Simple Grilled Mango Pineapple Chicken

Summer grilling doesn’t have to mean the same old barbecue chicken every week. I used to get stuck in that rut until I started playing around with fruit salsas and marinades. Now my family actually gets excited when I tell them we’re having grilled chicken for dinner.

This grilled mango pineapple chicken hits all the right notes. The fruit salsa marinade keeps the chicken juicy, and those roasted bell peppers add a nice touch without making things complicated. I like recipes that look fancy but come together pretty easily on a weeknight.

The best part? Most of the work is just letting the chicken sit in the marinade while you prep the peppers. Then it’s all about getting everything on the grill and letting it do its thing. Clean up is easy, and you’ll have a dinner that feels special without spending your whole evening in the kitchen.

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

Thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts are your best bet for this recipe since they cook quickly and evenly on the grill. If you can only find regular thick chicken breasts at the store, you can easily slice them in half horizontally to create thinner cutlets – just use a sharp knife and keep your hand flat on top of the breast as you cut. Aim for pieces that are about 1/2 inch thick so they’ll soak up all that tropical marinade and grill up in just a few minutes without drying out. You could also use chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat, but you’ll need to adjust your cooking time since thighs take a bit longer to cook through.

Options for Substitutions

This tropical chicken recipe is easy to customize based on what you have in your kitchen:

• Thin-sliced chicken breasts: Regular chicken breasts work fine – just pound them to about 1/2-inch thickness for even cooking. You can also use chicken thighs if you prefer darker meat, though they’ll need a few extra minutes on the grill.
• Mango-pineapple salsa: Can’t find Island Salsa? Make your own by mixing diced mango, pineapple, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice. Regular salsa with some added diced mango and pineapple works too.
• Lime juice: Fresh lime juice is best, but bottled will do in a pinch. You can also substitute with lemon juice, though it’ll give a slightly different flavor profile.
• Yellow bell pepper: Any color bell pepper works here – red, orange, or green. You could also skip the peppers and grill sliced zucchini or red onion instead.
• Fresh mango and pineapple: Frozen works great (just thaw and drain well), but canned pineapple is fine too – just make sure to drain it thoroughly. Fresh is always nice when it’s available and ripe.
• Cilantro: If you’re not a cilantro fan, try fresh parsley or just leave it off entirely. The dish has plenty of flavor without it.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Grilling

The biggest mistake when grilling marinated chicken is not patting it dry before placing it on the grill, which prevents those nice char marks from forming and can cause flare-ups from dripping marinade. Since thin-sliced chicken breasts cook quickly, they can go from perfectly juicy to dry and rubbery in just a minute or two – use an instant-read thermometer and pull them off the grill at 155°F, letting carryover heat bring them to a safe 165°F. Another common error is forgetting to oil your grill grates before heating them up, which makes the chicken stick and tear when you try to flip it, so brush on oil while the grates are still cool. For the best flavor, let your chicken rest for 5 minutes after grilling before adding the toppings, which allows the juices to redistribute and keeps everything moist.

What to Serve With Grilled Mango Pineapple Chicken?

This tropical chicken pairs beautifully with coconut rice or cilantro lime rice to soak up all those fruity juices. I love serving it alongside black beans or a simple corn and avocado salad for a complete meal that feels like a vacation on a plate. If you want to keep things light, try it over a bed of mixed greens with a citrus vinaigrette, or wrap the chicken in warm flour tortillas with some shredded cabbage for easy tacos. Grilled zucchini or roasted sweet potatoes also make great sides that won’t compete with the bright, sweet flavors of the mango and pineapple.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your leftover grilled chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I like to store the chicken and peppers together, but keep any extra salsa and fruit on the side so nothing gets too watery. It makes for great meal prep throughout the week!

Freeze: This chicken freezes pretty well for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, then freeze in portions in freezer-safe containers or bags. I’d skip freezing the fresh mango and pineapple topping though, since they can get mushy when thawed.

Serve: You can enjoy the leftovers cold in a salad or wrap, or warm them up in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes. If you want to bring back that grilled flavor, heat it in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Add fresh salsa and fruit right before serving for the best taste.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1100-1300
• Protein: 110-125 g
• Fat: 50-60 g
• Carbohydrates: 80-95 g

Ingredients

For the marinade:

• 1.5 lb chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch thick strips for even grilling)
• 12 oz fruit salsa (I use Newman’s Own Mango Salsa)
• 1/2 cup lime juice (freshly squeezed for better acidity)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

For the peppers:

• 1 yellow bell pepper (sliced into 1/2-inch wide strips)
• 1 red bell pepper (sliced into 1/2-inch wide strips)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (I prefer Bertolli Extra Virgin for roasting)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup mango (diced into small 1/4-inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup pineapple (finely chopped)
• 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro (finely chopped)

Step 1: Prepare Mise en Place and Season the Chicken

• 1.5 lb chicken breasts
• 12 oz fruit salsa
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Slice the chicken breasts horizontally into 1-inch thick strips for even cooking on the grill.

In a bowl, combine the fruit salsa, lime juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, black pepper, and smoked paprika to create the marinade.

Add the chicken strips to the marinade, making sure each piece is well coated.

Transfer to a sealed bag or container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes—this time allows the acid from the lime juice to tenderize the chicken while the salsa flavors penetrate the meat.

Step 2: Prep the Vegetables and Fresh Toppings

• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup mango
• 1/2 cup pineapple
• 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro

While the chicken marinates, slice both bell peppers into 1/2-inch wide strips.

Dice the mango into small 1/4-inch cubes and finely chop the pineapple and fresh cilantro.

Keep all fresh ingredients separate and refrigerated until serving—I find that keeping the fresh fruit and cilantro cold until the last moment preserves their brightness and texture better than if they’ve been sitting at room temperature.

Step 3: Set Up and Preheat the Grill

Oil your grill grates thoroughly and preheat to medium-high heat (around 400-450°F).

This step should happen about 10 minutes before you’re ready to cook so the grill reaches optimal temperature for searing the chicken and getting nice grill marks without drying it out.

Step 4: Grill the Peppers and Chicken Simultaneously

• marinated chicken from Step 1
• bell pepper strips from Step 2
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

Place the bell pepper strips in a grill basket with 2 tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt, and red chili flakes.

Put the basket on the grill and let the peppers cook, stirring occasionally.

Once the peppers are on the grill and softening (about 2-3 minutes in), place the marinated chicken strips directly on the oiled grill grates.

Grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and has nice caramelization—I like to let it sit undisturbed for the first 3 minutes of each side to develop a golden crust.

The peppers will finish around the same time, roughly 8-10 minutes total.

Discard any excess marinade rather than using it as sauce, since it contacted raw chicken.

Step 5: Plate and Finish with Fresh Toppings

• grilled chicken from Step 4
• grilled peppers from Step 4
• mango from Step 2
• pineapple from Step 2
• fresh cilantro from Step 2

Transfer the grilled chicken strips to a serving platter and arrange the grilled peppers alongside.

Top each portion of chicken with a generous spoonful of the diced mango, chopped pineapple, and fresh cilantro.

The contrast between the warm, caramelized chicken and the cool, bright tropical toppings creates an amazing flavor and textural balance.

Serve immediately while the chicken is still warm.

Simple Grilled Mango Pineapple Chicken

Delicious Simple Grilled Mango Pineapple Chicken recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 1200 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the marinade

• 1.5 lb chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch thick strips for even grilling)
• 12 oz fruit salsa (I use Newman's Own Mango Salsa)
• 1/2 cup lime juice (freshly squeezed for better acidity)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

For the peppers

• 1 yellow bell pepper (sliced into 1/2-inch wide strips)
• 1 red bell pepper (sliced into 1/2-inch wide strips)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (I prefer Bertolli Extra Virgin for roasting)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

For the topping

• 1/2 cup mango (diced into small 1/4-inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup pineapple (finely chopped)
• 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro (finely chopped)

Instructions

 

• Slice the chicken breasts horizontally into 1-inch thick strips for even cooking on the grill. In a bowl, combine the fruit salsa, lime juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, black pepper, and smoked paprika to create the marinade. Add the chicken strips to the marinade, making sure each piece is well coated. Transfer to a sealed bag or container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes—this time allows the acid from the lime juice to tenderize the chicken while the salsa flavors penetrate the meat.
• While the chicken marinates, slice both bell peppers into 1/2-inch wide strips. Dice the mango into small 1/4-inch cubes and finely chop the pineapple and fresh cilantro. Keep all fresh ingredients separate and refrigerated until serving—I find that keeping the fresh fruit and cilantro cold until the last moment preserves their brightness and texture better than if they've been sitting at room temperature.
• Oil your grill grates thoroughly and preheat to medium-high heat (around 400-450°F). This step should happen about 10 minutes before you're ready to cook so the grill reaches optimal temperature for searing the chicken and getting nice grill marks without drying it out.
• Place the bell pepper strips in a grill basket with 2 tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt, and red chili flakes. Put the basket on the grill and let the peppers cook, stirring occasionally. Once the peppers are on the grill and softening (about 2-3 minutes in), place the marinated chicken strips directly on the oiled grill grates. Grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and has nice caramelization—I like to let it sit undisturbed for the first 3 minutes of each side to develop a golden crust. The peppers will finish around the same time, roughly 8-10 minutes total. Discard any excess marinade rather than using it as sauce, since it contacted raw chicken.
• Transfer the grilled chicken strips to a serving platter and arrange the grilled peppers alongside. Top each portion of chicken with a generous spoonful of the diced mango, chopped pineapple, and fresh cilantro. The contrast between the warm, caramelized chicken and the cool, bright tropical toppings creates an amazing flavor and textural balance. Serve immediately while the chicken is still warm.