Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Make the whiskey-pineapple marinade
- In a bowl, mix pineapple juice, whiskey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks uniform. Use a spoon to stir thoroughly and watch for fully combined dark-brown color.
- Reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade for basting and set it aside. Keep it separate so you can brush it on during grilling.
Marinate and grill the chicken
- Add chicken thighs to the remaining marinade and refrigerate for 1-4 hours. The chicken should be fully coated, and the marinade will slightly darken as it sits.
- Preheat the grill to medium heat before cooking. Aim for steady heat so the glaze can caramelize without burning.
- Grill the marinated chicken over medium heat for 6-7 minutes per side, basting frequently with the reserved marinade. Continue brushing often so the surface becomes glossy and caramel-brown.
Grill the pineapple and serve
- Grill pineapple slices for 2 minutes per side. You should see light char marks and edges that look slightly sticky.
- Serve the caramelized chicken topped with grilled pineapple. Plate with any extra pineapple and brush a little basting glaze over the chicken right before serving.
Notes
For best caramelization, keep basting frequent but avoid soaking the grill grates—use a thin brush layer so the glaze sets between passes. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; freeze cooked chicken (and pineapple) for up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use low-sodium soy sauce and reduce the brown sugar to 2 tbsp while keeping the rest the same.