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Chipotle Pineapple Chicken with Bang Bang Sauce. We love this recipe! Chicken is cooked in a smoky chipotle-tomato sauce with tamari, garlic, and honey, then roasted on a sheet pan with sweet chunks of pineapple for a tropical, island-inspired twist. Serve everything over bowls of rice with creamy avocado and a drizzle of spicy, tangy, restaurant-style bang bang sauce. It’s vibrant, easy, and delish!
As we inch closer to summer, I’m craving more and more tropical flavors—think Caribbean-inspired dishes that are both spicy and sweet, filled with fresh pineapple and bold sauces.
And, as always, I’m keeping things simple. This recipe is a one-pan wonder—easy, quick, and minimal cleanup. Perfect for busy weeknights or low-effort entertaining.
When I shared this with my family, we all agreed: the flavors are some of our absolute favorites. The inspiration came from a trip we took to Turks and Caicos a few years back. While we were there, we ate our way through tacos, burritos, and lots of dishes featuring chicken, rice, and beans—with so many fun sauces and toppings. That balance of smoky, spicy, and sweet really stuck with me.
This dish is my take on a jerk-style roasted chicken I had at a small local restaurant. It came served over rice with caramelized pineapple and a spicy sauce. I skipped the beans this time to keep things streamlined—but if you love them, they’d be a great addition.
This one’s fun, flavorful, and just a little different. Hope you love it as much as we do!
Here are the details
Ingredients – for the chicken
- tamari – or you can use soy sauce
- vinegar – I use apple cider vinegar
- honey
- tomato paste
- canned chipotle chilies in adobo
- sweet paprika
- fresh thyme
- garlic
- chicken breast or thighs
- fresh pineapple chunks
- salted butter
- sesame seeds
Ingredients – for serving
- steamed rice
- sliced avocado
- sesame seeds
- fresh thyme – basil or cilantro would be yummy too!
Bang bang sauce ingredients
- mayo
- sweet Thai chili sauce
- garlic
- lime zest
Tools
A blender and a sheet pan are all you need!
Step 1: the chicken
Start by arranging the chicken on a sheet pan. Use a pan big enough to also fit the pineapple.
Step 2: make the sauce
For the sauce, everything gets blitzed together in a blender. Tamari, apple cider vinegar, honey, tomato paste, chipotle chilies in adobo, sweet paprika, fresh thyme, and garlic.
Blend the ingredients together into a smooth sauce.
Then pour the sauce over the chicken.
Step 3: bake
Add the pineapple chunks to the sheet pan. Top each piece of chicken with butter and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, then bake.
The chicken will cook for about 25 minutes. As the chicken cooks, the pineapple caramelizes, and the sauce will thicken up.
Step 4: make the bang bang sauce
Mix mayo in a bowl with Thai chili sauce, garlic, and lime zest. You can also add a pinch of salt and pepper or even chili flakes!
This is one of my favorite sauces. The sweet Thai chile sauce is the secret to the deliciousness!
Step 5: assemble
Serve the chicken, pineapple, and sauce over bowls of rice. If you’re feeling fancy, maybe even make some cilantro lime rice. That would be delicious.
Then add slices of avocado and top each bowl with generous spoonfuls of the creamy bang bang sauce. I usually add a squeeze of fresh lime too!
Once together, this becomes one totally delicious bowl!
Looking for more recipes? Here are a few to try:
Crockpot Chipotle Pot Roast Tacos
Spicy Chipotle Honey Salmon Bowls
Chipotle Pineapple Bang Bang Chicken Skewers
Coconut Chicken Fingers with Bang Bang Sauce
Baked Crunchy Hot Honey Chicken
Sheet Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Feta Potatoes
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Buffalo Cauliflower with Spicy Tahini Ranch
Lastly, if you make this Chipotle Pineapple Chicken with Bang Bang Sauce, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Chipotle Pineapple Chicken with Bang Bang Sauce
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 410 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup tamari/soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice or apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1-3 chipotle chiles in adobo
- 1 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs
- 3 cups fresh pineapple chunks
- 2 tablespoons cold, salted butter, sliced
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 avocado, sliced
- rice, for serving
Bang Bang Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayo or plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the chicken on a sheet pan.2. In a blender, blend the tamari/soy sauce, vinegar, honey, tomato paste, chipotle, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper until the chilies are chopped. Pour the sauce over the chicken, tossing to coat. Snuggle the pineapple around the chicken. Top the chicken with butter. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over each piece of chicken. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.3. To make the bang bang sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl.4. Serve the chicken, sauce, and pineapple over bowls of rice. Add some sliced avocado and fresh thyme. Top with bang bang sauce. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on April 30, 2025
Hi I’m making this for my daughter. It sounds amazing can’t wait to actually eat it.
I have one question, can I prepare this ahead . Like. Put it all together the night before . Or would it just be better to prepare and bake. Thanks so much I like all of your wonderful recipes..
Thanks so much, Anne! Totally, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope everyone enjoys the recipe! xT
I was totally blown away by this dish. I do have two questions though. Is the chicken with or without skin and bones? Also, you mentioned leaving out the beans. What kind of beans and how would I incorporate them into the sauce.
Hey Bud,
Thanks so much for making this recipe! I like to use boneless skinless chicken for this recipe. I haven’t tested with the beans, so I am not sure the best route to take! xx
This was absolutely delicious! I added a bag of broccoli florets too…so I had a veggie 😁. Mine didn’t thicken up like yours did but it was still so good. Super yummy!!
Hi Jen,
Thank you so much! I am thrilled to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you! Thanks for giving it a try!
Delicious and kid-approved! Served with cilantro like rice. Will definitely make again. The flavors were amazing!
Hi Leila,
Happy Monday! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad it turned out well! xx
Made this tonight, it was delicious & so easy to make!! 🤩
Hey Heather,
Happy Monday! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad it turned out well! xx
Tieghan! I made this last night and it was absolutely wonderful! My husband doesn’t do “spicy” but he loved this dish. And me, I loved every facet of it.. even the preparation! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, Cathy! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you. I appreciate you making it! Have a great weekend! xx
Hi there, this looks. yummy! But I think you need to add garlic to the blender instructions (you’ve omitted it in the instructions). Thank you – M.
Thanks so much for pointing this out!! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try!
Quick and easy to make and it turned out sooo good! I followed the recipe exactly.
Thanks a bunch, Melanie! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! xx
This was SO good!
Hey Katie,
Love to hear this! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try and your comment! Have a great weekend! xT
Super easy, super good!
Thanks so much, Carolina!! So glad to hear you enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it! xx
Yummmm! This one is sooo good!! A bit spicy but sooo good! That bang bang sauce on top is a must!
Hi Veronica,
Yay!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I’m so glad to hear it turned out well for you!🌷 Happy Thursday!
This was ok, but I’ll use less seasoning next time. I would also leave out the thyme, it did not go well with the other flavors.
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you didn’t love it! xx
Looks good, can’t wait to try this! I was going to order the sweet chili sauce you used (can’t find in in stores near me) but I noticed some funky ingredients like “Tapioca Starch” and “Acetic Acid”. I’m surprised to see you’re recommending this since you don’t like things that have funky ingredients– neither do I! Do you have a homemade chili sauce recipe that avoids these weird ingredients?
Thanks, Melissa! I do not have a homemade recipe for Thai chili sauce, I think the Grama’s brand is pretty clean, but you should use what you are comfortable with. I hope you love this recipe! xT
Hi Tieghan! You do actually, it’s here: https://fett-weg.today/ginger-sesame-pineapple-beef/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Maybe you forgot? You wrote “Since most store-bought sweet Thai chili sauce is full of sugar, I like to make my own chili sauce. I use a mix of honey, chili paste, a touch of ketchup, some garlic, ginger, and lime!! It’s really easy to mix up if you’re looking for a healthier sauce option.”
So yummy, I hope this helps!!!
Tapicoa starch is used as a thickener in place of other grain-based thickeners like corn starch. Many people who stay away from grains go for an option like tapioca starch. Acetic acid is the main acidic component of vinegar.
Melissa, look at the Chili Pepper Madness website. His thai sweet chili sauce recipe is delicious !!!
So very happy with this recipe.. the family loved it.. even picky kids. Will def keep in the rotation
Thanks so much, Diego! Love to hear this!
Should the chicken be cut into smaller pieces before adding to the baking sheet or should we leave the breast/thighs whole?
Hi Christy,
I like to leave mine whole:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
On a scale of one to ten,ten being extremely spicy, how would you rate the spice level of this dish? I can’t eat really spicy things….
Hi Linda,
I would say it’s a 5. For less spice, just use 1 chipotle chile in adobo and I would reduce the paprika. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT