Caribbean Jerk Chicken with Pineapple Salsa
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Caribbean Jerk Chicken with Pineapple Salsa is just the dish you need to transport you to somewhere tropical even if you can’t quite yet get there in real life. Starting with a sweet/spicy/tangy marinade and ending with a delicious, slightly spicy pineapple salsa, this dish is delish start to finish!
For more tropical dishes featuring pineapple, try these recipes for Sheet Pan Teriyaki Chicken and Pineapple Fried Rice, Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa, and Baked Thai Pineapple Salmon in Foil.
You guys I’m so excited about this chicken dish! I love, love, love pineapple on all the things. It is especially yummy in salsas. The sweet mixed with the spicy, plus tangy lime and red onion all come together in one phenomenal recipe. Pile up high on top of the jerk chicken, close your eyes and become transported to a tropical island, no plane tickets needed.
It’s no coincidence that I made this dish with a vacation in mind. I haven’t picked an exact place yet, but the Caribbean is high up on my list! As soon as I can, I’m going to make some plans! I can’t wait to book something, anything — to just go somewhere tropical and just lay on the beach, feel the sun, watch the kids running around, everyone smiling…and then topping the night off with a delicious grilled dinner eaten outside on the beach with my toes in the sand. Okay basically the themes running through my head are: sun, sand, food. And not in that particular order, either.
So until then, I’ll settle for this delicious grilled chicken dish smothered in yummy pineapple salsa.
Here’s How You Make It
You won’t believe how quick and simple this Caribbean chicken dish really is.
- First, after you pound the chicken to an even thickness, you’ll want to make the marinade for the chicken so it has some time to soak up all those yummy juices before grilling.
- To make the marinade, stir together the olive oil, lime juice, minced garlic, soy sauce, spices, and honey. Add the chicken to the bowl and cover to marinade for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can put the marinade and the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag and then in the fridge to chill.
- Next, make the salsa by stirring together the diced pineapple, onion, cilantro, jalapeno (if using), lime juice, honey, and salt in a bowl, making sure it’s all combined thoroughly. You can also put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse it a few times to make the salsa less chunky if that’s your preference. Put a lid on the bowl or cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
- Use tongs to take the chicken out of the marinade and put it on the grill (or skillet) over medium heat. Throw the unused marinade out. Cook the breasts for about 6-8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear.
- Serve the chicken on top of rice and then top the chicken with lots of the delicious pineapple salsa. Dive right in.
Expert Tips and Customizations
Love the idea of pineapple salsa but want to know if there are other ways to make it? I got you covered.
- If you prefer the taste of fresh pineapple over canned, you can swap one for the other just fine. Fresh pineapple won’t be as sweet as that out of a can, but it’ll be just as tasty!
- The jalapenos are completely optional. If you don’t like the heat, skip them. Another option is to use jarred, pickled jalapenos. They are more mild in flavor than fresh jalapenos.
- I prefer small dice of red onion in the salsa, but you can use whatever onion you have on hand or even green onions.
- Another way I like to change up this salsa is to add other fruit in addition to the pineapple for a bit of a different taste. Some fruits that go well with the pineapple include mangoes and kiwi.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rice is a healthy grain to eat and goes with just about everything. But if you want to know what is the absolute best kind to eat in terms of health and nutrition, then your best bet is brown rice.
Brown rice still contains the outermost layer — the hull — which contains the bran layer and the germ. Both of those contain a lot of nutrients that are stripped off when eating only white rice. The bran contains antioxidants and about three times more fiber than white rice. Brown rice is also higher in protein, too, and goes great with this spicy chicken dish.
More Delicious Recipes
- Skillet Caramelized Pineapple Sundaes
- Mango Chipotle Chicken Salad
- One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice
- Chicken in Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
- Crispy Pan Fried Chicken Breast
Have you tried this Caribbean Jerk Chicken with Pineapple Salsa recipe? YAY! Please rate this recipe below!
Caribbean Jerk Chicken with Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even 1/2 inch thickness – see note
- steamed white rice for serving, optional
chicken marinade
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- juice of 2 limes , 2-3 tablespoons
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 teaspoons allspice
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon honey
pineapple salsa
- 1 cup diced pineapple
- ½ onion, diced
- handful cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeno, diced, optional
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons honey
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl stir together all marinade ingredients. Add the chicken, toss to coat. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
- While the chicken is marinating, combine all salsa ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Optional: combine in a blender or food processor and give it a few pulses. Chill until ready to use.
- Use tongs to transfer chicken to a preheated grill or skillet over medium heat (discard marinade) and cook for 6-8 minutes on each side until cooked through.
- Serve chicken with pineapple salsa.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Going to make this recipe later this week, what is the maximum amount of time you can marinade the chicken? I’ve heard that lemon/lime can change the texture of the chicken if marinaded for too long.
There’s a lot of contradicting answers depending on who you ask. Some say 3 hours, others 12 and others up to 24 hours but to stay safe I would say about 3 hours or so
Have made this numerous times … so quick, easy and delicious! Thank you so much!
Very good! I get marinate the chicken breasts for approximately 12 hours though. I also made my own mango pineapple salsa to serve over it with plain white rice and black beans as sides.
This turned out great. I like things a little more spicy so I would probably add some cayenne or more red chili flakes next time. The pineapple salsa pairs so nicely with the chicken.
I made this today. But it did not turn out right. I cooked it on the stove on medium heat. The outside of the chicken burnt and the inside was undercooked (need to cook on lower heat next time). Then all the flavor from the chicken was gone. Any tips?
I made it today, the family loved it! It was delicious! Thanks for sharing it.
I had the same issue. My guess is the chicken breasts were too thick, although I did pound them down. Next time I think I’ll try baking them instead of pan frying them.
This was a delicious, light summertime meal. If I wanted to add a little more spice/heat what could I do? More pepper flakes, leave jalapeño guts and seeds, more jalapeño?? We will definitely have this again.
Those things will add spice yes. Another reader has said using Thai hot honey instead of regular honey adds a nice flavor of heat as well. Whichever you prefer will work 🙂
I usually sear the outside of the chicken on a grill pan at high heat, and finish it in the oven (350 F). It turns out nice and juicy when I do it that way.
What kind of onion? Looks like red but wanted to check
I used a red onion!
Made this for my dad and brother who are both very picky. They absolutely loved it and asked for me to make this weekly.
Made for a ladies dinner party!! Very good for a summer meal! Forgot to take a pic
This was quick and so flavorful. My husband loved it. I love to try new flavors.. this is one recipe I’ll keep!!
Thanks for your feedback, Stephanie!
Pineapple salsa method