These grilled chicken tacos with pineapple knocked our socks off. SERIOUSLY. Smoky grilled pineapple and some smoked gouda cheese take these tacos up to a whole other level. Hands down the best chicken tacos we’ve ever eaten!

I’m not exaggerating when I say these are the best chicken tacos we’ve ever had. I’m not sure why it took me this long to make chicken tacos with pineapple. But grilled pineapple is AMAZING on tacos.

The combination of the smoky marinated grilled chicken + grilled pineapple + smoked gouda is *chef’s kiss*.

The marinade is super easy, too. Once you have the chicken and pineapple ready to grill, you can have these pineapple chicken tacos ready to eat in 30 minutes. 

Let’s start with that chicken marinade!

Marinade for grilled chicken tacos

I usually keep my marinades simple and follow a formula of oil + acid + seasoning + salt. 

Ingredients for marinade

• Smoky Chipotle Taco Seasoning
• Lime juice
• Avocado oil
• Salt

For this marinade, I wanted someting smoky to compliment the smoked gouda and the sweetness from the pineapple.

You can use any taco seasoning or Mexican-inspired seasoning blend, but I HIGHLY recommend using my Smoky Chipotle Taco Seasoning for this. 

It has a base of different types of paprika (instead of chili powder) and a little chipotle powder. And a surprise addition of nutritional yeast which adds some umami and depth. (Optional, though, if you’d rather not use it.)

What kind chicken is best for chicken tacos?

For this recipe I used boneless skinless chicken thighs. They’re more forgiving and don’t dry out as easily as chicken breasts. 

You could use either, though. If you decide to use bone-in chicken, factor in some extra grilling time since those tend to take longer to cook thoroughly.

Grilling chicken and pineapple for tacos

You’ll want to grill the chicken and pineapple at high heat to get a good sear on them. 

Flip them once or twice during cooking, making sure the chicken and the pineapple both have nice grill marks.

Internal temperature for the chicken should be about 140F.

Don’t have a grill?

You can cook them in batches in a large skillet in a little oil over medium-high heat or on a sheet pan under an oven broiler on high.

Assembling chicken tacos with pineapple

Once you’ve got everything prepped it’s time to put the tacos together!

Chop the chicken and pineapple into small slices or chunks and assemble your tacos!

I like to do this extra step to get the cheese melted onto the tortillas…

Prepping tortillas with cheese

I like using those little street corn tortillas. You can fit a dozen on a baking sheet.

Sprinkle a little cheese in each tortilla and pop it under the oven broiler for a few minutes.

You should have enough taco filling to make 24 tortillas. You can use larger tortillas if you like.

Topping for grilled chicken and pineapple tacos

I top these with a simple cilantro and red onion mixture like a traditional street taco. (Just 1 cup fresh cilantro and some red onion.) And maybe a little hot sauce.

Honestly, I don’t think they need any more than that! Avocado wouldn’t be a bad idea, but avocado is never a bad idea. ;)

Use Smoked Chicken for tacos

TIP: Try smoking your chicken breasts for these chicken tacos for even more smoky flavor! Smoked Chicken Breasts or a Whole Smoked Chicken would work beautifully. You could still use the marinade, too, or just make those smoked chicken recipes according to their specific recipes.

If you like this chicken taco recipe, try another one of these easy taco recipes on my site!

More Easy Taco Recipes on Perry’s Plate

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Corn & Zucchini

Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Avocado Salsa

10-minute Smoked Salmon Tacos

Keto Tortillas & breakfast Tacos

Tropical Fish Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Crispy Shredded Chicken Tacos

The best shredded chicken for tacos (honest)

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