On the Grill | Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken & Grilled Pineapple

One of my favorite things about North Carolina summers is that they being in February. Yes, the bugs are terrible and no one really likes 105 degree days unless they're at the beach, so it does have its downfalls.

Nothing beats nearly year-round grilling, though.

Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken is probably one of my absolute favorite summertime eats. The sweet taste of grilled pineapple, the salty soy sauce, the spice of the cayenne... fantastic dish, inspired by the Shoyu Chicken recipe here.

Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken & Grilled Pineapple
Yield | 4 servings

Prep Time | 5 minutes
Cook Time | 30 minutes
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Ingredients:

1 lb chicken thighs (or legs, breasts, your choice! Skin-on is fantastic for this, as well.)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup pineapple juice

3 cloves garlic

1/2 onion (I used a sweet Vidalia onion, so good!)

1/2 tablespoon oregano

2 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

6-8 pineapple rings

Whisk all marinade ingredients in a bowl until mixed through. The spices are completely adjustable - this marinade has a good heat to it, but if you're not a fan of spice, feel free to cut back the cayenne and crushed red peppers.

Reserve 2/3 cup marinade for later use. Pour remaining marinade over chicken and add 2-3 rings of pineapple, reserving at least 1 per serving for the grill. Let your chicken soak in the flavors in the refrigerator for at least one hour (longer, if possible).

I LOVE grilled pineapple.

Preheat your grill to medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade (discard the leftover marinade and pineapple rings) and place on the grill until cooked through, basting often with the reserved marinade. Add pineapple rings a few minutes before chicken is cooked through, brushing lightly with marinade.

Once chicken is nice and dark on both sides, top with pineapple and serve.

I've made this recipe at least once every 2-3 weeks since I discovered it, and I'm not really a recipe-repeater, except in rare cases, like my mom's banana bread and my dad's chili. This is definitely a repeater. Boyfriend-approved.

Next time: Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies... Decadent and creamy cheesecake-filled cookies, a Cookie Monday feature! I've been busy this weekend, that's for sure!