Food Recipes Sauces, Condiments and Preserves Marinades Pineapple Chicken 4.5 (2) 2 Reviews Canned pineapple juice is good for more than just piña coladas — here we combine it with soy, vinegar, and garlic for a marinade and sauce to go with chicken. By Justin Chapple Justin Chapple Justin Chapple is a chef, recipe developer, food writer, video host, and cookbook author. In addition, he is the culinary director-at-large of Food & Wine and host of their video series, Mad Genius Tips, for which he was nominated twice for a prestigious James Bead Award. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 22, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Servings: 4 Jump to recipe This pineapple chicken marinade is also delicious with pork, beef, and even swordfish and salmon. Frequently asked questions How do you cook bone-in chicken thighs? The secret to perfectly cooked bone-in chicken thighs is to sear the chicken on the stove first to brown it, then let it finish cooking in the oven until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F. This allows the meat to cook through without burning. Is it OK to use pineapple juice in a marinade? Yes! The natural sugars in pineapple juice flavor the chicken and ensure that it will brown well when cooked. You may have heard that pineapple marinades can make the texture of meat mushy after a few hours. Fresh pineapple has an enzyme called bromelain that tenderizes meat by breaking down the fibers when used as a marinade. That enzyme is destroyed in the heating process when making canned pineapple juice, so you don't have to worry about ruining the texture of the meat if it marinates for hours. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Using the sweet-salty pineapple soy mixture as a chicken marinade and as a sauce ensures that this dish is full of flavor. Be sure to bring the pineapple chicken marinade to a boil after adding it to the skillet, so that it is safe to eat as a sauce. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients Pineapple Chicken Marinade 2 cups pineapple juice 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar 2 tablespoons canola oil 2 garlic cloves, finely grated 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon pepper Pineapple Chicken 4 (8-ounce) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 cups sliced pineapple 4 cups cooked white or brown rice Directions Prepare the pineapple chicken marinade Combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, canola oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add chicken thighs to marinade and turn to coat. Refrigerate chicken and let marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Make the pineapple chicken Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat vegetable oil in a cast-iron or other heavy, deep, oven-safe skillet over medium-high. Remove chicken thighs from marinade, reserving marinade, and add to skillet, skin side down. Cook chicken until browned, about 8 minutes. Flip chicken thighs over; cook 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan (chicken will not be fully cooked). Add pineapple slices to pan and and lightly brown on 1 side, about 4 minutes. Turn pineapple slices over, and nestle chicken thighs into pineapple pieces. Add reserved pineapple marinade to pan and bring to a boil. Place pan in preheated oven and cook until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of chicken registers 165°F and chicken and pineapple slices are browned on both sides, about 12 minutes. Serve chicken, pineapple, and sauce over rice. Originally appeared: June 2017 Rate It Print