Grilled Chili Pineapple with Ice Cream & Tajin

CHECK OUT OUR LINKTREE HERE FOR ALL OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS AND A FREE DOWNLOAD OF OUR TOP 5 FAVORITE RECIPES

This has got to be the simplest summer dessert, coming in at under 10 minutes including the “carving” of the pineapple.  When I first put these things together I honestly didn’t anticipate a culinary win, but boy was I surprised.


Something about that warm charred chili grilled pineapple, sweet, cool, creamy ice cream and slightly tart, salty sprinkle of Tajin makes my taste buds quite happy.  A sprig of mint for the presentation sets it off.  It’s very reminiscent of island vacations, summer evenings or a topper to an afternoon of grilling.

If you’re not familiar with Tajin, it’s readily available in the Mexican foods section of your grocery store.  It’s a blend of chili, lime and salt that is quite delicious on many foods.  Try on sweet potato fries, roasted cauliflower or fruits like melon and mango (as well as this pineapple).

If you wanted to sub out canned pineapple, that would be fine as well, but it’s hard to mimic the sugary sweetness of a perfectly ripe, fresh pineapple.  If in doubt about selecting a perfectly ripe pineapple, give the base of the pineapple a whiff .  It should smell like sweet pineapple.  Then pull on one of the leaves that lay toward the center of the fruit.  It should release fairly easily, ensuring you have a perfectly ripe fruit.  If it seems still a little “green”, let it sit on your counter for awhile (not in the fridge) to continue its ripening process.


Speedy, easy, delicious, comforting yet light - this dessert checks all those boxes.

---

I GRILLED THESE INSIDE AS ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY IT WAS RAINING

LOVE THIS INDOOR GRILL PAN AVAILABLE ON OUR SHOP PAGE

You can grill these inside or out.  They’re so fast.  If you have company, go ahead and cut the slices in advance and keep them at the ready for when you’re ready to serve dessert with a flourish.

Chili Grilled Pineapple with Ice Cream & Tajin
​
1 pineapple
2 teaspoons chili powder
*Tajin (Chili Lime seasoning to sprinkle over)
Vanilla ice cream for serving (I love non dairy coconut milk ice cream for this such as SoDelicious, but your favorite brand will do)
Mint leaves for garnish (optional)


With a good chef's knife, evenly cut the top and bottom off of the pineapple.  Then carefully cut the outer husk off the fruit, ensuring you remove the tough “eyes”.  I try to keep the fruit as cylindrical as possible, but as shown in the photos, I didn’t always succeed.  No worries.  It tastes great anyway. 


Cut slices of the pineapple about 1/2 inch thick.  You can also cut long wedges for a different presentation. I leave the core in the pineapple and simply cut around it as we’re eating it, but that choice is yours.  Leaving the core in saves some time.


Sprinkle each side as evenly as possible with a dusting of chili powder.  Place on the grill or grill pan and sear one side for about 1 minute until grill marks appear.  Flip and sear the other side the same amount of time.


Remove to serving plate, top each slice with a small scoop of ice cream, sprinkle liberally with Tajin and add a sprig of mint if so desired,


*Tajin  is readily available in the Mexican foods section of your grocery store.  It’s a blend of chili, lime and salt that is quite delicious on many foods