This Healthy Hawaiian Chicken dinner is a quick and easy recipe that will have your taste buds dancing for more. It is marinaded in a delicious pineapple sauce then grilled to perfection. Grill up some onions, bell peppers, and pineapple then serve over crispy cauliflower or brown rice for a mouthwatering dinner. This recipe is perfect for meal prepping, too!
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my Cilantro Lime Chicken and Lemon Harissa Chicken Wings, too!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This Paleo Hawaiian Chicken is such a simple weeknight dinner. It just needs a little bit to marinade (or you can let it marinade all day) then it grills up in about 20 minutes.
- This recipe has TONS of flavor. Sometimes chicken can be a little boring, but this is definitely not the case with this Healthy Hawaiian Chicken. And is there anything better than a crispy crust on a chicken thigh?!
- This chicken recipe is gluten-free and added sugar-free. It is also Whole30 and Paleo-friendly, too.
Ingredients You Will Need
Chicken Thighs: I love using thighs for this recipe because they get nice and juicy from the extra fat that comes from the thigh. Chicken thighs tend to be higher in both protein and fat than the breast. This is likely to keep you more satiated and they tend to not dry out as quickly as the breast.
Pineapple Rounds: juicy and sweet with a tangy flavor, offering a refreshing and tropical taste. They are rich in vitamins C and B6, manganese, and antioxidants, providing benefits such as boosting the immune system, aiding digestion, and reducing inflammation.
Red Bell Pepper: These add a nice sweetness to any salad. They are full of Vitamin A and Vitamin C so they can help boost your immune system and can support your overall eye health.
Yellow Bell Pepper: a sweet, crisp flavor with a milder taste compared to their red and green counterparts. They are rich in vitamins C and A, fiber, and antioxidants, supporting immune health, eye health, and aiding in digestion.
Yellow Onion: Onions are full of antioxidants that help fight inflammation. They also have folate, manganese, and some vitamin C. They are antibacterial, help digestion (for some), and can help reduce your risk of cancer.
For the Marinade
Pineapple Juice: sweet and tangy flavor, capturing the tropical essence of fresh pineapple. It is packed with vitamin C, manganese, and bromelain, which can boost the immune system, aid digestion, and reduce inflammation.
Coconut Aminos: A much healthier alternative to soy sauce. It is made by fermenting coconut sap with salt. It is completely soy-free and is slightly sweeter than soy sauce.
Garlic: is known for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It helps fight many diseases like the common cold, heart disease, and others.
Sriracha: a bold, spicy flavor with a hint of sweetness and garlic, adding a tangy heat to dishes. It is low in calories and contains capsaicin from chili peppers, which can boost metabolism, aid digestion, and provide antioxidant benefits. I use Sky Valley Sriracha.
Avocado Oil: is another super healthy cooking fat! It is known for heart health and is especially good if you are cooking at high heat because it has a high smoke point. It has a super neutral flavor.
Ginger Powder: This is a spice that is known for being anti-inflammatory and really good for our guts. It can help ease numerous gut issues such as nausea, and diarrhea, and also helps decrease inflammation all throughout the body. The warm spice is a favorite of mine to use in Asian-inspired dishes.
Recipe Variations
Chicken: I used to not like chicken thighs, so if you are one of those people chicken breast or wings work great for this recipe, too.
Pineapple: Fresh pineapple works great for this recipe, you just will need to blend up some for juice.
Instructions
Marinate: Mix the marinade ingredients together (pineapple juice, avocado oil, coconut aminos, garlic, ginger powder, sriracha, salt and pepper) and whisk them. Add the peppers, onions, and chicken to a large zip-lock bag and pour marinade on top. Let this marinade for up to 2 hours.
Cooking: Add chicken and veggies to a medium-high heated grill. Cook chicken on one side for 5 minutes then flip for another 5, repeating until internal temp has reached 165°F. For the veggies, cook until they are starting to get some char to them.
Remove everything from the grill, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Check the labels: canned pineapple can have a ton of sugar in it so be sure you are reading your labels to find one that has no added sugar and just is canned with its juice. I get mine at Sprouts or Whole Foods (both store brands).
Marinading: Do not marinade this recipe overnight or for more than 2 hours because the acid from the pineapple juice will start to cook the chicken.
No Grill: If you don't have a grill or don't want to make this grilled chicken with pineapple outside, no problem! This healthy Hawaiian chicken can be made on a sheet pan in the oven or on a cast iron skillet on the stove. Just be sure to cook the chicken to 160°F.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator: This paleo Hawaiian chicken can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Chicken can be frozen in a freezer-safe bag after it is cooled, but I do not recommend freezing the veggies and pineapple with it.
FAQs About Healthy Hawaiian Chicken
I always serve it with cauliflower rice or regular rice, veggies (like bell peppers and onions), and pineapple. It would also be great with snap peas, too.
Healthy Hawaiian Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Chicken Thighs boneless, skinless
- 1 Red Bell Pepper diced
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper diced
- ½ Yellow Onion diced
- 1 can Pineapple Rounds (20 oz can)
Marinade
- ¾ cup Pineapple Juice from can
- ½ cup Coconut Aminos
- 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil
- 2 tablespoon Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Powder
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs and chopped red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, pineapple rounds, and yellow onion into a gallon-size bag (or two).
- Mix together all the marinade ingredients in a bowl (pineapple juice, coconut aminos, avocado oil, garlic, ginger powder, sriracha, salt, and pepper). Whisk until smooth.
- Dump the marinade into the bag with the veggies and the chicken. If you split this into two separate bags, be sure to divide the marinade into both bags.
- Let the chicken and veggies marinate for up to 2 hours.
- When you are ready to cook, heat your grill to medium-high heat. Spray or drizzle your grill or griddle with your favorite non-stick spray. Add the chicken to one side and then add veggies to the other (or to the grill pan if you are using a regular grill). If you have a Blackstone grill, you can dump some of the marinade onto the grill with the veggies, but if you are using a regular grill, do not do this.
- Cook the chicken for 5 minutes on one side, then flip it for another 5 minutes on the other side. Repeat this until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F. This should take about 20 minutes.
- Move the veggies around until they get a slight char on them. This should take 10-15 minutes depending on if you added the marinade or not.
- Remove everything from the grill, serve, and enjoy!
Tawnie Ocepek says
My boyfriend and I loved this recipe! Was so good will definitely make it again!
Hayley says
Thank you so much for sharing! I am glad it will be in a regular rotation for you!