερ σας και λιώστε τα.
  2. Σε ένα γυάλινο μπολ προσθέστε τον πουρέ ανανά, την κέτσαπ, την σάλτσα σόγιας, την καστανή ζάχαρη, το σκόρδο και το τζίντζερ και ανακατέψτε.
  3. Προσθέστε τα στήθη κοτόπουλου και βεβαιωθείτε ότι όλα καλύπτονται με τη μαρινάδα.
  4. Βάλτε στο ψυγείο για τουλάχιστον 3 ώρες μέχρι όλη νύχτα.
  5. Ετοιμάστε τη φωτιά σας ή το γκριλ σας και όταν είστε έτοιμοι βγάλτε τα κομμάτια κοτόπουλου από τη μαρινάδα και ψήστε τα μαζί με τα κομμάτια ανανά.
  6. Με ένα πινέλο τα αλείφετε με τη μαρινάδα και ψήνετε περίπου 8 λεπτά ανά πλευρά.
  7. Ενώ το κοτόπουλο ψήνεται παίρνετε τη μαρινάδα και αφού έχετε κρατήσει περίπου ¼ φλ. από αυτή το οποίο χρησιμοποιείτε για να αλείφετε το κοτόπουλο σε μια κατσαρόλα βάζετε την υπόλοιπη και βράζετε μέχρι να αρχίζει να πήζει περίπου 6 λεπτά.
  8. Σερβίρετε το κοτόπουλο με τη σάλτσα και τα χοντρά κομμάτια του ψημένου ανανά.