Best for: The fastest dessert on the grill.
A dusting of five-spice and cinnamon in brown sugar pulls grilled pineapple in a Chinese direction — warm spice against the fruit’s caramelized edges. It is a plainer, spicier treatment than the site’s savory Indian pineapple chaat: no chaat masala, no herbs, just fruit, sugar, spice, and fire, served hot off the grate.
Grill: Direct high heat; 475°F. Equipment: Grill, tongs.
Ingredients
Rest: 3 minutes. Total: 23 minutes.
- 1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 spears
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
- Pinch of fine table salt
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil, for the grate
- Lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Directions
Stir the brown sugar, cinnamon, five-spice powder, and salt into the spiced sugar. Pat the pineapple spears dry — dry fruit caramelizes; wet fruit steams.
Heat the grill to 475°F and oil the grate.
Press the spiced sugar onto all sides of the spears.
Grill for 3–4 minutes per side, until the sugar caramelizes into a deep amber crust with charred grill marks.
Turn once more for 1 minute if the crust needs darkening, watching closely — caramel goes from amber to burnt quickly.
Rest for 3 minutes and serve hot, with the lime wedges if you like a bright finish.
Grilling tip: Pat the pineapple truly dry and sugar it at the last second — sugared fruit sitting on a plate weeps its crust away before it reaches the grill.
