Brazilian Pineapple Recipe

5 from 15 votes

This Brazilian Pineapple Recipe is an easy copycat for any Brazilian steakhouse version. You get perfectly spiced, caramelized pineapple every time.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Servings:

Calories: 328kcal

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a large resealable bag. Add the pineapple spears and close the bag tightly. Shake it so that the cinnamon and brown sugar completely coat the spears. Press sugar mixture onto spears as you remove from bag.
Alternatively, you can combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Toss pineapple in sugar. Lay them on a tray and repeat until all are coated.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil and a light coating of cooking spray. Set aside.
Place coated pineapple on prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Place tiny butter cubes across the top of the pineapple spears.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or so, then flip each piece over with tongs and baste with the sugary mixture for another 12 to 15 minutes. Total cooking is 25-30 minutes and the baked pineapple will be juicy and bubbly.

Wipe and clean your grill. Completely oil your cooking grate. Grab tongs and squeeze a bunch of paper towel together. Dip paper towel in vegetable oil and rub on top of each grate repeatedly.
Turn burners on high, cover, and heat your grill until hot; about 15 minutes.
Reduce all of your burners to medium heat. Dump contents of resealable bag into your pan. Include all of the brown sugar mixture and add pats of butter.
Using a brush or even a spoon; adjust, brush or flip pineapple until well-coated. Cook for 7-10 minutes, flipping over after 5 minutes of cooking.

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Line the bottom with foil or parchment, edges turned up to form a shallow tray. The brown sugar will run, and without a liner it welds itself to the basket. If you're using perforated parchment, preheat without the parchment in the air fryer.
Coat the pineapple in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt mixture and brush with melted butter rather than dotting cold cubes on top. Convection air moves too fast for cubes to sit and self-baste the way they do in the oven.
Arrange in a single layer, no overlapping. Cook 8-10 minutes in batches and keep finished ones warm under foil. Flip and baste halfway through cooking.

To cut fresh pineapple, slice off the top and bottom, stand it upright, and carefully cut away the skin. Use a small knife to remove any remaining eyes, then cut into ½-inch rings, spears, or 1-inch chunks, removing the tough core as needed.
For perfectly caramelized pineapple, use ripe-but-firm fruit and avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook at the recommended temperature until the pineapple is tender and golden, rather than letting it cook too long and become mushy.
You don’t have to remove the pineapple core, but it’s tougher and less juicy than the rest of the fruit. For the best texture, especially with rings or chunks, it’s worth removing.