Main Page
Festive table
Baked pineapple with cheese in the oven for a holiday

Baked Stuffed Pineapple with Chicken and Cheese

The sweetness of pineapple and the sharp bite of cheese bring out the best in chicken. Chicken breast shows up on our table often — it's tasty, affordable, and plays well with almost anything, so there's no shortage of recipes for it. But every time you want to cook and serve it in a new way. It's long been known that chicken loves pineapple: the sweet-and-savory pairing goes all the way back to ancient China, and from there it was picked up by kitchens around the world — ours included. Most of us reach for canned pineapple, but do try it with a fresh one — and serve the whole dish right inside the shell!

BLUE-EYED

Recipe author

Baked pineapple with cheese in the oven for a holiday

Watch the video

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Pineapple

400

Chicken breast

600

Hard cheese

Onion

Carrot

0.5

Butter

Vegetable oil

Curry powder (or chicken seasoning)

0.5

Salt

Pepper

Water

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 48 % 12 g

Fats 36 % 9 g

Carbohydrates 16 % 4 g

140 kcal

GI: 25 / 75 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

Prep your ingredients. Rinse the pineapple ahead of time under cool water, green crown and all. Set it upright to drain and dry off while you make the filling.
Step 2:

Peel, wash, and dry the carrot and onion. Cut the onion into quarters and the carrot into small sticks.
Step 3:

Rinse the chicken breast under cool water and pat it dry. Trim away the fat, membranes, and sinew wherever you can. Cut it across the grain into small pieces — ideally about the same size as your pineapple chunks.
Step 4:

In separate bowls, dust the meat and the vegetables with flour and toss to coat well, shaking off the excess. I use a small colander for this.
Step 5:

Put the butter in a cold skillet and warm it over medium heat until it's nearly melted, then pour in a little vegetable oil. Once the fat is hot, sauté the carrot and onion. As soon as the onion starts to color, move the vegetables to a plate. Turn the heat up to high and, in the same fat, fry the meat just until a light crust begins to form; you may need to add more oil. Season the meat with salt, pepper, and a pinch of spice.
Step 6:

Return the vegetables to the meat, add the water a spoonful at a time, and lower the heat to the minimum. Stir well, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom with a spatula. Let the meat simmer, uncovered, for 1–2 minutes. You want almost no liquid left, with the meat cooked through and juicy.
Step 7:

Now prep the pineapple. With a sharp knife, cut it in half lengthwise, right through the green crown. Cut out the tough core and discard it. A ripe pineapple slices quite easily.
Step 8:

Carefully scoop out the flesh without piercing the hollowed-out "boat." Cut the flesh into chunks the same size as the meat. Leave any juice that collects inside the pineapple shell — I know it's tempting to drink it (and the aroma fills the whole kitchen), but you're better off tasting a piece of the flesh instead.
Step 9:

Very gently fold the pineapple chunks into the meat and vegetables.
Step 10:

Fill the prepared pineapple half, mounding the filling slightly. Grate cheese over the top on a fine grater. Wrap the pineapple shell (but not the filling) in foil so it keeps its fresh look. Set the pineapple in a baking dish and put it in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for about 25–30 minutes, on the middle rack with top and bottom heat. The cheese will melt, and the moment it starts to turn golden, take it out — any longer and it will dry out.
Step 11:

Serve it hot. The dish stands on its own — a little fresh herb is all the garnish it needs. Under the cheese crust waits fragrant, meltingly tender, juicy meat. The pineapple tastes almost like fresh fruit — sweet and juicy. The blend of sweet and savory, soaked through with pineapple juice, is simply fantastic; the aroma is delicate and the finish is all fruit. Harmony for the ages!