Enjoy summer to the fullest with this grilled pineapple recipe. Its sweet and tangy flavors are ready in just a half hour!
It costs approximately $3.78 to make this grilled pineapple. The recipe serves six and costs about $0.63 per serving.
Table of Contents
Grilled Pineapple
Grilled pineapple is an indulgent treat for both grown-ups and kids! While it may sound odd to those unfamiliar with grilling anything but meat or veggies, many fruits, including pineapple, take on a new dimension when they hit the grill.
If you’re feeling particularly tropical this summer (or any time of year), this recipe will show you how to cook this fantastic dish easily.
While you can chow down on grilled pineapple in many ways, including making it a dessert, it works well as a side, as we said. In particular, we love serving grilled pineapple with pork kabobs, honey-baked ham, or pulled pork.
What You’ll Love About Grilled Pineapple
- The flavor: Grilling pineapple brings out the sweet and tangy taste of the pineapple while adding a fantastic caramelized coating.
- Texture: When you grill pineapple, it gives it a slightly firm yet tender texture. As the heat from the grill carmelizes the pineapple’s sugars, it creates a slight crust on the outer layer while leaving the inner layer juicy.
- Versatile: Grilled pineapple can be served as a side dish, as a salad or dessert toppings, or in other dishes such as fried rice or salsa.
- Simple to make: This grilled pineapple recipe comes together in thirty minutes. It is a quick and easy way to enjoy delicious food.
Ingredients & Estimated Cost:
- 1 large pineapple – $2.29
- 2 Tablespoons honey – $0.36
- 2 teaspoons olive oil – $0.24
- 1 large lime – $0.69
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – $0.04
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar – $0.10
- 2 Tablespoons Canola oil – $0.06
The recipe cost is calculated by the amounts needed for the recipe. To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained. The pricing for this recipe was updated in July 2023.
How To Grill Pineapple
***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Cut and core the pineapple into wedges, rings, or spears. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish.
- Whisk together honey, olive oil, lime juice, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a small bowl.
- Brush the pineapple with this marinade.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high and coat the grates with canola oil. (We like using a metal spatula wrapped in a thick paper towel.)
- Place the pineapple wedges over direct medium-high heat.
- Cook for 5 minutes per side or until golden, turning and basting often.
- Serve and enjoy.
Grilled Pineapple Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Coconut: Instead of olive oil, brush the pineapple with melted coconut oil for a tropical twist. To add flavor and texture, you can also sprinkle shredded coconut on the pineapple before grilling.
- Spiced: Enhance the flavor of the pineapple by adding spices such as ground ginger, nutmeg, or cardamom to the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.
- Chili Lime Grilled: Replace the ground cinnamon with a pinch of chili powder for a spicy kick. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the pineapple slices before grilling to add a tangy and zesty flavor.
- Maple Glazed: Substitute honey with maple syrup for a different sweetness profile. Brush the pineapple slices with maple syrup before grilling to create a sticky, caramelized glaze.
- Herb-Marinated: Combine the olive oil with chopped fresh herbs such as mint, basil, or cilantro. Let the pineapple slices marinate in the herb-infused oil for 30 minutes before grilling to infuse them with fresh herbal flavors.
- Vegan: Replace the honey with a vegan sweetener such as agave nectar or maple syrup to make the recipe vegan-friendly.
- Grilled Skewers: Instead of grilling pineapple slices, cut the pineapple into chunks and thread them onto skewers. This makes handling easier and adds a fun presentation for parties or barbecues.
Grilled Pineapple Serving and Storage Tips
SERVE: Grilled pineapple is best served immediately. No need to wait!
STORE: Any leftovers will stay fresh for about three days in an airtight container.
FREEZE: We wouldn’t freeze grilled pineapple; it’ll become watery once you thaw it.
REHEAT: Grilled pineapple tastes great cold, too, but if you want to reheat it, throw it in the microwave for about 30 seconds!
Grilled Pineapple Recipe FAQs
This quick dessert or side dish recipe takes just a half hour! You’ll need 10 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of cooking time.
This should make enough for six servings.
We recommend it, though it won’t change the recipe too much if you use pre-cut pineapple or even canned pineapple rings. Whatever is fastest and easiest for you!
Oh yes. For those who love spicy, chili powder and cayenne are amazing additions to the recipe. The sweet, tangy, smoky, spicy kick mix is so good!
Other than serving it with ice cream, you can try:
● Serving it with a delicious glazed ham
● Adding it to fruit or veggie salads
● Adding it to stir fry
● Dicing it up for sweet salsas
● Using it in a burger or sandwich
● Making it into your next favorite pizza topping
● Eating it by itself as a delectable snack. Yum!
Get Kids Involved
Ages 2-3: Let your littlest kiddos help you gather the needed supplies and put them away when you’re done.
Ages 4-5: At this age, you can show your little ones how to brush the marinade on the pineapple. They can also place them on a rimmed baking sheet.
Ages 6-8: Kids in this age group can likely make the marinade while you watch, and the older kiddos may be able to brush the canola oil on the grill grates with supervision.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the recipe and show them how to use the grill. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe unsupervised while you do the happy dance in the corner!
Budget Tips
- Save any leftovers: There are various ways to use any leftover pineapple. You can add it to a salad, put it in fried rice, or add it to your yogurt or ice cream. This is a fantastic way to stretch your budget and minimize food waste.
- Look for sales: Pineapple will typically go on sale during the summertime for as low as ninety-nine cents. We always buy it at that price!
More Grill Recipes
- Grilled Peaches
- Grilled Pork Chops
- Grilled Peaches – Grilled Peach Sundaes
- Grilled Hamburgers
- Grilled Potatoes in Foil
- Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts
- Grilled Shrimp
- Grilled Bacon
Grilled Pineapple
Equipment
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- gas grill
- small mixing bowl
- whisk
- Metal spatula
- baking sheet
- pastry brush
Ingredients
- 1 large pineapple cored and cut into wedges
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice about 1 large lime
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Canola oil for grill grates
Instructions
PREP PINEAPPLE:
- Cut and core pineapple into wedges and place them on a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish.
MAKE MARINADE:
- Whisk together honey, olive oil, lime juice, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a small bowl.
- Brush the pineapple with the marinade.
PREP GRILL:
- Preheat the grill to medium-high and coat the grates with canola oil. We like using a metal spatula wrapped in a thick paper towel.
GRILL PINEAPPLE:
- Place the pineapple wedges over direct medium-high heat.
- Cook for 5 minutes per side or until golden, turning and basting often.
SERVE:
- Serve and enjoy.
Anjali says
This was such a fun summer recipe to make with my family! The grilling caramelized the pineapple so nicely and made it even sweeter. We brought this to our neighborhood block party and everyone loved it!
Stephanie says
This is the best grilled pineapple recipe I’ve made. Usually I just throw them on the grill so adding the spices, oil, etc… really made these special. The sugar was a nice touch as there was just a slight hint of caramel.
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
This Grilled Pineapple recipe is an absolute tropical delight! Grilling the pineapple takes its natural sweetness to a whole new level, creating a caramelized, smoky flavor that’s simply irresistible.
Michelle says
This is such a fun way to eat fresh pineapple! My kids gobble it up
Kechi says
What a fun summery recipe idea! The pineapples came out so good, and I wish I could taste them from the screen, lol. I will make this, but I would like to peel the pineapple slices because of the kids.