How To: Grill a Whole Pineapple for Dessert, Cocktails, Burgers & More

A whole grilled pineapple is the perfect party dessert. It's beautiful, provides a natural centerpiece before you eat it, and can be sliced right on the spot and served with a dollop of ice cream. (Fresh mint leaves and a splash of liqueur on top taste pretty good, too.)

Plus, grilled pineapple doesn't just look amazing — it tastes amazing, thanks to the caramelization process which gives it a richer, more intense flavor. And it's a good way to deal with a pineapple that's not at its prime ripeness.

Here's a simple way to whip up this striking culinary creation in the comfort of your own home (or rather, on the comfort of your own grill).

Step 1: Peel

Gently peel the skin off your pineapple (leaving the green top intact), and brush the entire thing with olive oil. If you need some tips on peeling the pineapple, check out the video below from Canadian Living (watch from 0:28 to 1:20).

Step 2: Grill

Throw your pineapple on a grill over medium heat. Flip it gently to ensure that all sides receive that gorgeous golden grill mark glow.

Step 3: Slice

Once your pineapple is grilled to your desired degree of doneness, use a sharp chef's knife to slice it into circles. It can be served as is, or it can be dressed up for the occasion.

Step 4: Enjoy

Perhaps one of our favorite ways to eat our pineapple is with ice cream on top. This time in particular, we opted for the simplicity of strawberry ice cream made from coconut milk (a few decorative coconut shreds on top would be divine, too).

Ways to Use Your Grilled Pineapple

You can add grilled pineapple to pretty much anything that calls for regular pineapple, but these dishes shine in our opinion.

• pizza (with Canadian bacon, pepperoni, and jalapeños)
• burgers (Hawaiian style with teriyaki sauce and thick slices of tomato)
• salsa (with lime, red onion, cilantro, and peppers)
• seafood (on fish with chopped mango or alongside shrimp for a tropical stir-fry)
• brownies (place a slice on top of a warm brownie with a drizzle of chocolate sauce)
• cocktails (add a some grilled pineapple to your piña colada)
• quesadillas (chop your grilled pineapple and add to a quesadilla with avocado)
• grilled cheese (add BBQ chicken and pineapple to your grilled cheese for sublime flavors)

Something as simple in preparation, elegant in presentation, and amazing in taste as an entire grilled pineapple should definitely become one of your summer staple menu items.

Have any ways that you like to enjoy your grilled pineapple? Any tips for how to prepare it that we didn't cover? Let us know in the comments below.