Chicken and Pineapple Air Fryer Sandwich
A delicious sandwich with tender chicken and caramelized pineapple, quickly cooked in the air fryer.
Steps
- 1
Season the chicken fillets with paprika, salt, and pepper. Lightly brush with olive oil.
- 2
Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (350°F) for 3 minutes.
- 3
Place the chicken fillets in the air fryer basket. Cook for 10 minutes.
- 4
Add the pineapple slices to the basket and cook for another 2–3 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and the pineapple is slightly caramelized.
- 5
Meanwhile, lightly toast the buns in a toaster or pan.
- 6
Assemble the sandwiches: spread sauce on the bottom half of each bun, then add a chicken fillet, a pineapple slice, and a cheese slice. Cover with the top half of the bun.
- 7
Serve immediately, hot.
Shopping list
chicken fillets, pineapple slices, burger buns, cheese slices, mayonnaise or barbecue sauce, paprika, salt, pepper, olive oil
Recipe story
The combination of chicken and pineapple was popularized in Hawaiian cuisine, where pineapple is a traditional ingredient. King Kalākaua of Hawaii first served caramelized pineapple alongside chicken at a royal feast in the 19th century. Since then, this exotic pairing has spread to cuisines worldwide, adapted into various dishes including sandwiches. Using an air fryer for this recipe is a modern innovation that preserves the tender texture of the meat and the caramelization of the fruit.
Ingredient Secrets
Black pepper
Known as 'black gold' in antiquity, pepper was so valuable that it served as currency and tribute. In the Middle Ages, Venetian merchants controlled the pepper trade, and individual peppercorns were often counted. Legend has it that when Alaric, king of the Visigoths, demanded tribute from Rome, he included 3,000 pounds of pepper.
Sea salt
Sea salt, extracted from ocean waters by evaporation, was one of the most precious goods of antiquity, used both as food and as currency. In ancient Rome, soldiers were paid with salt, which is the origin of the word 'salary'. Salt roads connected entire civilizations, and in the Middle Ages, salt was so valuable it was called 'white gold'.
Paprika
Paprika, a emblematic spice brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus from the New World. Although associated with Hungarian cuisine, its origins are in Central America, where it was used by the Aztecs.
Olive oil
Originating in the Mediterranean basin, olive oil was already produced in ancient Crete 5,000 years ago. In ancient Greece, it was considered a gift from Athena and used in lamps, cosmetics, and religious ceremonies. The Romans spread it throughout the empire, and in the Middle Ages, monasteries preserved the tradition of its production.
Mint
In ancient Rome, mint was so valued that students wore wreaths of its leaves to stimulate their minds, and guests received fresh sprigs as a sign of hospitality. Legend has it that the goddess Minerva transformed the nymph Mentha into a fragrant plant, giving birth to mint.
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