Every bite of this Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken will make you think you’re on vacation in Hawaii! The cinnamon infused teriyaki sauce is slightly sweet and a great accompaniment to the softened pineapple chunks and sliced red onion. This is the perfect, flavorful summer dinner!
This Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken is everything you want and more for dinner this summer. It’s slightly sweet and super saucy. Grill the chicken or bake it, whatever you have time for! Having guests over for dinner? Impress them by serving the Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken in pineapple bowls. Kids also love the fun presentation and it’s extremely easy to do.
Pineapple is such a fun, summer ingredient and we hardly see it used in savory dinners. It develops a really nice flavor and soft texture when baked in the oven and it pairs perfectly with the homemade teriyaki sauce. You really can’t go wrong with this easy and delicious summertime Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken!
Ingredients for Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
With only 10 ingredients, this delicious teriyaki sauce comes together in just minutes. The secret to this sauce is the cinnamon. It’s slightly sweet and adds some warmth and balance to the sauce.
Teriyaki Sauce
- soy sauce
- brown sugar – light or dark brown sugar will work in this recipe.
- garlic
- fresh ginger
- chili paste – I use Sambal Oelek.
- sesame oil
- cinnamon stick OR ground cinnamon – cinnamon is an unusual spice in teriyaki sauce but trust me on this, it helps elevate the pineapple flavor in this dish and creates some warm undertones that you can’t find in traditional teriyaki sauce.
- cornstarch mixed with water – this is just a simple cornstarch slurry to help thicken the teriyaki sauce.
- black pepper
- water
- sesame seeds
Pineapple Chicken
- pineapple – make sure your pineapple is ripe! You can test this by pulling a leaf from the most central point of the top of the pineapple. If it comes out easily then your pineapple is ripe. I don’t like to waste any of the pineapple so make sure to use the core. It will soften when baked in the oven, I promise!
- chicken breasts
- red onion
- cooked white rice
- scallions – optional garnish.
- fresh cilantro – optional garnish.
Here’s what else you’ll need:
- medium saucepan
- whisk
- 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish
- cutting board and knife
- stirring spoon
- measuring cups and spoons
How to Make Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
You’ve got options when it comes to cooking the chicken! I prefer the grilled chicken method because the marinating process adds more flavor and I can’t resist grilling during summer. The baked chicken method still tastes great and takes less time if you’re in a rush for dinner. You can’t go wrong with either option!
Baked Chicken Method
- Make the sauce
- Prepare the pineapple boats
- Bake the chicken
- Serve and enjoy
Grilled Chicken Method
- Make the sauce
- Marinate the chicken
- Prepare the pineapple boats
- Bake the pineapple and onion
- Grill the chicken
More Summer Inspired Recipes
- Lemon Puddle Cakes
- Tequila Slushies
- Modelo and Citrus Marinated Steak with Chimichurri
- Margarita Bars
- Triple Berry Muffins with Jam
- Red, White and Berry Clafoutis
View all summer inspired recipes here
Please let me know how your Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken turned out in the comments below! I can’t wait to hear from you!
Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Every bite of this Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken will make you think you’re on vacation in Hawaii! The cinnamon infused teriyaki sauce is slightly sweet and a great accompaniment to the softened pineapple chunks and sliced red onion. This is the perfect, flavorful summer dinner!
Ingredients
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tbsp fresh grated ginger or 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tbsp chili paste (I use Sambal Oelek), optional
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 cinnamon stick or 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water
- pinch of black pepper
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
Pineapple Chicken
- 1 whole pineapple, cut into bite-sized pieces (see step 2 below for pineapple bowl instructions)
- 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts
- 4 cups cooked white rice, to serve
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped (optional garnish)
- handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (optional garnish)
- pinch of sesame seeds (optional garnish)
Instructions
Baked Chicken Method
- Make the sauce: Preheat oven to 400°F. In a medium saucepan combine all of the teriyaki sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer, whisking as it thickens for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Prepare the pineapple boats: (This step is optional, see photos above) If serving in pineapple bowls, slice pineapple in half from leaves to base. Use a small knife to trace the outer rim in both halves. Create diagonal cuts in the pineapple into bite-sized pieces. Use a spoon to scoop out the pieces and there you have a pineapple bowl.
- Bake the chicken: Place onion slices in the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish. Place pineapple cubes on top. Season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper then place over the pineapple. Pour half of the teriyaki sauce over everything then bake for 25 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Serve and enjoy: Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return the chicken to the baking dish along with the remaining teriyaki sauce and toss with the pineapple and onions. To serve, place rice in each pineapple boat then top with the teriyaki chicken mixture. Garnish with raw red onion, fresh cilantro and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Grilled Chicken Method
- Make the sauce: In a medium saucepan combine all of the teriyaki sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer, whisking as it thickens for about 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
- Marinate the chicken: Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the breasts in a large Ziploc bag then pour half of the teriyaki sauce into the bag. Seal tightly in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Cover and refrigerate the remaining teriyaki sauce for later.
- Prepare the pineapple boats: (This step is optional) If serving in pineapple bowls, slice pineapple in half from leaves to base. Use a small knife to trace the outer rim in both halves. Create diagonal cuts in the pineapple into bite-sized pieces. Use a spoon to scoop out the pieces and there you have a pineapple bowl.
- Bake the pineapple and onion: When you are ready to grill, preheat oven to 400°F. Place onion slices in the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish. Place pineapple cubes on top. Pour the remaining teriyaki sauce over everything then bake for 25 minutes.
- Grill the chicken: Grill the chicken until it chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return the chicken to the baking dish and toss with the pineapple and onions. To serve, place rice in each pineapple boat then top with the teriyaki chicken mixture. Garnish with raw red onion, fresh cilantro and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
Make sure your pineapple is ripe! You can test this by pulling a leaf from the most central point of the top of the pineapple. If it comes out easily then your pineapple is ripe.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Mains
- Method: Stovetop + oven
Nutrition
- Calories: 808
- Sugar: 50g
- Sodium: 1884mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 117g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 44g
- Cholesterol: 109mg
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