Pork and pineapple team up with sticky sweet-and-sour sauce to deliver a satisfying, finger-licking appetizer!
I’m well aware that folks have mixed feelings about bacon and pineapple. They’re either your favorite pizza toppings in the whole world, or you think they’re an abomination in the face of all pizza.
I’m not here to convince you to eat pineapple pizza. But I am here to tell you that bacon and pineapple shouldn’t be pigeonholed as pizza toppings! Once you take the pizza out of the equation and try bacon and pineapple in other settings, you’ll understand that these two ingredients were meant to be together, regardless of the platform. But this particular recipe mixes bacon and pineapple with a minimalistic stroke of genius.
These bacon-wrapped pineapple bites are assembled with bacon on the outside and juicy pineapple on the inside. Then, they’re cooked to a delicious crisp in the oven, drenched in a Whole30-compliant homemade sweet-and-sour sauce, and baked for a little bit longer. The cooking process allows the bacon fat to infuse with the pineapple in the middle and reduces the sauce on the outside to a sticky-sweet coating that makes every minute of prep worth it. Try eating less than half a pan of these in one sitting; it’s difficult.
Are Bacon-Wrapped Pineapple Bites With Sweet-And-Sour Sauce Healthy?
Bacon-wrapping anything is surely a way to make it unhealthy, right? Not quite! These succulent bites aren’t as unhealthy as they could be, due to the fact that the recipe calls for Whole30-compliant bacon and homemade sweet-and-sour sauce. This recipe uses dates and 100% fruit juice for the “sweet” part of the sauce, and Whole30-compliant bacon should be sugar-free and naturally cured. Eating less added sugar and processed foods is definitely a healthy move! Whole30 doesn’t ban saturated fat, unfortunately, so there’s still a bit of it in the bacon. Use turkey bacon for a healthier swap!
Overall, these bites contain some protein from the bacon, vitamins B6 and C from the pineapple, and relatively low amounts of fat for a bacon-wrapped meal. They’re also free of gluten and dairy.
Choosing Whole30-Compliant Ingredients For This Recipe
If you’re doing a Whole30 stint, the ingredients you choose for this recipe definitely matter. As you likely know, Whole30 demands that you pay attention to every label on food you buy at the store. No foods with added sugars, dairy, grains, alcohol, legumes, and a zillion other things. So, here’s a guide on how to pick certain risky ingredients in this recipe.
Bacon: Whole30-compliant bacon will not have added sugars and will be naturally cured with the nitrates found in vegetables like celery and beets, for example. Brands like Pederson’s All-Natural and Applegate offer some Whole30-compliant bacon options.
Pineapples and Grape Juice: Canned fruit is Whole30-compliant when it’s canned in its own juices and nothing else. So check the labels for added sugars and ingredients like syrups. The same rules apply for grape juice; the bottle should only contain 100% juice!
Tomato Sauce: Some brands of canned tomato sauce add sugar. Check the labels to be sure you’re buying one without added sugar!
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Store leftover bacon-wrapped pineapple bites in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. If you didn’t use all the sweet-and-sour sauce, store leftovers in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can freeze leftover bites for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. To reheat chilled bites, bake for 10 minutes at 375°F or air-fry for 7-8 minutes at 350°F.
Serving Suggestions
These bacon-wrapped pineapple bites make the cutest, tastiest appetizer at a dinner party or a barbecue. Serve as an appetizer on a tray with Air-Fryer Plantains and some Chipotle Aioli for dipping.
No one says you can’t make these bites a meal in themselves, too! I’d eat these for dinner over a bed of Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice with some Grilled Zucchini. Just remember to pull any toothpicks out first.
Ingredients
For The Sauce:
- 3/4 cup 100% grape juice (not from concentrate)
- 1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup dates very lightly packed, 42 grams)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 pinch ground allspice
For The Bites:
- 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks drained, about 48 chunks
- 24 strips Whole30-compliant bacon (naturally-cured, no added sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉. Line a cookie sheet with foil and place a cooling rack on top of it.
- Stir together all sauce ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, cook for 1½ minutes, stirring frequently.
- Once the sauce has boiled for 1½ minutes, turn the heat down to medium and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken and reduce, about 9-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Once reduced, pour the sauce into a high-powered blender or small food processor, and blend until smooth. Transfer to a measuring cup. You should have about 6 ounces.
- Pour the drained pineapple onto a layer of paper towels. Use another paper towel to gently press out excess moisture.
- Cut all the bacon slices in half. This should yield 48 short pieces of bacon. Wrap one short piece of bacon around each pineapple chunk. Place the wrapped pineapple onto the cooling rack, seam side down. You'll need to pack them together tightly to fit them all. If the bacon keeps unraveling, feel free to secure with a toothpick.
- Bake at 400℉ until the bacon is nice and crispy and golden brown, about 37-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 375℉.
- Pour all the sauce over top of the bites. This should result in a thick layer of sauce. Rub the sauce on with your fingers to make sure the bites are coated evenly.
- Bake at 375℉ until the sauce is thick, but still a little bit "goopy," about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- Stick a toothpick in each bite to serve.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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