Grilled Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken in Foil - The Recipe Critic (2024)

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Grilled Hawaiian barbecue chicken in foil has the most amazing sweet and tangy pineapple barbecue sauce! It grills to perfection with fresh pineapple and delicious summer veggies!

If you love recipes like this that you can cook up on your grill, then you MUST TRY this amazing grilled asparagus, these grilled kabobs and this delicious grilled shrimp!

Grilled Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken in Foil - The Recipe Critic (1)

Grilled Hawaiian BBQ Chicken in Foil Recipe

A tragedy happened in our house and our grill died. You all know by now how much I love that thing. Summer BBQs happen at our house quite regularly so I need my grill! But don’t worry, I had a grill delivered to my front porch in just two days and I was back to grilling in no time!

One of our favorite things to grill this summer has been foil packets. They are the perfect serving for each member of the family. Each little packet is complete with tender and flavorful meat and veggies. I loved this Hawaiian BBQ recipe here on the blog so much that I decided to turn it into a delicious foil packet. It turned out so delicious and the flavor was amazing. The sweet and tangy pineapple barbecue sauce smothered on the chicken cooked with delicious pineapple and summer veggies. Every single one of us loved these delicious foil packets. I know your family is going to love them too!

Ingredients in Grilled Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken

This recipe has so many fresh flavors from the fruits and veggies that you combine with your chicken. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the recipe car for exact measurements.

  • Chicken Breasts: I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe.
  • BBQ Sauce: I like to make my own BBQ sauce using this recipe. But if you are going for store bought then Sweet Baby Ray’s is my favorite!
  • Pineapple Slices: Don’t drain your pineapple slices, keep the juice!
  • Soy Sauce: This adds a great zing of flavor to the sauce.
  • Garlic: I used minced garlic in this recipe.
  • Vegetables: You can use whatever vegetables that you like but I love pairing red bell pepper, zucchini, and green onionswith the pineapple.

How to Make Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Foil Packets

These are so easy and turn out perfectly tender and juicy every single time. They are perfect for any summer BBQ but you know me, I like to cook foil packets in the winter too using my oven! See the instructions below on how you can change this up and make them all year long!

  1. Prepare foil packets: Heat grill to medium heat. Cut 4 sheets, enough to wrap the chicken and veggies, of heavy-duty foil. Then, place chicken on the center of aluminum foil and divide the veggies and add 2-3 pineapple slices into each packet.
  2. Whisk sauce: In a bowl, whisk together bbq sauce, juice from the can of pineapple slices, soy sauce, and garlic. Spread about 2 Tablespoons of the sauce on the chicken and make sure to reserve about 1/4 cup.
  3. Grill and garnish: Place chicken packets onto grill and grill for 13-15 minutes flipping at about 7 minutes.To serve carefully open packets, baste with reserved sauce, and garnish with green onions.
Grilled Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken in Foil - The Recipe Critic (2)

Can I cook foil packets in the oven?

Yes! You can actually cook this grilled Hawaiian barbeque chicken in your oven if you prefer that or don’t have a grill to use!

  • Pre-heat oven to 400F and make your packets. Make sure to seal the foil around all ot the ingredients nice and tight. Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. The internal temperature of cooked chicken is 165 degreed Fahrenheit.
Grilled Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken in Foil - The Recipe Critic (3)

More Delicious Foil Pack Recipes

I love how juicy and tender the chicken and vegetables turn out when i cook them in a foil pack. I have a lot of different recipes that cook up delicious ingredients in foil. I have rounded them up here so that there is something for everyone!

Dinner

Grilled Lime Butter Salmon in Foil with Summer Veggies

25 mins

Dinner

Hobo Dinner Foil Packets

1 hr

Side Dishes

Foil Pack Grilled Vegetables

30 mins

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Grilled Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken in Foil

By: Alyssa Rivers

Grilled Hawaiian barbecue chicken that is made in foil has the most amazing sweet and tangy pineapple barbecue sauce! It grills to perfection with fresh pineapple and delicious summer veggies!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat grill to medium heat. Cut 4 sheets, enough to wrap the chicken and veggies, of heavy-duty foil. Place chicken on the center of aluminum foil and divide the veggies and add 2-3 pineapple slices into each packet.

  • In a bowl, whisk together bbq sauce, juice from the can of pineapple slices, soy sauce, and garlic. Spread about 2 Tablespoons of the sauce on the chicken and make sure to reserve about 1/4 cup.

  • Place chicken packets onto grill and grill for 13-15 minutes flipping at about 7 minutes.To serve carefully open packets, baste with reserved sauce, and garnish with green onions.

Notes

Originally Posted August 7, 2016

Updated on June 15, 2022

Nutrition

Calories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 26gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 1044mgPotassium: 912mgFiber: 2gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 1322IUVitamin C: 58mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 1mg

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

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Alyssa Rivers and the food blogger behind The Recipe Critic. The blog launched in 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family. Each recipe is tried and true, family-tested and approved.

Read More About Me

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Grilled Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken in Foil - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

Should you grill chicken on aluminum foil? ›

Fat from the chicken can drip and burn, too. As a result, explains Harvard Health Publications, chemicals called heterocyclic amines and aromatic hydrocarbons from, and they have been linked to cancer. Reduce the formation of these compounds by putting chicken in foil on the grill.

Can you marinate chicken in aluminum foil? ›

One thing you want to avoid is aluminum foil because it can interact with the acid in the marinade.

What is the secret to grilling chicken? ›

Grill over indirect or direct heat but keep the lid closed

If you're cooking a larger or thicker piece of chicken breast, grill over indirect heat before or after charring, especially if you want to be sure that it's cooked all the way through.

How do you keep BBQ chicken from sticking to the grill? ›

Temperature and time are the keys to grilling chicken. First, put a light coating of olive oil and seasoning directly on the chicken to help prevent sticking. Second, keep the grill temperature around 425-450F. If the temperature is too high the chicken will stick!

What happens when you cook chicken in foil? ›

It delivers mouth-watering results: By using foil to bake chicken, you seal in its juices as it steams. This keeps your chicken moist and wonderfully flavorful. It gives you a complete meal in a packet: While you can bake your chicken alone, using foil allows you to build a delicious, all-in-one meal.

How long can you keep chicken in aluminum foil? ›

Poe - Fast AI Chat. Is it safe to eat a whole chicken that was cooked, covered in aluminum foil, left on the counter overnight, and then refrigerated in the morning? Based on the information from the search results, leaving cooked chicken out at room temperature for more than two hours is not safe [2].

Why do people wrap chicken in foil? ›

Why do we wrap in aluminum foil when we roast chicken? The foil is primarily used to prevent the food from drying out, especially during longer cooking sessions.

What not to do when marinating chicken? ›

Salt pulls out moisture from ingredients, so get too heavy-handed, and you'll be dousing on the sauce at dinner to compensate for a dry bird. Same goes for overly acidic marinades, says Carla Lalli Music, BA's food director. Be mindful of how much citrus and vinegar you add.

Will chicken continue to cook in foil? ›

The heat from the mostly-cooked protein is trapped inside the aluminum foil, leading to it continuing to cook while even outside the oven. It's ready to be consumed when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. “The chicken keeps cooking and all the juices get back into the chicken,” she explained.

What not to do when grilling chicken? ›

Uncovered Grilling

Even removing the lid too often from the grill results in heat escaping and the temperature dropping. This may lead to uneven cooking of the chicken. Keeping the lid closed on the grill to cook the chicken more evenly.

Should I oil my chicken before grilling? ›

Olive oil helps to brown the outside of the chicken, bringing it to a beautiful golden color, while still maintaining the meat's internal moistness. This is especially important when grilling, as chicken can quickly become dried out when cooked directly over the grill's heat.

Should you flip chicken when grilling? ›

Typically, a good rule is to flip your chicken breasts within the first 5 minutes, let them cook for another 3-4 minutes, and then flip them again and cook them until they hit 165 degrees and the juices run clear on the bottom of the breast.”

Do you put BBQ sauce on chicken before grilling? ›

Barbecue sauce typically contains sugar that will brown faster than the meat. This can make it difficult to tell when the chicken is done. To ensure you don't pull the chicken off too soon, add the BBQ sauce when you're nearly done cooking the meat.

Why is my chicken tough after grilling? ›

Overcooking might play a role in your chicken's tire-like texture. Leaving chicken in a pan, oven, or grill for just a little too long can suck the moisture right out and leave you with a dry, rubbery bird. Without moisture, the protein fibers in the chicken become elastic.

Is it better to grill with or without aluminum foil? ›

Don't line the grill grates with foil either. It restricts the airflow in the grill which can be a fire hazard. Lining your grill grates with aluminum foil doesn't allow the juices and fat to drain naturally. They will pool up inside the foil.

Is it OK to cook with aluminum foil on the grill? ›

Foil Meals On The Grill

Foil does have useful applications in our grills though, and works well as a makeshift smoker packet. It's also great for wrapping up vegetables, ribs, fish and other foods for a different method of cooking on the grill.

Is it better to cook chicken in foil? ›

The covering helps prevent excessive evaporation and keeps the chicken moist throughout the cooking process. Preventing dryness. Chicken tends to dry out more quickly when exposed to direct heat. Covering the chicken creates a barrier that prevents the top surface from drying out, resulting in tender meat.

Is it safe to grill with aluminum foil? ›

For safe grilling, use aluminum foil packets or containers as directed. Bottom line: the amount of aluminum that enters food from high-heat cooking is considered safe to eat. If you're trying to avoid excess added chemicals in your diet for any reason, try using lower heat or parchment paper instead.

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