Recipe: Pineapple Chicken Barbecue 3 ways

A much as I would like to take credit for this recipe, the original idea was my friend Shana's. She came up with it one night for Shabbas dinner and though she served it as chicken pieces and I adapted it to a Pulled Chicken, it is still AMAZING either way. My husband quite possibly married me for this dish. I have also made it once or twice as chicken skewers on the BBQ as well and it is quite good that way. The pineapple juice tenderizes the chicken so that it literally melts in your mouth and the chunks of Pineapple get this amazing sweet smoky flavor. All adaptations are below so feel free to experiment and enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast or Chicken pieces: 4-7 boneless skinless breasts in chunks for skewers or leg/thigh pieces or breast on bone pieces for pulled bbq/ whole chicken

BBQ sauce- 2 bottles of your favorite. I usually use a honey BBQ

Chunk Pineapple- 2 cans with juice

Onion- 2-3 medium onions, julienned for pulled BBQ, quartered and separated for chicken pieces or chicken skewers

Red pepper flakes- a teaspoon or so, more if you like a kick

Whole Garlic Cloves- 5-6, more if you like a real garlicky flavor. Smash once with a knife to release flavor

Bell Pepper- 2-3 Bell Peppers in chunks if you are making Skewers only

Also need:

Large Bowl or Ziploc bag for marinating everything

Skewers (if making Chicken Skewers)

Large, deep baking pan (I use at least a 9x13 pan and usually use a throw away because cleanup is a bit of a nightmare)

Mini Baguettes (if serving as pulled chicken sandwiches)

To Prepare:

Preparation for all three dishes is fairly the same. In a large bowl combine BBQ Sauce, Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes. Stir until evenly mixed. Next add Pineapple Chunks and juice and mix. Add your choice of Chicken and stir until evenly coated. Marinate Chicken Mixture for at least an hour, the more you marinate, the more the acid in the Pineapple tenderizes the chicken. I will break down the dishes from here as the cooking instructions are different.

For Pulled BBQ Chicken:

You can use either Chicken on the bone or boneless for this dish. Chicken on the bone is a bit more difficult because you have to stop halfway through and remove the meat and skin but I find that it makes a better BBQ. Once you are finished marinating the meat, pour the entire mixture into a large, deep baking dish and add the julienned onion. Put into the oven at 375* and bake. After about 45 minutes pull out chicken. If you are using the boneless skinless breasts, simply use a fork to shred the meat and mix it in with the sauce. If you used Chicken on the bone, allow it to cool slightly and separate the meat from the bones/skin. Shred the meat and mix it into the sauce. Return the meat and sauce into the oven for another half and hour to 45 minutes, stirring regularly. You may have to add a bit more water to the mix if the sauce begins to get to thick. Continue to stir and cook until the meat has completely tenderized and the sauce is thick. Serve in a hot crusty baguette with fresh cole slaw for an amazing sandwich or use as a main dish with your choice of sides. YUM!

For BBQ Chicken Pieces:

Add Onion Chunks to BBQ mixture and pour into deep baking dish. Put into oven at 375* and bake until skin on the Chicken begins to brown and the meat starts to pull away from the bone (approximately 1 hour). Be sure to marinate with the excess sauce regularly, adding water if needed to thin out the sauce. You can also use a baking bag for this which will self marinate the chicken and keep it moist. Once Chicken is finished, remove from the oven and serve with rice or potatoes. Amazing!

For BBQ Grilled Chicken Skewers:

Add onion to BBQ chicken mixture. Stir until onion is evenly coated with sauce. Skewer Chicken chunks, Pineapple and Onion chunks onto skewers, alternating so that the flavors will mix well. Place on BBQ grill and cook, brushing with leftover sauce regularly. Remove from grill when cooked and serve with your choice of Summery BBQ Sides. Enjoy!!