Sweet and Tangy Jerk Chicken with Caramelized Pineapple and Mango

The flavors in this dish just scream warm and sunny tropical island.

So much so that it makes me wish I was on a tropical island right about now.

It’s a fast, easy recipe the whole family will love and it’s ready in less than 15 minutes. This isn’t traditional jerk chicken but who said we always have to be traditional.

I love the warming flavors in jerk seasoning and it varies from brand to brand but allspice, peppers, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, brown sugar, garlic, and salt are common.

Combined with a sauce made with pineapple juice, honey, and brown sugar for sweetness, and lemon juice and apple cider vinegar for tanginess, the chicken is bursting with sweet-and-tangy flavor and wonderfully moist.

I am all about sauces and dips, always need extra, and this one is ridiculously good. You’ll have more than you like need for the chicken and it’s wonderful drizzled over rice, pasta, or vegetables.

I caramelized pineapple and mango to top the chicken. I used coconut oil which enhances the tropical flair, but you can substitute with another oil.

I used canned pineapple since I needed the juice anyway for the sauce for the chicken and I used frozen mango but if you have fresh, even better. Pineapple holds up to heat and the caramelization process better than mango because it’s firmer, but I adore any caramelized fruit.

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4.75 from 24 votes

Sweet and Tangy Jerk Chicken with Caramelized Pineapple and Mango

By Averie Sunshine

The flavors in this dish just scream warm and sunny tropical island. It’s a fast, easy recipe that the whole family will love and it’s ready in less than 15 minutes. It isn’t traditional jerk chicken but who said we always have to be traditional. I love the warming flavors in jerk seasoning and combined with an easy sauce that’s ridiculously good, the chicken is bursting with sweet-and-tangy flavor and wonderfully moist. I used coconut oil for the caramelize fruit which enhances the tropical flair, but you can substitute with another oil.

Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 2 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Serving

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Ingredients  

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Chicken

• ▢ ½ cup honey
• ▢ ¼ cup pineapple juice, from one 16-ounce can pineapple chunks, reserve the pineapple for caramelizing
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil for sauce + 1 tablespoon for cooking chicken
• ▢ 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ 1 tablespoon jerk seasoning for sauce + more for sprinkling over chicken
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
• ▢ 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 pounds

Caramelized Pineapple and Mango

• ▢ ½ to 1 tablespoon coconut oil, or another preferred oil
• ▢ about 1 cup pineapple chunks, reserved from can
• ▢ about 1 cup mango chunks, I used frozen that I allowed to thaw
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste

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Instructions 

• Chicken – To a medium bowl or large measuring cup, add the honey, pineapple juice, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon jerk seasoning, salt, pepper, and stir to combine; set aside.
• To a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, generously sprinkle each chicken breast on both sides with jerk seasoning. Add chicken to skillet and cook chicken over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side so that it has a nice sear. Cooking time will vary based on thickness of chicken breasts. Chicken should be about 80 to 90% cooked through.
• Remove skillet from heat, turn heat to medium-low, and carefully add the sauce noting that it will bubble up vigorously in the first few seconds.
• Place skillet back on the heat and allow chicken to cook for about 10 minutes, or until sauce has thickened and reduced some, has darkened in color, and chicken is cooked through. Flip chicken a few times throughout. While chicken cooks, caramelize the fruit.
• Caramelized Pineapple and Mango – To a separate large skillet, add the coconut oil, pineapple, mango, optionally sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown and caramelized, about 8 minutes, flipping every few minutes to ensure all sides are evenly cooked.
• Top chicken with caramelized fruit and serve immediately. Chicken and fruit are best warm and fresh, but leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days. I store fruit and chicken separately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 601kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 45g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 125mg, Sodium: 979mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 60g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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