Sweet Grilled Pineapple: Dessert or Side Dish

Visit a Brazilian restaurant and you just might see grilled pineapple on the menu. Happily, you can turn fresh pineapple into a delicious dessert at your next summer BBQ.

If you’re grilling, give these fun corn ribs a try, too!

Like Hawaii, Brazil has its share of delicious tropical fruit so it’s no surprise that pineapple makes its way onto the menu at your favorite Brazilian steakhouse. Fresh pineapple has sweet and juicy flesh, with just the right amount of acidity to balance it out. Oh, and the aroma of a perfectly ripe pineapple!

They’re delicious fresh, of course, but grilling them as a light dessert or delicious side dish is another great way to enjoy it.

Grilling pineapple brings out its natural sweetness and adds a smoky flavor that is truly irresistible. Plus, in this easy recipe, we’re going to let the pineapple sit in a brown sugar marinade to up the flavor.

Like so many of the recipes on this site, this one is all about letting home cooks sample flavors commonly found in other parts of the world – even when a getaway isn’t in the cards. This one in particular is easy to get on the dinner table!

Ingredients

Fresh pineapple: Start with a whole pineapple. Choose a mature, ripe pineapple for the best flavor. This is no place for canned pineapple.

Honey: Use your favorite brand of honey. If you don’t have honey on hand, substitute maple syrup.

Brown sugar: The addition of brown sugar adds sweetness along with the characteristic molasses flavor. You could use white sugar in a pinch, but the flavor won’t be as rich.

Lemon juice: Use either fresh or bottled lemon juice to provide a light tang. No lemon juice? Lime juice works, too!

Jalapeno pepper: Adding a little hot pepper to the sugar coating gives just a little heat and spice.

Choosing a Pineapple at the Grocery Store

Look for a pineapple with a fresh, green top rather than a dried out one. The skin should ideally have a yellow tone to it, or better, be quite yellow in the background. A ripe pineapple has a very sweet aroma.

How to Peel and Cut a Pineapple

Peeling and coring a pineapple can seem intimidating, but it’s actually quite easy once you know how to do it.

1. Start by slicing off the top and bottom of the pineapple. (Save the top of the pineapple — you can grow it!) Now you have a flat surface to work with; stand the pineapple upright so it’s more stable.
2. Use a sharp knife to cut off the skin of the pineapple by slicing downwards in a slight curving motion, following the contour of the fruit, from top to bottom. Use the tip of a knife to remove any remaining eyes (the small brown dots remaining on the peeled pineapple).
3. Once the skin is removed, you’ll remove the “core” of the pineapple. This is the tough, somewhat woody center that runs down the middle of the fruit. With the fruit standing on a flat surface, cut it in half from top to bottom, and then in quarters. Slice off a small vertical triangle from each quarter, removing the core.
4. Finally, slice the pineapple into spears or cut into chunks if you’d prefer to make skewers.

Note: If you use a rimmed cutting board, it will prevent pineapple juice from spilling onto the countertop. Add the juice to the marinade!

Grilling the Pineapple

Once you’ve prepared the pineapple, combine the remaining ingredients to make a marinade of sorts. Place the fruit spears in a glass container and pour the brown sugar mixture over it, turning to coat. Allow to sit, refrigerated, for a couple of hours. The brown sugar adds a rich, caramelized flavor; the honey provides a subtle sweetness.

Heat your grill to medium heat and place the pineapple slices or spears on the grill grates. You can use an outdoor grill for this or an indoor grill if your kitchen is equipped with one. You could also use a grill pan, the kind that has ridges to keep what you’re cooking raised off the bottom of the pan.

Grill for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the pineapple is slightly browned and caramelized.

Alternatively, you can cut pineapple chunks and toss those with the marinade. For easier grilling, thread the chunks on pineapple skewers.

Air Fryer Pineapple

To use an air fryer, preheat to 375°F. Place marinated slices or chunks of pineapple in an air fryer basket. Cook for about 15 minutes, turning over halfway through the cooking time.

Serving

To serve this pineapple recipe as a dessert, you’re going to want need a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The warm, caramelized pineapple and brown sugar glaze pairs perfectly with the cool and creamy ice cream for a truly decadent dessert. If you’d like, add a sprinkle of ground cinnamon or some shredded coconut.

You can also serve this sweet fruit as a side dish. It pairs well with grilled chicken, pork chops, or fish.

Storage

If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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