Spice Up Your Grilled Pineapple With One Bold, Classic Seasoning

Tasting tropical paradise is just a piece of pineapple away. And the deliciously sweet and tangy flavor of pineapple is made all the more delightful when you've thrown your favorite spears, rings, chunks — or even an entire pineapple — onto the grill for an extra boost of smoky goodness. Brown sugar with cinnamon is an excellent seasoning choice to bring out the naturally sweet notes of grilled pineapple, but if you really want to level up your fruit offering, try a generous dash of Jamaican jerk seasoning. A bold mix of warming and savory spices with earthy herbs, jerk seasoning is the best choice to give your pineapple a boost of robust flavor.

Jamaican jerk seasoning combines several different spices for a well-rounded mixture of sweetness, spice, and savory flavors. For warming spices, a jerk seasoning typically uses a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and clove. The heat is brought from cayenne pepper, paprika, and hot pepper flakes. Additions of earthy green herbs include dried thyme and parsley. Either regular white sugar or brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness and this is all rounded out with a standard mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. With the power of all these flavors combined, jerk seasoning is an ideal accompaniment to season your grilled pineapple to perfection, striking the best balance between sweet, heat, savory, and spicy.

For grilled pineapple, fresh is better than canned, so plan accordingly for when the fruit is available in your area. You can definitely try using jerk seasoning with canned pineapple for a crispy snack in your air fryer, but there will be some variance in taste and texture. Take note that grilling pieces of pineapple will take approximately two to three minutes per side while an entire pineapple can take anywhere from around 30 minutes to a full hour. Start by rubbing your pineapple with a mixture of butter or neutral oil and your favorite store-bought jerk seasoning or a homemade blend. With time and a little bit of patience, grilling your jerk-seasoned pineapple will yield a fantastic fruit dish that you can use either as a snack, side dish, or in several complementary recipes.

Amp up the salsa for a Jamaican beef and mango tacos recipe with the addition of jerk-seasoned grilled pineapple. This pineapple would also make an excellent base for a fruit relish or chutney which you can serve alongside your favorite beef, chicken, pork, or fish recipes. You can also prepare a mouthwatering jerk chicken recipe with the addition of grilled pineapple that's been generously flavored with jerk seasoning. For an extra bold tropical fruit salad, skip Tajín in favor of jerk spices and add your seasoned grilled pineapple to the mix. Any way you use this pineapple, it will be a hit around the grill.