Baked Hawaiian BBQ Chicken With Pineapple Salsa
Hawaiian BBQ Chicken is a fusion of sweet and savory flavors. Boneless chicken thighs are marinated, baked until tender, and served with pineapple salsa over rice with a delicious sauce. This easy weeknight dinner is dairy free and gluten free.
Looking for more chicken weeknight dinners? Try my spicy chicken burgers, one pot creamy lemon chicken orzo, or gluten free general tso’s chicken.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Hawaiian barbecue chicken:
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Marinade – pineapple juice, coconut aminos, brown sugar, tomato paste, rice vinegar, sriracha, toasted sesame oil, fresh ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Pineapple avocado salsa – pineapple, shallot, fresh cilantro, lime zest, fresh lime juice, and kosher salt.
- Cooked white rice
- Garnish – sesame seeds
How to Make Hawaiian BBQ Chicken: Step By Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!
- Make the marinade. In a small bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients until combined then remove ½ cup of the marinade for the chicken. Place the rest of the marinade in the fridge for the sauce you’ll use later on.
- Marinate the chicken. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour the ½ cup of marinade over the top. Mix to ensure all pieces are coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Make the pineapple salsa. In a medium bowl, stir together the pineapple chunks, diced shallot, fresh cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, and kosher salt. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Cook the Chicken. Preheat your oven to 400ºF/200ºC. Transfer the marinated chicken to an oven-safe skillet or baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. It’s done when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
- Assemble. Assemble bowls with the rice, cooked chicken, pineapple salsa, and a drizzle of the remaining marinade you set aside. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Helpful Tips
- The longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it will be. Aim for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Use a grill pan. This is great for those who don’t have a grill but want to achieve the look of grill marks on the chicken.
Quick Tip: For extra flavor, baste the chicken with reserved marinade during the last few minutes of cooking.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Freeze cooked chicken in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: Warm in the microwave or oven until heated through.
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this Hawaiian BBQ chicken recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No boneless skinless chicken thighs? – use boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you’ll only need to bake them for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
- No coconut aminos? – sub reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari.
- No brown sugar? use coconut sugar or maple sugar in its place.
- No rice vinegar? – apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar will work.
- No shallot? – white, yellow, or red onion are all great.
- Don’t like cilantro? – use sliced green onions instead.
- Add-ins – bell peppers or red pepper flakes for a slight kick.
- Make it plant based – use extra firm tofu slabs instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, just marinate the chicken overnight and cook it the next day.
I recommend serving it with vegetable side dishes that are cooked in the oven at the same temperature, so you can cook them at the same time such as oven roasted cabbage steaks or roasted bok choy. It’s also delicious with quick sauteed broccoletti or green beans.
More Chicken Dishes
- One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Orzo
- Dairy Free Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Baked Bang Bang Chicken Skewers
I hope you love this Hawaiian BBQ Chicken! If you make this recipe, please leave a comment & a star rating below. Thank you!
Baked Hawaiian BBQ Chicken With Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Marinade
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
Pineapple Salsa
- 2 cups diced pineapple
- ¼ cup diced shallot
- ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped sub green onions if you hate the taste
- zest and juice of 1 small lime
- kosher salt to taste
For Serving
- cooked white rice
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make the marinade. In a small bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients until combined then remove ½ cup of the marinade for the chicken. Place the rest of the marinade in the fridge for the sauce you'll use later on.
- Marinate the chicken. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour the ½ cup of marinade over the top. Mix to ensure all pieces are coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Make the pineapple salsa. In a medium bowl, stir together the pineapple, diced shallot, fresh cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, and kosher salt. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Cook the Chicken. Preheat your oven to 400ºF/200ºC. Transfer the marinated chicken to an oven-safe skillet or baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. It's done when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
- Assemble. Assemble bowls with the rice, cooked chicken, pineapple salsa, and a drizzle of the remaining marinade you set aside. Garnish with sesame seeds.
sounds delicious!