BBQ Hawaiian Chicken Foil Packets {Grill or Oven}

These super simple BBQ Hawaiian chicken foil packets are the perfect summer meal! Cooked on the grill OR in the oven, they take minutes to prep and the flavor is incredible.

Bring on summer and all its chaotic gloriousness! We’re heading into our second official week of summer break and are slowly getting used to summer schedules (interpreted to say: my kids are gradually making peace with the fact that they do, indeed, have the same mom that has existed every summer of their lives, which means they do, indeed, have the same-morning-jobs, rare-sleeping-in, read-to-earn-points setup that’s definitely not new news around here). 

You already know that I love a good summer schedule so the above is no surprise. But I also really love summer food. I kind of go into the warm summer months with the expectation that if at least 5/7 of our weekly dinners resemble BBQ-style food in some form, summer will be a success. 

These simple little BBQ Hawaiian chicken foil packet dinners fit into that criteria perfectly. First and foremost, they can be cooked on the grill which saves having to heat up the oven (or house) and lends itself nicely to the outside cooking vibe. However, they cook just as well in the oven if that’s your thing (and I really think someone should try them over a campfire just to see how they’d fare; haven’t tried that myself yet). 

Using either the grill or the oven, you end up with a dinner that is so deliciously rustic, you can slap it on a paper plate, eat it in the great outdoors (no worries if that’s just your fenced-in suburban back yard) OR nicely plate it and enjoy it at the dinner table. 

Heavy duty foil + nonstick cooking spray + fresh chopped pineapple and peppers (hold me, so yummy) + seasoned chicken + healthy amount of BBQ sauce.

Once all those ingredients are carefully (or not carefully at all) layered on the foil, the folding and crimping begin. 

I like to take the two short edges and bring them up together and start folding down until there’s just a little space between the chicken and the foil. Make sure to crimp and press the folds really well so no flavorful juices leak out. 

Then I take both the open edges and do the same thing, pressing the folds flat.

Place the foil packets directly on the grill or in a single layer on a sheet pan for the oven. In about 15-20 minutes you’re going to have the most delicious concoction of BBQ Hawaiian chicken foil packets you’ve ever known.

The pineapple and peppers are the perfect compliment to the tender, juicy chicken. While cooking, the ingredients lend their own unique flavors to the mix and create a tasty “sauce” that is delicious served over rice (or cauliflower rice!). Also, a few slices of fresh avocado with this lineup is unspeakably yummy. 

I’m sure this foil packet dinner lends itself quite well to substitutions, especially for the vegetables. It’ll pain me if you leave out the bursting fresh pineapple because it’s easily my favorite part, but do what you have to do. ?

I’ll let everyone else enjoy the other pleasures of summer – as always, I’m just here for the food. And this Hawaiian chicken foil dinner number is top on my list for yumminess to get me through the hot days ahead. Hope you love it and I can’t wait to hear what spin you take to make it your own. 

  
Hot, cooked rice or cauliflower rice
Buttermilk drop biscuits
Homemade lemonade

One Year Ago: Almond Coconut Milk Chicken Satay
Two Years Ago: Cuban Sandwiches {Slow Cooker or Instant Pot}
Three Years Ago: Chicken Taco Salad {InstantPot, Slow Cooker, or Stovetop}
Four Years Ago: Baked Orange-Glazed Meatballs
Five Years Ago: Glazed Lemon Yogurt Sheet Cake

Yield:
6 servings

Prep Time:
20 minutes

Cook Time:
15 minutes

Total Time:
35 minutes

Ingredients

For the seasoning rub + sauce:

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground black pepper)
• Cayenne pepper, to taste (I use a pinch)
• 3/4 cup favorite BBQ sauce (see note)

For the packets:

• 6 thin cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see note)
• 2 to 3 cups chopped red/orange/yellow bell peppers (about 2 large bell peppers)
• 2 to 3 cups chopped fresh pineapple (I haven’t tried this with canned)
• Chopped chives or green onions for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat a grill to medium heat (I use 375 degrees F on my pellet grill) or oven to 400 degrees F.
2. For the seasoning rub, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, chili powder, salt, garlic powder, smoked or regular paprika, black pepper and cayenne. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides of each chicken piece evenly with the seasoning rub.
3. Prepare the foil packets by laying out long pieces, about 20-inches, of heavy duty aluminum foil (or two layers of regular foil). Lightly coat the center of the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Divide the chopped peppers evenly among the foil pieces (about 1/3 cup per foil packet). Top with chopped pineapple (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup). Sprinkle with green onions or chives.
4. Top the pineapple + peppers with a piece of chicken. Spread BBQ sauce liberally over the chicken. Bring the short edges of the foil up to meet and then use small folds down so there’s a little space between the chicken and the foil. Crimp and press the folds well to seal. Do the same with the side edges. Press and crimp well to seal (see pictures above in the post).
5. Grill or bake the packets for 15-18 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through (if you open a packet – do so carefully as the steam will be hot – and the chicken isn’t fully cooked, carefully seal the packet again and cook for a few minutes longer). Serve hot over rice (or cauliflower rice) and sprinkle with more chives/green onions, if desired.

Notes

This is my favorite homemade BBQ sauce (so good!); my favorite storebought brand is Sweet Baby Ray’s or Kinders. For the chicken, either use already thin-sliced chicken breasts or use three thicker/larger chicken breasts and cut them in half (like a hamburger bun) to form two thinner cutlets. The ingredients in these foil packets cook much more even if the chicken breasts aren’t super thick.

Recipe Source: adapted from Cuisine at Home