This recipe for Hawaiian grilled chicken is chicken thighs that are flavored with a tropical coconut marinade, grilled to perfection, then topped with pineapple salsa.
My girls are just a bit obsessed with Hawaii right now, mainly due to the movie Lilo & Stitch but also because one of my daughters has developed a fascination with volcanoes. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve watched videos of lava flow over the past month. I knew that if I served them this recipe for Hawaiian grilled chicken with pineapple salsa they’d be willing to try it just because of the Hawaii factor. And really, who doesn’t want to feel like they’ve been transported to the tropics?
This recipe is all about the marinade – it’s a combination of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil and coconut milk. You can marinate the chicken anywhere from 2-24 hours, I always err on the longer side whenever possible. I am a huge fan of marinades, mostly because they’re so easy to put together the night before – your meat will flavor itself as you go about your day and then can be simply cooked at dinner time without a lot of extra fanfare. This chicken is thrown on the grill and then topped with a bright and refreshing pineapple salsa.
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Pineapple and coconut is a wonderfully popular flavor combination, and I took this one step further by serving the chicken on a bed of coconut rice. You’re going to cook your rice as usual, except instead of water the rice simmers in coconut milk. I add a touch of brown sugar at the end, it doesn’t make the rice sweet at all, it just enhances the flavor of the coconut.
The next time you’re wishing you were on a tropical island (or watching Lilo & Stitch with your kids!), make some of this Hawaiian grilled chicken with pineapple salsa. It won’t transport you to an exotic vacation destination but it’s the next best thing!
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Hawaiian Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
- For the chicken:
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 cup light coconut milk
- For the salsa:
- 1 cup of pineapple finely diced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper finely diced
- 2 tablespoons red onion finely minced
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves finely chopped
- salt to taste
- For the coconut rice:
- 1 cup white rice I prefer short grain for this recipe
- 1 1/4 cup light coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
Instructions
- For the chicken:
- Combine the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil and coconut milk, pour into a container or resealable bag. Add the chicken and marinate anywhere from 8-24 hours.
- Heat the grill to medium. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for 5-7 minutes on each side or until chicken is cooked through.
- For the salsa:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl - cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to 4 hours.
- For the rice:
- Bring the coconut milk and water to a boil. Add in the salt and rice. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 18 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar.
- Serve the chicken, topped with salsa, on a bed of coconut rice.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The salsa can be made up to 4 hours in advance.
Renee says
This looks amazing! I love pineapple salsa and the chicken marinade is one that I’ll be trying!
Trisha @ The Ham & Cheese Of It says
Funny thing we have a chocolate lab named “O’Hana”!!! I also, live in Japan. You should have your daughter look up the volcanic activity we have been having lately. We just received a broadcast saying that the large earthquakes we have been having are due in part to recent volcanic activity!! So neat. She just might enjoy reading up on it! But your post images are just beyond beautiful. I can’t wait to see what other Hawaiian themed meals you’ll be posting! Thanks for sharing.
Nikki says
This looks delicious!
Meagan Sullivan says
Oh my my MY! This looks FANTASTIC! Everything about this just catches my eye! The photography is wonderful, and anything with Chicken and Pineapple is an instant win in MY book! This page is DEFINITELY bookmarked for later use!! ;P
Meagan
http://www.LoneStarBlogger.com
pam (Sidewalk Shoes) says
This will have to be my island vacation for the summer!
Linda @ Food Huntress says
I’ve been transported to Hawaii looking at this beautiful and tasty chicken dish. I love pineapple salsa.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
This is delish!!! All of these flavors are my favorites and of course this is so perfect for summer!
jenna @ just j.faye says
I love everything about this recipe! I just overcame my fear of operating the grill and am all about it now. I’ve never put coconut milk in marinade, but I love the idea of it. Also, that salsa sounds so fresh and amazing. Pinned this for later!
Logan Can says
This looks so delicious! I am definitely pinning!
Addie says
Your photos are gorgeous and it makes the fish even more appetizing than your description does! Just amazing 🙂
Christie says
Hawaii sounds like the perfect vacation. We love to make food that feels like you are traveling somewhere else. My family would love this one.
Miss Angie says
This looks entirely amazing!
Adam Baratz says
I feel like I was just transported to the tropics, then I looked around and was still in my office – boo! Great post/recipe, was a fun one:)
Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says
Holy Moly, this looks beautiful!! A meal both my sister and my husband will love! So excited for this one!
Leah says
Love anything with pineapple! This chicken sounds great!
Stephanie says
This sounds like the perfect summer time meal!
Aliza B says
This seems like the perfect summer recipe! I can’t wait to try that salsa!!
Rebekah Hamblen says
I can’t wait to give this recipe a try! I’m going to give it a while with coconut aminos instead of the soy sauce.
Lauren @ Wicked Spatula says
That pineapple salsa is calling my name!
Beth says
This dish looks amazing! How fun your for kids too!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Loving the look and sounds of this grilled chicken – how perfect for Summer!
Tonia from TheGunnySack says
These look amazing! I have pineapple salsa on my to-do list for this week!
annabelt @ geeks diet says
Now I want to make this and have a Lilo and Stitch movie night! Thanks for posting 🙂
Emily | Rainbow Delicious says
This chicken looks amazing! My oven door recently broke and won’t close all the way so until I get it fixed I’ll definitely be using my grill more and am excited to try this recipe- it looks so fresh!
Angie says
Yes, yes, and more yes!! I’m always looking for new chicken recipes and I LOVE coconut pineapple anything. Pinning and making!
Tirralan @ Tinseltown Mom says
You offer so many great recipes on your blog. This is another one I’m adding to my “To-Make” list.
Kim (Feed Me, Seymour) says
I am loving how summery this is!
ashley says
YUM! We went to Dominican Republic a few months ago and they had pineapple pork tacos there. I ate them ALL the time. This makes me miss it. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Cakespy says
WHAT!!!!!!! I need this dish in my life. It looks so perfect, so summery, so sweet and savory flavorful.
Andi @ The Weary Chef says
This is GORGEOUS! I love anything with coconut, and I bet this chicken is so moist and flavorful with the salsa.
Farha - faskitchen says
looks delicious and yummy.. love the name of ur blog
Sara says
Thanks! My husband came up with it one day when dinner time was particularly chaotic 🙂
Sherri says
1/2 cup of cilantro – is this right? It is a lot of cilantro. The dish is AMAZING!
Sara says
It is correct, but you could definitely use less cilantro if you prefer and it will still be great!
Diana says
Made this todsy for dinner, it’s delicious and so easy! 😀