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This Hawaiian Grilled Chicken recipe is so tasty, juicy, and a crowd-pleaser. Succulent Chicken breast grilled to perfection and will be your go-to recipe all year long! A sweet and savory chicken recipe that the whole family will enjoy!
A simple chicken recipe to die for. It is easy to make and so simple but yet so delicious. Tender chicken breast marinated in a tangy and sweet sauce and grilled to perfection. Make this Hawaiian chicken for your family or for a crowd. Perfect all summer long when the outdoor grills are fired up or can be grilled indoors during the winter. Pairing pineapple with chicken gives that tropical flavor to your meal. Perfectly juicy and tender chicken breast served over creamy coconut rice.
Why this chicken recipe is so good
- Healthy: simple grilled chicken over rice with a side of grilled pineapple. The perfect combination of protein and carbs. want more fiber? add a side of veggie.
- Easy: this chicken dish is easy to make. marinate the chicken ahead to save you time, grill to perfection, and serve over coconut rice.
- Delicious: enjoy a tropical meal right at home. Juicy and tender chicken breast over a tasty coconut-flavored rice bowl. So good!
Ingredients you will need
For the grilled chicken & pineapple :
Boneless and skinless chicken breast
Soy sauce
Water
Honey or maple syrup
Garlic cloves
Sesame oil
Light coconut milk
Pineapple slices fresh
For the coconut rice:
Jasmine or basmati rice
Light coconut milk
Water
Kosher salt
optional: cilantro leaves and lime wedges for garnish
How to make this grilled Hawaiian chicken bowl
- Start by preparing the chicken: First, whisk the soy sauce, water, honey, garlic, oil, and coconut milk to a bowl. Place the chicken breast into a Ziploc bag, pour the prepared marinade over the chicken, and seal the bag. Gently press the marinade around the chicken to evenly coat. Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 hours to overnight.
- Grill the chicken: Next, heat the grill to medium. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it onto the preheated grill. Grill until nicely golden-brown, about 6-8 minutes on each side, or until a thermometer
inserted in the center of each chicken breast reads 165F. - Prepare the rice: while the chicken is grilling, prepare rice. In a saucepan, bring coconut milk and water to a boil over medium heat. Once starts to bubble immediately add in the rice and salt, stir well to combine.
Cover and let it simmer on low for 12-15 minutes or until rice is cooked. - Once the chicken is done, remove from the heat and set aside.
- Grill Pineapple and make your rice bowl: Now add the sliced pineapple to the grill and cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until nicely charred. Divide the rice among 4 bowls. Arrange grilled chicken and pineapple on top. Finally, garnish with cilantro leaves and serve lime wedges if desired.
FAQ’s and tips
FAQ’s and tips- Chicken: you may use chicken thighs instead. Want to go with seafood? swap with shrimps
- Use coconut amino in place of soy sauce
- Maple syrup can be used in place of honey. Another option would be to use brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- Any rice will work. Use your favorite. Don’t want to serve over coconut rice? Serve with quinoa or cauliflower rice instead.
- Place leftovers in a container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave when ready to eat. You can freeze for up to 3 months.
- It is best to allow the chicken to marinate. You can marinate it ahead the night before to save on time the next day.
How long should I marinate the chicken
Even though you can still make this Hawaiin chicken without marinating it much, it is advised to marinate it at least 2 hours for optimal flavor. You can also prepare and marinate the night before to save on time the next day.
What happens if you marinate chicken too long
It is best to marinate chicken for 12-24 hours. If the marinade is acidic (with lemons, vinegar, orange, or pineapple juice), it will probably cause the chicken to toughen up instead.
Does pineapple juice make chicken mushy
Fresh pineapple juice has the enzyme bromelain which is very strong and could leave your chicken mushy when marinated. On the other hand, the enzyme bromelain is extracted from canned pineapple juice which makes it a better choice to use on marinades.
Other tasty healthy chicken recipes
- Bun-less Chicken Burger
- Easy Harvest Chicken Casserole
- Strawberry Chicken Salad
- Easy Creamy Garlic Chicken Skillet
- Lemon Garlic Chicken Skillet With Asparagus
- Mediterranean Chicken
- Easy Chicken Marsala
- Easy Butter Chicken
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Hawaiian Grilled Chicken Bowl
Ingredients
For the grilled chicken & pineapple :
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, or thighs
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup honey , or maple syrup
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 cup light coconut milk
- 1 cup pineapple slices fresh
For the coconut rice:
- 1 cup jasmine rice, or any other rice
- 1 1/4 cup light coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- optional: cilantro leaves and lime wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Start by preparing the chicken; Whisk soy sauce, water, honey, garlic, oil, and coconut milk to a bowl.
- Place the chicken breast into a Ziploc bag, pour the prepared marinade over the chicken, and seal the bag.
- Gently press the marinade around the chicken to evenly coat. Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 hours to overnight.
- Heat the grill to medium. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it onto the preheated grill.
- Grill until nicely golden-brown, about 6-8 minutes on each side, or until a thermometer inserted in the center of each chicken breast reads 165F.
- While the chicken is grilling, prepare rice. In a saucepan, bring coconut milk and water to a boil over medium heat.
- Once starts to bubble immediately add in the rice and salt, stir well to combine. Cover and let it simmer on low for 12-15 minutes or until rice is cooked.
- Once the chicken is done, remove from the heat and set aside.
- Now add the sliced pineapple to the grill and cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until nicely charred.
- Divide the rice among 4 bowls.
- Arrange grilled chicken and pineapple on top. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve lime wedges if desired.
Notes
- Chicken: you may use chicken thighs instead. Want to go with seafood? swap with shrimps
- Use coconut amino in place of soy sauce
- Maple syrup can be used in place of honey. Another option would be to use brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- Any rice will work. Use your favorite. Don't want to serve over coconut rice? Serve with quinoa or cauliflower rice instead.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Would this work with coconut aminos instead of soy sauce?
Yes, that’s fine. I will add that to the notes