Pineapple is delicious on all on its own, but grilling it brings out a whole new depth of flavor. This Grilled Pineapple Coconut Margarita is easy to make and perfect as a tropical cocktail!
Has this week been the LONGEST week ever for anyone else? I spent most of yesterday thinking it was Thursday and had to keep reminding myself we were only midway through the week. Then when I called Chris on my way home from work, he said, "at least tomorrow is Friday!" I had to break it to him that "nope, tomorrow is still just Thursday" and he almost didn't believe me. I think it probably has something to do with the fact that it's been cold and rainy and miserable all week long. At least tomorrow really is Friday now, but every time I look at the weather forecast for the weekend, it's different. One minute it looks nice and sunny and the next minute it's pouring. I guess we'll just have to wait and see... At the very worst, we can just remind ourselves that April showers bring May flowers and Monday is officially May!
In the meantime, let's just sip on tropical drinks and pretend that the 80 degrees and sunny Easter weather stuck around. I would do anything for a tropical vacation right now and kind of think I have a good excuse for one, considering Chris and I are celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary in June (!!!). The perfect reason to celebrate on a beach with a mixed drink or twelve. We just have a lot going on right now and moving into the summer and also... I've become that person who doesn't want to go on vacation because I don't want to leave my dog. So pathetic, right? This spring and summer I'm putting her through her own personalized boot camp (designed by me) to help her build confidence and socialization and to get rid of her fear and anxiety. Then I'll probably feel better leaving her. Wish me luck.
So for now, it's drinks like these Grilled Pineapple Coconut Margaritas on my backyard deck. Or, if it continues to be cold and rainy, on my couch with a huge furry blanket and the gas fireplace on. And you know, I think I can live with that for now. I love traveling and far-off beaches, but I'm also very much a homebody and my family room with my husband, dog, cocktail, and a book is my ultimate happy place. And this drink is my happy drink. I buy a pineapple at least every other week, chop it up, freeze it, and then regularly add it to my kale smoothies for a little touch of sweetness.
GRILLED PINEAPPLE COCONUT MARGARITAS RECIPE
I LOVE grilled pineapple, but never think to do it on my own, so I threw some on my grill pan (too gross and rainy to actually be grilling right now...) and brought out some of the sugars for a deep caramelized flavor. The grill pan works perfectly, but you could also skewer the pineapple pieces and grill them on your outdoor grill if you want. Just make sure to keep on until you get those gorgeous grill marks.
Once grilled, I cooled the pineapple to room temperature and blended with ice, coconut water, lime juice, and tequila. Is there anything more tropical than pineapple and coconut?
While taking these photos, I also discovered that my dog is a seriously big fan of shredded coconut. Well, I knew she loves coconut oil (coconut oil allegedly has lots of benefits for dogs, including keeping their coats shiny and their breath smelling fresh!), but I had to delete quite a few photos where her face showed up trying to lick that coconut up.
But there's no way she was getting any of this drink. a) because it has tequila in it and b) because I wanted it all to myself. I did begrudgingly share with Chris since I figured it would have been concerning if I drank a whole blender-full of this cocktail while he was at work. But don't think I wasn't tempted!
I never order frozen margaritas when I'm out, mostly because they always seem to have so much sugar in them and feel more like dessert than a drink. But I love making them at home since you can control what goes into them and they feel like a tropical vacation that's not necessarily pumping you full of sugar (other than the sugar from the fruit). BUT I have to admit that these grilled pineapple coconut margaritas had me start craving a pineapple margarita on the rocks, too. Probably with a little bit of spice added in.
I also discovered that I actually made a pineapple coconut margarita just a couple years ago (that I completely forgot about!), but that one used coconut milk instead of coconut water and frozen pineapple instead of grilled. Clearly I'm craving this combination (AND TEQUILA) quite often.
If you're looking for a tropical getaway of your own, I highly recommend pairing these margaritas alongside my Chili Lime Salmon Over Coconut Rice. And please accept my apologies if you don't like coconut. And my condolences, too, because if that's the case, I feel a little bit bad for you (but maybe not because you're probably saving money... Coconut products can be so expensive!).
It seems that the weather has been pretty gloomy across many parts of the country, so I hope that things brighten up and get warm for everyone's upcoming weekends. And if not, these grilled pineapple coconut margaritas will help!
Do you have any tropical drink plans? I think you need some margaritas in your life!
I also can't wait to try these Pomegranate Pineapple Shrub Mojitos from Butter Be Ready!
📖 Recipe
Grilled Pineapple Coconut Margaritas
Ingredients
- 3 cups chopped pineapple (save 4 long pieces of pineapple for garnish, if desired)
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil (can also use olive oil)
- Simple syrup for glass rims (can also use lime juice)
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- 3 cups ice
- 1 cup coconut water
- 6 oz. tequila
- 1 ½ oz. lime juice
Instructions
- Lightly brush pineapple pieces with coconut oil and place on grill pan over medium heat.
- Grill for about 4 minutes (until grill marks appear) and then flip and continue to grill for an additional 4 minutes.
- Remove pineapple to a plate and let cool to room temperature (can put in fridge to speed up process).
- Lightly brush cocktail glasses with simple syrup or lime juice and place shredded coconut on a plate. Dip rims of glasses into shredded coconut.
- Once cooled, combine pineapple, ice, coconut water, tequila, and lime juice in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour cocktail into coconut-rimmed glasses, garnish with long pieces of pineapple and lime, and serve.
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
Love the back to back coconut recipes. Agree that pineapple and coconut are a match made in tropical heaven. And mango and lime, too!
Matt and I brought back a bottle of calamansi (local Philippine lime) liqueur and I'm planning on making lots of tropical drinks with it!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
So that completely sucks when you think that it's closer to the weekend and then realize it isn't. I think we've all been there. But you know what is awesome, when it's Saturday and you wake up thinking you are late for work and then realize, 'wait, it's SATURDAY.'
Congrats on your upcoming anniversary! That's awesome! I don't like going away and leaving our fur baby either. I miss him so much when I do, which is not very often.
Ok, this cocktail...girl, you are speaking my language here. I absolutely LOVE anything coconut and, well, grilled pineapple? Um, YES! Can't wait to give this one a try and tomorrow is Friday so WOOT WOOT! Pinned! Cheers to the freakin' (almost) weekend 🙂
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
I'm that girl too :). I had to go to Hawaii last summer for a wedding and I spent the whole time calling to check on my dog. Can you design a boot camp for me to get over leaving her?
These margaritas look SOOOO freaking good. Margs are seriously my favorite--I'm thinking this needs to happen for Cinco de Mayo. Congratulations on almost five years! Happy almost-Friday, Sues!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Happy Friday! This week did seem extra long, and I'm so glad that it's finally the weekend. And I'm with you, I hate leaving my dog, too! It doesn't help that I work from home, so we're together all the time. I feel so guilty when I leave! I could totally go for a few of these margaritas. I love the texture and that grilled pineapple!
Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog says
Definitely the longest week ever over here too! These margaritas sound absolutely delish - perfect for cinco de mayo!!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
The week here was cold and rainy too! I'm ready for some sunshine....maybe I'll just have some liquid sunshine like in this margarita! It looks like just what I need!
Caras Kitchen says
Girl! mad props on grilling the fruit before putting it in this drink- one helluva idea. Also too cute and funny that your dog likes coconut lol 🙂 beautiful pictures and sending you some sunny SoCal vibes
Tandy | Lavender and Lime says
I find grilled pineapple to sweet, but fresh and with tequila, you cannot go wrong for sure.
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Every week this year has just been LONG. Like, I'm in serious need of a vacation because I think 2017 is trying to kill me. 😉 But watch, I take a vacation and THAT particular week will be the FASTEST week ever. Lol. Life sometimes just sucks. 😉 Clearly I am in desperate need of a few of these margaritas! They look freggin' delish, girl! LOVE that grilled pinapple! And the coconut!? Swoon! SO perfect for Cinco de Mayo! Cheers! <3
Barbara says
Double yum! Wish I was there having one with you!
Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry says
I feel ya! These weeks are moving at a glacier pace lately. We should all go on vacation and sip on these grilled pineapple margaritas preferably while sitting on a white sandy beach.
Juliana says
Wow, this is nice...grilling pineapple will give this an extra flavor!
Enjoy your week Sues 🙂
Mitzie Mee says
This one is right down my alley. I love everything with coconut and pineapple, especially when there's alcohol involved too:) Looks super tasty.