Grilled Pineapple Slices with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Glaze

🥣Making the pineapple glaze

The glaze is just melted butter with some brown sugar and cinnamon. Melt the butter and mix the other ingredients.

You can substitute honey for brown sugar using 2 teaspoons of honey to replace 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

How to serve grilled pineapple

Grilled pineapple is the perfect side dish for grilled chicken breasts, grilled pork chops, or grilled strip steaks—serve it on the side or top of a grilled burger. Also, it makes an outstanding dessert when topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Related Recipes

Once you try the grilled pineapple, check out these other great grilled side dishes. Grilled Peaches will go with ice cream, just like the pineapple. Or grilled vegetables like Grilled Stuffed Tomatoes: Italian Style or Grilled Carrots with Honey Glazed will help round out the meal. And Grilled Biscuits are always a big hit.

This recipe is featured in Memorial Day Recipes, Fourth of July Recipes, and Labor Day Recipes roundups.

How to store leftover grilled pineapple

Store in the refrigerator after being grilled for 3-4 days. Serve cold or warm briefly in the microwave or on a well-oiled grill.

❓FAQs

🍍Learn about fresh pineapple

Let's talk pineapple first. You can pick up whole fresh pineapple or buy a precut cored, which is much easier. I don't recommend canned pineapple since the slices are thin.

How to Pick a Fresh Pineapple

1. The pineapple’s top (the crown) should be vibrant with no wilted, brown, loose, or falling-out leaves.
2. Feel the fruit for firm skin with a slight give; you don’t want fruit that feels spongy or has soft spots. It should also be heavy.
3. Smell the bottom of the pineapple, which is the sweetest spot on the fruit and should smell fragrant,
4. The color should be vibrant, with some yellow-gold color around the eyes and the base of the fruit. A ripe pineapple can be green, but you can't tell, so avoid green pineapples. There should usually be more yellow than green, with no white or brown coloring.
5. The “eyes” of the pineapple are the roundish skin segments that cover the pineapple. The larger, the better, they should be mold-free, and flatter is better. They get bigger and flatter with ripening.

How to Store a Pineapple

Generally, you will keep a fresh pineapple at room temperature for a few days. You can extend that by refrigerating it in a perforated plastic bag.

Once prepared, the pineapple will store well for 2-3 days.

How to Cut a Pineapple

1. Cut off the crown and bottom.
2. Stand the pineapple up and cut away the peel off in strips, deep enough to remove the eyes.
3. If making rings, use a corer to remove the core. For spears, you can core first or time after cutting spears.

I like to start with a "cored" pineapple to save time and work. But trimming a whole fresh pineapple works well.

Preheat the grill on high. If grilling something else, a lower temperature. Be sure to clean and oil the grill grate well. Works well on a gas or charcoal grill.

In a bowl with a relatively flat bottom, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a microwave. About 25 seconds should do it. Mix in 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Cut the pineapple into rings about ¾ inches. You can use pineapple spears instead if you wish.

Dip into the glaze covering all sides and place directly on the grill.

Flip in 3-4 minutes. Total grill time of 6-8 minutes.

Serve hot as a side dish or with vanilla ice cream for dessert.