Thank you McCormick® for sponsoring this Mesquite Pineapple BBQ Chicken post. All opinions are my own.
Juicy, smoky, sweet and tangy, Mesquite Pineapple BBQ Chicken smothered in the most wonderful homemade Pineapple BBQ sauce is irresistibly delicious! It’s fabulously easy for a make ahead dinner or Labor Day crowd!
Can you guys believe summer is coming to an end? Vacations are ending, school is starting and pumpkin recipes are already inundating my FB feed. But that doesn’t mean that grilling season is over! We grill year-round here in San Diego and September is actually one of our hottest months, so we are going to be firing up the grill more than ever and especially for Labor Day!
Do you know what you are making yet? If you’re looking for something rave worthy delicious, make ahead and beautifully simple, this Mesquite Pineapple BBQ Chicken is just the ticket. And nothing says patriotic more than BBQ!
But this isn’t just any barbecue chicken, and it’s not just pineapple barbecue chicken but it’s MESQUITE BBQ Pineapple Chicken! The smoky, robust mesquite flavor comes from McCormick® Grill Mates® Mesquite Seasoning. And it packs a flavor punch. It’s made of chili peppers, garlic, onion, paprika, red bell peppers and of course mesquite smoke for layers of dynamic flavor. It infuses our sweet and tangy pineapple barbecue sauce with the perfect amount of zingy spice. No boring barbecue sauce here!
To make our easy Mesquite Pineapple BBQ Chicken, we start with our Mesquite Pineapple BBQ Sauce. You will be amazed at how EASY this homemade BBQ Sauce is! Simply add your roughly chopped pineapple, ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, cider vinegar, Dijon, ground ginger and our McCormick® Mesquite Seasoning to your blender and blend until smooth. That’s it for the sauce!
We remove ¼ cup Mesquite Pineapple BBQ Sauce to a shallow dish/freezer bag along with some olive oil to create a marinade for out chicken. I used skinless, bone-in chicken thighs for extra juicy and wonderfully economical chicken, but feel free to use any cut of chicken you prefer and adjust cooking time accordingly. Just be aware that the leaner the meat, the less juicy the chicken.
The chicken swims in the seasoned bath for 2-6 hours so when it’s time to cook – that is ALL you have to do!
Well, except slather your chicken in Mesquite Pineapple BBQ Sauce. And when I say slather, I mean smother every nook and cranny. Because we all know the chicken is just a vehicle to devour this BBQ Sauce and call it dinner. An effortless, juicy, saucy, sweet and tangy Mesquite Pineapple BBQ Chicken dinner. Happy Labor Day and make sure to check out all of McCormick® Grill Mates® marinades and seasonings for a more delicious Labor Day and every day!
Looking FOR MORE GRILLING RECIPES?
- Caramelized Grilled Pineapple
- Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs
- Baked or Grilled Huli Huli Chicken
- Baked or Grilled BBQ Chicken Kebabs
- Grill or Stovetop Brown Sugar Pineapple Chicken
- Slow Cooker Barbecue Shredded Chicken
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Mesquite Pineapple BBQ Chicken
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Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Pineapple BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh pineapple
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 1-2 tablespoons cider vinegar depending on how tangy you want it and how tart/sweet your pineapple is
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon McCormick® Grill Mates® Mesquite Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Add all of the Pineapple BBQ Sauce ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth. Remove ¼ cup Sauce to freezer bag along with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add chicken and toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate 2-6 hours.
- Refrigerate remaining Pineapple BBQ Sauce separately. Heat in microwave/saucepan before serving.
GRILL
- Separate out a ¼ cup Pineapple BBQ Sauce to baste chicken. Set aside.
- Grease and heat grill to medium heat. Add chicken, and season with freshly cracked salt and pepper. Cover, and cook 6-8 minutes per side, or until no longer pink and an inside thermometer registers 165 degrees F. Baste chicken with reserved ¼ cup Sauce the last 5 minutes.
- Slather cooked chicken with Pineapple BBQ Sauce and garnish with green onions if desired. Serve with remaining sauce and additional salt/pepper if desired.
STOVETOP/OVEN
- Separate out a ¼ cup Pineapple BBQ Sauce to baste chicken. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season chicken with freshly cracked salt and pepper.
- Heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and sear 2-3 minutes per side.
- Add chicken to a foil lined, greased 9×13 pan (for easy cleanup), COVER with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil cover, baste with ¼ cup reserved Sauce and continue to cook, uncovered an additional 15-20 minutes OR until an inside thermometer registers 165 degrees F at the thickest part of the chicken.
- Slather cooked chicken with Pineapple BBQ Sauce and garnish with green onions if desired. Serve with remaining sauce and additional salt/pepper if desired.
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Stephanie Raffaele says
Looks really delicious!! Would I be able to make your homemade crust/ingredients. I want to make it for my whole family. Thanks
Jen says
Hi Stephanie, I’m sorry but I don’t understand what you are asking?
Melissa Rogers-Obal says
Another 5 star recipe from my favorite food blog…that sauce is to die for! I used chicken breast and made kabobs, since that’s the only part of the chicken I like, and my family cleaned their plates. Thanks for another winner!
Jen says
Thank you so much Melissa! I’m thrilled you loved the sauce so much and I love the idea of making kabobs – yum!