Tropical Barbecue Sandwich

If you’re wondering what to grill this season, you’re in the right place! We recommend trying our tropical chicken sandwich recipe – a quick, easy, and yummy barbecue idea sure to please your guests. With a slight twist on a traditional sandwich by combining pineapple and barbecue sauce, we promise you will find this dish to be oh so satisfying!

The Best Barbecue Sauce for Chicken and Pineapple

The first order of business is gathering ingredients. When choosing the barbecue sauce for your tropical chicken sandwich, think about the flavors you enjoy most and the vibe you want from your sandwich. Most barbecue sauces typically fall into two main categories: ketchup-based and vinegar-based. If you want to lean into the sweetness of the pineapple, opt for a ketchup-based sauce since they tend to be sweeter. Vinegar-based sauces, on the other hand, taste more tangy and acidic. This option might balance the pineapple flavor nicely. If you like a bit of heat, you could try out a spicy sauce, but you might want to stick to a mild to medium level – something hotter might overpower the other flavors in the chicken sandwich.

What to Serve with Your BBQ Sandwich

Don’t forget about having something to pair with your meal! For a side dish, we recommend a refreshing pineapple cucumber salad – this is perfect for a hot summer day (or if you opted for the spicy barbecue sauce!). This dish is dairy-free and gluten-free, and combines pineapple, cucumbers, cilantro, and lime. In case that wasn’t refreshing enough, we also suggest you try this coconut cooler recipe made up of pineapple, coconut, and rum. For young guests at the BBQ or for those who don’t drink, try out this nojito recipe. This cocktail consists of muddled mint and Dole mandarin orange pieces; it’s light and refreshing and the perfect accompaniment to this meal. For dessert, keep the grill on and grill up some pineapples to make delicious grilled pineapples shortcake sundaes. This recipe consists of vanilla ice cream, coconut, pineapple, shortcakes and more. This sweet treat makes for a delightful end to your barbecue feast.

Alterations to Enhance Your Tropical Chicken Sandwich

Want to spice up your Hawaiian chicken sandwich? Well we have a few ideas to make your dish extra unique. If you’re already barbecuing, we recommend you try throwing your pineapple slices directly on the grill, or go the extra mile and brush the slices with melted butter and some sugar to caramelize them. This is a quick and easy trick that will really amplify the flavors in the sandwich. You could also try adding on other toppings. Classic sandwich topping such as lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, avocado, or jalapenos could be fun additions to this easy BBQ dinner idea! You might want to have some sort of decorative skewers or picks on hand to hold the sandwiches together, especially if they are piled high with toppings. For the buns, try using toasted brioche buns or Hawaiian rolls for an extra touch of sweetness. Or, if you want to really impress your BBQ guests, consider a fun and festive presentation. You could plate the sandwiches on a platter garnished with fresh pineapple wedges, sprigs of cilantro or lime wedges. 

Now that you have what you need for the perfect Hawaiian chicken sandwich, let’s hop into the recipe and bring a taste of the tropics to your table!