Fresh Grilled Pineapple: Your New Favorite Summer Side Dish!

Summer just got more delicious with this easy side dish! Fresh, grilled pineapple is easy to make and does double-duty as a healthy dessert.

Wanna know why I could never follow a strict keto or low carb diet?

Fruit!

I love fruit, and it’s filled with so many nutrients.

It’s one of the reasons I was drawn to the Trim Healthy Mama way of eating: fruit isn’t off-limits.

Fresh pineapple is definitely one of my favorites.

It’s so much better than canned.

I found something that takes pineapple to a whole new level…

The grill!

Cooking pineapple on the grill caramelizes the natural sugars in the fruit and adds a nice smokey flavor too.

Sometimes I like sprinkling a little golden monk fruit onto the fruit at the end of the grilling.

A sprinkle of ground cinnamon is another way to add a little something special.

How to Choose a Good Fresh Pineapple

There are three things to look for in a fresh pineapple:

• Color
• Firmness
• Smell

What Color is a Ripe Pineapple?

Look for leaves that are fresh and green, not dried and browning.

A ripe pineapple should have a yellow-green color. If it’s all green, it will probably be too firm and not juicy.

If it’s turned brown, it will probably be overripe. It’s so sad when you cut into a pineapple and the fruit is all brown!

Sometimes a green pineapple is ripe and ready to eat, so be sure to check all three factors.

How Firm Should a Pineapple Be?

Give your pineapple a little squeeze!

A ripe pineapple will be firm, but with a little give.

Be sure to check the whole pineapple! If the pineapple is spongy anywhere, it’s overripe.

How Does a Ripe Pineapple Smell?

The best way to tell if a pineapple is ready to eat is its smell.

Give pineapples a sniff at the bottom of the fruit, and you should smell a nice sweet pineapple aroma.

If you don’t smell anything, it’s probably not ripe enough to cut just yet.

And if it smells strong, sour, or bitter, it’s too ripe.

A good pineapple has healthy green leaves, a yellow-green color, is firm with a little give, and has a sweet pineapple aroma at its base.

How to Prepare a Fresh Pineapple

If you’ve never cut up a fresh pineapple before, don’t be intimidated!

It’s so easy to do and takes less than five minutes.

You can follow along in the video below:

1. Start by cutting off the top and the bottom, no more than an inch of the fruit.
2. Set the pineapple on its base, then slice away the skin, following the curve of the fruit. Cut deep enough to remove the brown eyes.
3. Turn the peeled pineapple on its side and slice the fruit into 1/2-inch rings.
4. Use an apple corer to remove the core from the center.
5. You can cut the rings into chunks if you prefer, but leave them in rings for grilling.

Tips for Grilling Pineapple

Grill your pineapple over medium-high heat, between 350 – 450 degrees F.

I like to grill pineapple rings immediately after grilling meat, I feel like it adds a little extra flavor.

There’s also no need to oil the grates before grilling this way.

You will want to lightly oil the grates if the pineapple is the first thing you’re grilling.

Place the pineapple rings directly on the grill for about 3 minutes.

Turn the pineapple slices and continue grilling for another 2-3 minutes.

Don’t they look amazing?

They smell delicious too!

If desired, sprinkle each slice with about a teaspoon of golden monk fruit.

You can use brown sugar if you aren’t on a low glycemic lifestyle.

Let it caramelize for another minute or so.

That’s it! Your grilled pineapple is ready to enjoy.

How to Serve Fresh Grilled Pineapple

If you’re looking for the perfect side dish for ham, look no further.

The sweet-tart flavor of grilled pineapple is delicious with the saltiness of the ham.

For extra flavor, consider a sprinkle of cinnamon too!

Or maybe you’re planning a backyard luau?

Grilled pineapple is amazing with Huli Huli Chicken.

Or barbecue spareribs.

How about pork chops?

Honestly, grilled pineapple is a wonderful side dish with any savory entree.

But pineapple is so sweet, you could even serve it as a healthy dessert.

Serve it as is, or try topping it with some ice cream.

You may discover you like the flavor of grilled pineapple so much that you decide to grill it before using it in all kinds of recipes!

Be sure to leave a star rating and review after you make the recipe.

This helps other people to find and enjoy it too.

Plus it means the world to us!

If you have any questions or suggestions, contact me or leave a comment! Follow us over on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see everything we’re up to.

Pin it to Remember it!

View a visual slideshow with the highlights about grilling pineapple here.