✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
This Steak and Ale style Hawaiian chicken soaks in a pineapple, soy and sherry marinade, then hits a hot grill and gets a sticky glaze. It's the steakhouse date-night plate people still ask about.
How Do You Make Steak and Ale Hawaiian Chicken? (Quick Answer)
Whisk 1 cup pineapple juice, 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup dry sherry, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, garlic and ginger. Save 1/2 cup for the glaze, marinate 4 pounded chicken breasts in the rest for 4 to 24 hours, then grill 5 to 7 minutes per side to 165°F. Glaze and top with grilled pineapple.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Save half a cup of marinade in a jar BEFORE the raw chicken goes in. That clean half cup becomes your glaze, so you never brush raw-chicken marinade on cooked chicken.
Why You'll Love This Hawaiian Chicken
- A steakhouse classic the famous plate from Steak and Ale's dinner menu.
- Sweet, salty, tangy pineapple, soy and a splash of sherry.
- Make-ahead friendly marinate the night before, grill in 20 minutes.
- Juicy every time pounding the chicken flat means no dry edges.
- Real glaze glossy and safe, made from reserved marinade.
What Was Steak and Ale Hawaiian Chicken?
Steak and Ale opened in Dallas in 1966: dim lights, dark wood and an unlimited salad bar. If you didn't order the prime rib, there's a good chance you ordered the Hawaiian chicken, a sweet and tangy pineapple-marinated chicken breast.
There's no official recipe, so this is my copycat-style version, built from the pineapple, soy and sherry marinade that copycat cooks have described for years.
Can you still eat there? Yes, in one place. The original chain closed in July 2008, and a new Steak and Ale opened in Burnsville, Minnesota, in 2024, with more planned. For everyone else, this is dinner.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Pineapple juice: canned or bottled, not fresh, for a long soak.
- Low-sodium soy sauce: salty-savory depth without overdoing it.
- Dry sherry: a classic steakhouse touch. Swap with more pineapple juice for no alcohol.
- Chicken breasts: 6 to 8 ounces each, pounded to 3/4 inch.
- Pineapple rings: canned rings char beautifully on the grill.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Pound it even. A breast that's thick at one end and thin at the other cooks unevenly. Three-quarters of an inch all over means juicy chicken, edge to edge.
- Use canned juice. Fresh pineapple juice has an enzyme that can turn chicken mushy over a long soak. Canned or bottled juice is heated, so a full day is fine.
- Low-sodium soy. Regular soy over 24 hours can make the chicken too salty. Low-sodium keeps it balanced.
- No sherry? Swap in more pineapple juice plus a teaspoon of extra vinegar. The cooked sherry is mostly flavor, but leave it out for an alcohol-free version.
- Pat, then grill. Let the marinade drip off first. Sugary puddles burn before the chicken cooks through.
- Medium-high, not blazing. The sugar in the marinade chars fast. If the marks go black before 5 minutes, turn the heat down a notch.
- Rest it. Five minutes on the board keeps the juices in the chicken instead of on the plate.
Steak and Ale Hawaiian Chicken
4
servings15
minutes20
minutes380
kcal4
hours35
minutesCopycat-style Steak and Ale Hawaiian chicken: boneless chicken breasts marinated in pineapple juice, soy sauce, dry sherry, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, garlic and ginger, grilled to 165°F, brushed with a glossy glaze made from reserved marinade and topped with a grilled pineapple ring. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- For the Marinade
1 cup pineapple juice (canned or bottled)
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry (or more pineapple juice)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- For the Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 oz each)
4 canned pineapple rings, drained
1 tablespoon neutral oil
- For the Glaze and Serving
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
4 cups cooked white rice
1 green onion, sliced
Directions
- Marinate
- Whisk the pineapple juice, soy sauce, sherry, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic and ginger until the sugar dissolves. Pour 1/2 cup into a jar and refrigerate it for the glaze.
- Pound the chicken breasts to an even 3/4 inch thick. Put them in a zip-top bag or dish with the rest of the marinade and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.
- Grill
- Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high and brush it with oil. Lift the chicken out of the marinade, let it drip, and discard the used marinade.
- Grill the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes per side, until the thickest part reaches 165°F. Grill the pineapple rings for about 2 minutes per side, until marked.
- Glaze and Serve
- Simmer the reserved 1/2 cup marinade in a small saucepan. Stir the cornstarch into the water, whisk it in and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until glossy.
- Rest the chicken for 5 minutes. Brush with the glaze, top each breast with a pineapple ring and serve over rice with green onion.
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What to Serve With Hawaiian Chicken
My steakhouse-night sides.
- Fluffy white rice or rice pilaf, to catch the glaze.
- A big green salad with ranch, in honor of the salad bar.
- Steamed broccoli or green beans.
- A baked potato with butter and chives.
Storage and Reheating
Keep leftover chicken in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat it covered in a 350°F oven or a skillet with a splash of water until it reaches 165°F. It's also great sliced cold in a rice bowl.
More Chicken and Retro Dinners
Love a sweet soy glaze? Try my Panda Express teriyaki chicken. Picking a pineapple for the grill? Here's how to tell if a pineapple is ripe. And for a retro lunch, my Howard Johnson's style fried clams and Lum's beer-steamed hot dogs are waiting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Steak and Ale Hawaiian chicken?
It was one of Steak and Ale's best-known dinner plates: a chicken breast in a sweet pineapple and soy marinade, grilled and served with pineapple. Copycat recipes describe a pineapple juice, soy and sherry marinade, which is how I build mine.
Is Steak and Ale still open?
The original chain closed its last restaurants in July 2008. A new Steak and Ale opened in Burnsville, Minnesota, in 2024, with more planned, so check locally. Or make the Hawaiian chicken at home.
How long should I marinate Hawaiian chicken?
At least 4 hours and up to 24 hours in the fridge. With canned pineapple juice, a full day is fine and gives the deepest flavor.
Can I bake Hawaiian chicken instead of grilling?
Yes. Bake it on a lined sheet pan at 425°F for 18 to 22 minutes, until it reaches 165°F, then broil 1 to 2 minutes with the glaze for color.
Can I use chicken thighs?
Yes. Boneless thighs stay extra juicy. Grill them 5 to 6 minutes per side and cook to at least 165°F.
Can I reuse the marinade as a sauce?
Not the marinade the raw chicken sat in. That's why I save half a cup before the chicken goes in and simmer it with cornstarch for the glaze.
