Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple

This brown sugar grilled pineapple is sweetened with a delicious brown sugar glaze and comes off the grill nice and juicy to create a sweet side dish for all your grilled meals.

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Table of Contents

Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions For Caramelized Pineapple
How To Make This Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple Recipe
How To Serve These Grilled Pineapple Slices
Storing Caramelized Pineapple
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
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This brown sugar grilled pineapple is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to cook this tropical fruit. The naturally sweet pineapple gets an extra boost from the brown sugar glaze, and the addition of the cayenne pepper helps balance the sweetness with a touch of smoky heat.

a close up shot of pieces of Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple

Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple Ingredients

Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple raw ingredients that are labeled

The caramelized sugar deepens the natural sweetness of the pineapple, adding a touch of sophistication to this tropical fruit.

Not only is it a tantalizing treat for your taste buds, but the visual beauty of those caramelized grill marks is a feast for the eyes.

You’ll need:

1 fresh whole pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 spears
¼ cup of light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon of kosher salt
vegetable oil spray for grill

PRO TIP:

You can buy a pre-peeled and cored whole ripe pineapple from your grocery store’s produce department. This will significantly reduce your prep time as the pineapple prep takes a lot of time in this recipe.

Substitutions And Additions For Caramelized Pineapple

CAYENNE PEPPER: Use guajillo or ancho chili powder instead of the cayenne pepper. You can also use a dash of sriracha or regular hot sauce for a little kick.

If you don’t like spice, you can leave out the cayenne pepper entirely.

BROWN SUGAR: Dark brown sugar can be substituted for light brown sugar for a deeper molasses-like flavor.

How To Make This Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple Recipe

It’s really easy to make these pineapple spears. Simply marinate them with the brown sugar mixture and then toss them on the grill to cook to perfection.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

You can cut the pineapple into rings instead of spears. Be sure not to cut the slices of pineapple too thinly, or they will fall apart when grilling.

STEP ONE: Place the pineapple spears in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with the brown sugar, cayenne, vanilla extract, and salt. Toss to combine.

brown sugar, cayenne, vanilla, and salt sprinkled over the pineapples in a bowl

STEP TWO: Cover the pineapple with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the brown sugar mixture for 30 minutes at room temperature.

You can also place the pineapple in the refrigerator to marinate overnight. You will have a few tablespoons of liquid in the bottom of your bowl. Do not discard it.

pineapples in a bowl covered with plastic

STEP THREE: Preheat your grill pan over high heat and spray with cooking spray just before adding the pineapple.

PRO TIP:

If you don’t have an indoor grill pan, you can grill this outdoors. Use grill plates if your grill grates are too far apart for the small pineapple spears.

STEP FOUR: Grill pineapple for one to two minutes on each side.

STEP FIVE: While the pineapple is grilling, place the excess marinade liquid in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 90 seconds or until bubbly and syrupy. Set aside.

Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple being glazed on a plate

STEP SIX: Remove the grilled pineapple to the serving platter and drizzle it with the excess marinade syrup just before serving.

How To Serve These Grilled Pineapple Slices

This dish is best served warm or at room temperature. However, it can also be served cold on top of a salad.

Prepared on an outdoor grill, the pineapple will have a smoky flavor as well, which will make it the perfect side dish with grilled chicken, pork tenderloin, and grilled potatoes.

For more delicious recipes that feature this yummy fruit, our bacon-wrapped pineapple and pineapple chicken kabobs are two more amazing recipes.

MORE GRILL RECIPES

Chicken Dinner Ideas

Grilled Chicken Breast

Seafood Dinner Ideas

Grilled Salmon

Storing Caramelized Pineapple

While best enjoyed fresh, you can keep the leftover pineapple in the fridge for a couple of days. Here’s how:

IN THE FRIDGE: Leftovers of this delicious pineapple can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.

IN THE FREEZER: This BBQ pineapple recipe is best made fresh, and we don’t recommend freezing it.

a close up shot of a fork with a piece of Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple

Marinated in a simple mixture of brown sugar and smoky cayenne pepper, this juicy brown sugar grilled pineapple is the perfect addition to any grilled meal. You will love how easy it is to make and how well the amazing pineapple flavor comes through once grilled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this ahead of time and freeze it?

This recipe is best served fresh. We don’t recommend freezing it, or the pineapple will become mushy.

Can I make this on an outdoor grill?

You can make this simple recipe on an outdoor grill or even on a griddle like a Blackstone if you don’t have an indoor grill pan.

How do I keep the pineapple from sticking to the grill?

Spray your grill with nonstick cooking spray or brush it with olive oil to prevent the pineapple from sticking.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple

5 from 1 vote

This brown sugar grilled pineapple is sweetened with a delicious brown sugar glaze and comes off the grill nice and juicy to create a sweet side dish for all your grilled meals.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 6

Total Time 46

Servings

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Ingredients

1 fresh pineapple (peeled, cored, and cut into 8 spears)
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
vegetable oil spray, for the grill

Instructions

Place the pineapple in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with the brown sugar, cayenne, vanilla extract, and salt. Toss to combine.
Cover the pineapple with plastic wrap and let it marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. You can also place the pineapple in the refrigerator to marinate overnight. You will have a few tablespoons of liquid in the bottom of your bowl. Do not discard it.
Preheat your grill pan over high heat and spray with cooking spray just before adding the pineapple.
Grill the pineapple for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
While the pineapple is grilling, place the excess marinade liquid in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 90 seconds or until bubbly and syrupy. Set aside.
Remove the grilled pineapple to the serving platter and drizzle it with the excess marinade syrup just before serving.

Video

Notes

You can buy a pre-peeled and cored whole ripe pineapple from your grocery store’s produce department. This will significantly reduce your prep time as the pineapple prep takes a lot of time in this recipe.
You can cut the pineapple into rings instead of spears. Be sure not to cut the slices of pineapple too thinly, or they will fall apart when grilling.
If you don’t have an indoor grill pan, you can grill this outdoors. Use grill plates if your grill grates are too far apart for the small pineapple spears.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Rhadonda Sedgwick Creative Director
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant

Caramelized Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple