Honey Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
Forget the takeout! This Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken is packed with tender chunks of chicken, has a sweet and savory flavor, and is a hit with everyone in the family. It’s so easy to make and it’s on the table in 30 minutes!
I love ordering takeout as much as the next person, but I try to make my favorite dishes at home when possible in order to save money (and sneak a few more veggies onto my kids’ plates!).
This Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken recipe was inspired by my boys’ favorite sweet and sour chicken.
Tender chunks of chicken are combined with fresh pineapple and bell peppers in a sweet and savory teriyaki sauce.
It was a huge hit with my family, and the best part is that it’s much cheaper and it’s on the table faster than I can pick up takeout!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Teriyaki chicken made with fresh pineapple is packed with protein and plenty of sweet and savory flavor.
- This is a quick and easy recipe that’s on the table in 30 minutes.
- The pineapple teriyaki sauce is so easy to make and contains no refined sugar.
- It’s a family-friendly dinner that’s great served over rice or quinoa.
- It’s dairy- and gluten-free, so it’s great for special diets.
Recipe ingredients
If you make Asian inspired dishes at home, you probably already have most of the ingredients to make this teriyaki and pineapple chicken recipe.
If you don’t have them on hand, the good news is that these ingredients are reasonably priced and have a long shelf life!
- Chicken. The chicken breast may be substituted with ground chicken or boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Pineapple. Fresh pineapple is best for this recipe, and pre-cut pineapple is a huge time saver. There’s also just enough pineapple juice in the container to add to the teriyaki sauce.
- Honey. Sweetens the teriyaki sauce. You may replace it with an equal amount of granulated sugar or another sweetener of choice, if desired.
- Soy sauce. Use reduced sodium soy sauce to reduce the amount of salt. If you’re gluten intolerant, make sure to purchase a certified gluten-free soy sauce. Tamari or liquid aminos may be substituted as well.
- Mirin. Mirin is a Japanese rice wine that adds a nice depth of flavor to the teriyaki sauce.
- Rice vinegar. You can purchase seasoned or unseasoned rice vinegar. Seasoned rice vinegar simply has added sugar. You may substitute the rice vinegar with apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar or fresh lemon or orange juice.
- Cornstarch. Thickens the teriyaki sauce and gives it a glossy sheen, just like your favorite takeout place.
- Ginger. I love freezing ginger root and using my microplane zester to grate it peel and all to use in my recipes.
- Bell pepper. Substitute the bell peppers with your favorite veggies. Broccoli, carrots, or your favorite greens are great additions.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make this recipe
This recipe comes together very quickly. Simply gather your ingredients, then prep the sauce, chicken, pineapple, and veggies and everything cooks up very quickly!
Pro tip: If you’re cooking rice, get it started first to make this a 30 minute meal. (Jasmine or basmati rice cook the fastest!)
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
- Make the pineapple teriyaki sauce. Whisk together the soy sauce, water, honey, pineapple juice, rice vinegar, mirin, and grated ginger. Set aside with the cornstarch slurry.
- Prep the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and toss with cornstarch in a zip top bag.
- Brown the chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken in a single layer in the skillet to brown, turning over halfway through.
- Add the red bell pepper. Sauté 2-3 minutes more.
- Add the teriyaki sauce. Add the pineapple, then whisk the cornstarch slurry into the teriyaki sauce, and pour it into the skillet.
- Cook the sauce until thickened. Then, remove from heat and serve!
Recipe FAQs
Fresh pineapple works best in this pineapple teriyaki chicken recipe, but canned pineapple may be used in a pinch.
The cornstarch serves two key purposes in this recipe: 1) the chicken is coated in cornstarch to help it crisp up as it browns, and 2) it thickens the pineapple teriyaki sauce and makes it shiny — just like the teriyaki sauce at your go-to takeout place!
Mirin is a Japanese rice wine which adds a nice depth of flavor here.
However, it may not always be gluten free. If you’re gluten intolerant, it may be substituted with sake, dry sherry, or additional rice vinegar.
Serving suggestions
We love serving this teriyaki pineapple chicken over a bed of fragrant jasmine rice, but it’s also great with quinoa and Instant Pot brown rice (which takes longer to cook so this would no longer be a 30 minute meal).
- The tangy sesame dressing on this Napa cabbage salad pairs nicely with the teriyaki sauce.
- For added texture and veggies, serve the teriyaki chicken over a bed of fried rice (omit the shrimp from this recipe to make classic fried rice).
- For even more veggies, make a batch of air fryer broccoli or roasted green beans.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Use pre-cut pineapple wedges for a time saver, and simply used the pineapple juice in the bottom of the container to add to the sauce.
- To make this a 30 minute meal, get your rice, quinoa, or quick cooking brown rice on first, then prep your ingredients.
- 6 tablespoons of honey will give you a mildly sweet, tangy sauce. If you prefer your teriyaki sweeter, add 1-2 more tablespoons of honey.
More Asian-inspired dinners you’ll love
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce if gluten intolerant, use one that’s gluten free
- 1/4 cup water
- 6 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons pineapple juice, reserved from fresh or use 2 tablespoons more honey
- 1.5 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1.5 tablespoons mirin*
- 1/2 tablespoon finely grated ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
For the chicken:
- 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1" cubes
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 red bell pepper cored and cut into 1" chunks
- 1.5 cups fresh pineapple chunks
- scallions and chopped cashews for serving, optional
Instructions
Prepare the sauce:
- Whisk together the soy sauce, water, honey, pineapple juice, rice vinegar, mirin, and grated ginger. Set aside with the cornstarch slurry.1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, 6 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons pineapple juice, reserved from fresh, 1.5 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1.5 tablespoons mirin*, 1/2 tablespoon finely grated ginger, 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Prepare the chicken:
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and toss with the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a zip top bag.1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken in a single layer in the skillet to brown. Turn over when it releases easily from the pan, about 1-2 minutes, and continue to cook another 2 minutes on the other side.2-4 tablespoons olive oil
- If the pan seems dry, add another 1-2 tablespoons of oil, then add the red bell pepper, and sauté 2-3 minutes more.1 red bell pepper
- Add the pineapple to the pan. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the teriyaki sauce, and pour it into the skillet, and stir until it coats the chicken mixture.1.5 cups fresh pineapple chunks
- Continue to cook until the sauce thickens, about 3-4 minutes more. Remove from heat. Serve over rice or quinoa with the chopped scallions and cashews, and enjoy!scallions and chopped cashews, salt and pepper
Notes
- Pro tip: Use pre-cut pineapple wedges for a time saver, and simply used the pineapple juice in the bottom of the container to add to the sauce.
- *Mirin is a Japanese rice wine which adds a nice depth of flavor here, but it may not always be gluten free. If you’re gluten intolerant, it may be substituted with sake, dry sherry or additional rice vinegar.
- To make this a 30 minute meal, get your rice, quinoa, or quick cooking brown rice on first, then prep your ingredients.
- 6 tablespoons of honey will give you a mildly sweet, tangy sauce. If you prefer your teriyaki sweeter, add 1-2 more tablespoons of honey.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
**This post was originally published in April 2015. Step by step photos were added and text has been modified to include more recipe information.
73 Comments on “Honey Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken”
Awesome recipe! It is so finger-licking that I am sure it will be part of my meals during the following days!
Thanks so much Agness!
Delish served with oven fried rice!
That does sound delicious! Thank you for your feedback Margaret!
Hey,
Just found this recipe and I’m itching to try it soon. One thing I don’t quite understand is what the cornstarch slurry is. Is it just what you tossed the chicken in?
Thanks,
-Adam
Hi, Adam! It is kind of confusing because there’s cornstarch twice in the recipe. The chicken is tossed in cornstarch before cooking, then the slurry or cornstarch water mixture is added into the sauce. I hope this makes sense to you — let me know if you have anymore questions! 🙂
This was easy and delicious! I added a couple ancho chilis for a little heat because we like spice, but it would have been delicious with or without. It reheats well for lunch the next day, too!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed this, Jolene, and I really appreciate your taking the time to leave me feedback! If my family could handle spice, I would definitely try adding some ancho chiles — that sounds like a wonderful idea! 🙂
Thank you, Kate! 🙂
Sweet and sour/teriyaki hybrid…umm sign me up! This looks like the best non-take-out, take out style meal ever. I will for sure be making this.
This looks really delicious, Marcie! My family would adore it – thanks for a great dinner recipe!
Thanks, Cathy! This definitely made everybody happy. 🙂
This recipe looks absolutely delish ! Are you interested in becoming our official recipe partner?
Thank you, but not at this time.
Has anyone actually made this in 30 minutes?!?! Don’t get me wrong, I loved it. Very tasty! But by the time I got all my ingredients prepped, I had already been in the kitchen for 45 minutes!
Hi, Melissa! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed this, but I’m sorry to hear it took you so long to make! This did take me 30 minutes both times I made it, but I’m curious to get more feedback to see what others say. I appreciate you letting me know.
These are such fun posts!! I love what you came up with! I love making Chinese takeout-type meals at home because they are sooooo much better for you! Love the fresh pineapple in this.
Thank you, Jess! And you can never go wrong with spin on takeout! 🙂