This Baked Teriyaki Chicken With Pineapple recipe has quickly become a family favorite in our house. The flavors are amazing and it’s really easy to throw together! I usually make a double batch of this Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken because we love the leftovers so much.
Did you know that pineapples are more than just an island staple? This sweet tropical fruit contains vitamins such as A, C, fiber, and calcium. Let’s learn more about the health benefits pineapples
Baked Teriyaki Chicken With Pineapple
Baked Teriyaki Chicken with Pineapple is an easy, family-friendly dish that is healthy and delicious. Made with a quick homemade teriyaki sauce, this flavorful dish is one kids and parents will all love.
Baked Teriyaki Chicken with Pineapple is a family favorite, especially with my kids who love it. Served with some steamed brown rice and veggies, it’s a meal we eat all the time. We also make this healthy teriyaki sauce to use on the grill.
This Baked Teriyaki Chicken with Pineapple is one of those dishes you will make again and again. Since teriyaki sauce can be loaded with sugar and all kinds of hard to read ingredients, this version uses a quick homemade teriyaki sauce that is sweetened with honey instead of refined sugars. Don’t worry though, it is really easy to make and comes together in about 10 minutes on the stove. Plus by making it yourself, you get to control the flavors. You can add more or less honey to change the sweetness, add extra ginger for punch, or squirt in some Sriracha for heat.
Once you have the teriyaki sauce made, the rest is easy. Just add the pineapples, peppers, onions, and chicken to a baking dish and pour the sauce on top. Then walk away and let it do its thing in the often. After about 35 minutes, you will have the most delicious chicken. It’s moist, tender, and full of teriyaki flavor. And don’t forget about the peppers, onions, and pineapple. My kids gobble them up without even thinking about the fact that they are eating veggies.
To lower the points and calories in this recipe, you could make it with chicken breast instead. My family just prefers the dark meat. Since it is cooked in the sauce directly, the chicken breast will still stay nice and tender. However, they may take a bit longer, up to 45 minutes, depending on how thick they are. Check them periodically and take them out as soon as they are cooked through. By using chicken breast, you eliminate about 40 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 2 points for those on Weight Watchers.
Tips and Tricks for this Baked Teriyaki Chicken
- Teriyaki sauce: Don’t be afraid to play with the teriyaki sauce and create your own version. Adjust the sweetness, garlic, and ginger to change the flavor. You can also add heat with Sriracha or Asian garlic chili paste. You may also want to make a double batch if you want extra to drizzle on veggies and rice.
- Chicken: You can really use almost any kind of chicken in this dish. Boneless skinless breasts and thighs will be the lightest options. You can also make bone-in chicken but you may have to adjust the cooking time.
- Veggies: People always wonder if you can bake other veggies with the chicken. Honestly, I don’t recommend adding any extra veggies, because they tend to get mushy and overcooked. It is best to cook things like broccoli or green beans on the side and then spoon some extra sauce on top.
- Pineapple: We love pineapple in our house, so I always serve this with some extra fresh pineapple on top. I love the mix of the cooked and fresh pineapple and it adds a nice texture to the dish.
- Serving ideas: Mix things up and serve the chicken in lettuce cups, stuffed in tortillas with slaw as an Asian taco, over quinoa with lots of veggies, or as a sandwich with a quick slaw.
Easy Baked Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
This baked pineapple teriyaki chicken is one of the most popular recipes for two reasons— it’s a quick and easy dinner recipe and it’s lip-smacking delicious! Ready in just 30 minutes, this dinner recipe will appear frequently in your dinner rotation.
Let’s talk dinner.
The last few months of my pregnancy, aka being tired all the time, quick dinners were my saving grace. I also craved pineapple 24/7 which is odd since I’m not a huge pineapple fan normally. This baked pineapple teriyaki chicken hit the spot every time I made it.
The recipe is not only massively flavorful and satisfying, it’s also versatile and simple. I piled it high on top a bed of brown rice one night, another with a big side of steamed broccoli or string beans and another on roasted sweet potatoes (sounds weird, but so good!) Though you could toss it in a roll or serve it with roasted veggies.
Baked Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients
You likely have all of the ingredients for the homemade teriyaki sauce in your pantry right now. There’s no reason to use store-bought sauce. Homemade is SO much butter than store-bought.
- Chicken: You can use boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs. It’s based on preference. I’ve used both but cook times may vary so keep an eye on it.
- Sesame oil: Helps gives the sauce a bit more flavor.
- Soy sauce: This is the base of any teriyaki sauce.
- Honey & Brown Sugar: The combination of these help sweeten the sauce.
- Rice vinegar: Helps cut the sweetness a tiny bit.
- Pineapple: What would chicken teriyaki be without pineapple?
- Cornstarch: This helps thicken the sauce.
Here’s How You Make It
The oven does most of the work for you, but this recipe does require you to make the teriyaki sauce on the stove.
- Make the homemade teriyaki sauce on the stove
- Pour over the chicken and pineapple
- Bake
- Slice chicken (optional but recommended)
While the chicken bakes it marinates and soaks up the teriyaki sauce. Slicing the chicken just before it’s fully cooked and letting it finish helps it soak up even more of that flavor. I highly recommend it.
This recipe is SERIOUSLY SO GOOD, especially reheated as leftovers. The sauce thickens in the refrigerator and the chicken continues to soak it up– it’s heavily. Even my I-don’t-like-leftovers husband liked it.
Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
This easy Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken is a delicious weeknight meal. Chicken is marinated in a homemade teriyaki sauce full of pineapple flavor (store bought sauce will work fine if you’re in a rush). Grill or bake them to perfection and serve them over white rice for an easy and delicious dinner option!
We love making teriyaki chicken pineapple bowls with our favorite fried rice!
Did you know that teriyaki is actually a technique of cooking? It’s a Japanese method of grilling or broiling with a combination of sugar and soy sauce (and often mirin). This recipe is great baked in the oven (and then broiled) and perfect in the summer when you’re craving Grilled Chicken!
Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients
I love teriyaki, it has great flavor and is perfect for Teriyaki Chicken stir fry, great for teriyaki pork and of course wonderful for chicken! This recipe has fairly basic ingredients, most of which you’ have on hand!
- Chicken: I love to juiciness of chicken thighs in this recipe. You can use chicken breasts if you’d prefer, adjust the cook time so the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Pineapple: Adding a bit of pineapple juice to the teriyaki sauce adds great flavor! You can swap out the pineapple for orange juice to make an orange teriyaki chicken. The sweetness of teriyaki lends itself well to various fruits (like fresh mango). I use canned pineapple rings in this recipe since it’s easy but you can use tidbits (if you’re making this recipe in the oven) or fresh or frozen pineapple.
- Teriyaki Sauce: This recipe uses homemade sauce but any store bought sauce will work too. You’ll want a thicker sauce (more the consistency of barbecue sauce). If your store bought sauce is thin, you can add a splash of pineapple juice and thicken it with a bit of cornstarch as directed below.
This is a slight variation from a traditional teriyaki sauce, but it has SO much flavor. I like to baste (or brush) the sauce onto the chicken as soon as I put them on the grill or bake them to ensure that it has a chance to caramelize to the chicken!
How To Make Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
To make this easy pineapple teriyaki chicken recipe:
- MIX: Mix the teriyaki sauce ingredients together. Reserve half of the sauce to thicken for basting.
- MARINADE: Marinate the chicken breasts for about 4 hours or overnight in the teriyaki sauce. I like to do this in a freezer bag. If you’re short on time, try to marinate for at least 30 minutes if possible, the longer you do, the better the flavor!
- GRILL OR BAKE: Grill chicken for about 7 minutes on each side or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F with a meat thermometer. Alternatively (in the winter), bake in the oven.
Health Benefits Of Pineapple
Pineapple Health Benefits
Well, all of us know that this fruit is good for our overall health and you can consume this fruit by slicing it or by making juice out of it. Here are some pineapple health benefits that you need to know.
1. Treats Cold and Cough:
If you are suffering from a bad cold, then you need to make it a point to eat pineapple. This is because this healthy fruit contains bromelain which is an enzyme that has inflammatory properties that can fight infections and kill bacteria. Eating it regularly can prevent you from a cough and cold. Well isn’t this a tastier option for you to get rid of that horrible cold and cough?
2. Strengthen Bones:
Pineapple is rich in manganese that helps in strengthening your bones. All you need to do is to add this fruit to your everyday diet and this will help you maintain a strong body and keep your bones strong and healthy. Manganese maintains good bone strength and when it is combined with zinc, copper and calcium this substance can be super healthy. Thus, pineapple has all the components and this is why this fruit can aid in stronger bones.
3. Good For Teeth:
Eating pineapple is said to strengthen your gums and keep your health strong. Your teeth and bones are made up of calcium and pineapple do have good content. It also does have manganese that also helps in strengthening bones and teeth. Just drink pineapple juice every day and stay healthy.
4. Prevents Cancer:
A pineapple a day can keep cancer away and this is true in the case of this healthy fruit. All you need to do drink pineapple juice every day and reap the benefits of it. The best thing about this fruit is that it slows down cell damage and makes you look younger. This fruit has loads of antioxidants in it that can protect you from a wide range of diseases and fights some dangerous organisms that are may affect you.
5. Aids In Digestion:
Gulping down all of those tasty dishes can sometimes make you feel heavy and lead to indigestion. All you need to do is to drink some pineapple juice or eat it and you get rid of that stomach ache. Pineapple has a rich source of bromelain, dietary fibre and vitamin C that helps in good digestion.
6. Good for your Eyes:
Regular consumption of pineapple can reduce your risk of macular degeneration which is diseases that affects the eye as you get older. However, this healthy fruit has a high source of vitamin C and several antioxidants that can aid in good vision.
7. Reduce Symptoms of Arthritis:
Arthritis involves severe pain in the joints which is primarily caused due to inflammation. Pineapple contains bromelain which is said to have a major anti-inflammatory property and all you need to do is to make pineapple juice and drink it. This will ease joint pain and prevent you from arthritis.
8. Prevents Hypertension:
If you are suffering from hypertension, then make it a point to start eating pineapples regularly as this fruit has high amounts of potassium and lower amounts of sodium that can maintain blood pressure and make you feel relaxed most often. This is the best natural way you can control your blood pressure level.
9. Reduces Risk of Blood Clots:
Bromelain being the major substance in pineapples will reduce your risks of blood clots. Thus, you need to make this healthy fruit your good time pass snack. It can benefit your health in many possible ways and so make it a point to consume this fruit very often.
10. Contain Antioxidants:
Pineapples are rich in nutrients and antioxidants that have the ability to prevent diseases that your body is prone to. Your body is prone to a lot of diseases as you age and as a result, this can cause chronic inflammation and weaken your immune system. Pineapple has antioxidants that can boost your immune system and protect you from many diseases.