This Whole30 Pineapple BBQ Chicken Marinade is a great solution for an easy dinner without a lot of prep! The marinade only has 4-5 ingredients and can be used on chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breast. It’s great to make ahead for meal prep or to get one step ahead of a busy week. It can be cooked on the grill, in the oven, or in an air fryer.
The base for this marinade is Whole30-compatible bbq sauce. We love using our Homemade BBQ Sauce to keep this accessible and budget-friendly. Making it yourself ensures it has no sugar added and is Whole30 compatible. But, you are welcome to use any Whole30 compatible brand you love! You can find a list of Whole30 Approved partners here.
To the bbq sauce we add a punch of sweet flavor with pineapple juice. Make sure you find a pineapple juice that is 100% juice, with no added sugar, making it Whole30 compatible. Then, make sure your chicken has enough savory flavor with a teaspoon of garlic salt. Can’t find garlic salt? Use 1 teaspoon of salt + ½ teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
A bonus hack for big flavor.
Finally, if you love a smoky flavor and your bbq sauce doesn’t already have a smoke flavor to it, you can add a teaspoon of liquid smoke. Liquid smoke is an easy way to add smoky flavor to dishes without the use of actual wood smoke. (Find it in the salad dressing or seasoning aisle of your grocery store.)
This Pineapple BBQ Chicken Marinade only takes five minutes to prep. Simply just whisk together the bbq sauce, pineapple juice, salt and liquid smoke (if using). Add the marinade to chicken breasts or chicken thighs and marinate for at least 30 minutes. For an even more flavorful result, you can marinate the chicken for up to 24 hours. You can use chicken thighs with bone and skin on or boneless skinless chicken breasts with this marinade. If you use breasts and they are thick, we recommend pounding them thinner or cutting them in half horizontally for quicker and more even cooking. You can also pierce your chicken with a fork a few times on each piece to help the marinade flavor get into the chicken more.
If you are meal prepping, you can throw it into the freezer to pull out on a busy week. Marinated chicken can go straight into the freezer after combining the chicken with the marinade, in either a sealed reusable ziptop bag (we love Stasher bags!) or glass container with a lid. No need to marinate it before freezing, as it will marinate in the freezer and as it thaws. The marinating frozen chicken does need to be thawed fully before cooking, so be sure to pull it out the night before you want to cook. (Chicken should not be left to marinate for over 24 hours, as raw chicken will begin to break down and become mushy).
Whole30 Pineapple BBQ Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup bbq sauce
- 1/3 cup 100% pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp liquid smoke optional
- 1-1.5 lbs chicken thighs or breasts
Instructions
- WHISK together the bbq sauce, pineapple juice, oil, salt and liquid smoke (if using).
- ADD chicken and combined marinade into a zip top reusable bag or glass container. Seal or cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
- TO GRILL – Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Brush the grill with oil so the chicken won’t stick. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until chicken has sear marks and is cooked through, with an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from the grill and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes to let juices redistribute before cutting.
- OVEN BAKE – Preheat your oven to 425°F. Pour the marinade and chicken into a 9×9 pan. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Cook until lightly browned and is no longer pink inside, or has reached an internal temperature of 165°F. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting into it.
- AIR FRY – Add the chicken to your air fryer basket and air fry at 400°F for 9-10 minutes, flipping halfway if the chicken is overlapping at all. Cook until lightly browned and is no longer pink inside or has reached an internal temperature of 165°F. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting into it.
- TO FREEZE – Marinated chicken can go straight into the freezer after combining the chicken with the marinade in either a sealed reusable zip-top bag or a glass container with a lid. No need to marinate it before freezing, as it will marinate in the freezer. The frozen chicken in the marinade does need to be thawed fully before cooking, so be sure to pull it out the night before you want to cook.
