Crock pot teriyaki chicken with pineapple is the winner of my Crock Pot Challenge! I love meals like this that are so easy and make the house smell delicious. Just throw in your ingredients, cover and go on about your day.
When you return home from work or errands, you will have a complete meal ready for you and your family to enjoy. It also tastes great leftover. You could prepare this chicken in a matter of minutes in a skillet as well leaving it to simmer on your stovetop for hours which makes it perfect for busy weeknights.
SLOW COOKER PINEAPPLE TERIYAKI CHICKEN
$8.13 RECIPE / $1.63 SERVING
I was having one of those days today, y’all. The kind where your have a mile long to-do list but your body is just telling you to curl up and watch Netflix all day. You know those days. But I still needed to eat, so I threw together the easiest thing possible, this Slow Cooker Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken. #noregrets
This is definitely one of those meals that cooks itself, so you can Netflix binge, do laundry, or whatever while it’s doing it’s thing, and then just come back at the end to plate it up and enjoy. Perfect for a busy (or lazy) Saturday, or even for cooking while you’re away at the office during the week.
SLOW COOKER PINEAPPLE TERIYAKI CHICKEN
CAN I USE CHICKEN BREAST?
Yes, you can make this Slow Cooker Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken with breasts instead, but I will warn you that they will turn out a little more dry and not nearly as succulent as these dark meat thighs. Unfortunately that’s just the way it works.
SERVING OPTIONS
There is plenty of pineapple teriyaki sauce in the pot at the end of cooking, so spoon the meat, sauce, and pineapple over some hot rice, or a big ol’ pile of vegetables. …or both! I just reached into my freezer for a few broccoli florets to add some green to the meal, but you could always stir fry up a vegetable mix and then add the chicken and sauce on top of that instead of rice.
SLOW COOKER PINEAPPLE TERIYAKI CHICKEN
With just a few ingredients, dinner doesn’t get easier (or tastier) than this Slow Cooker Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken. Skip the take out tonight!
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 4 hrs
Total Time: 4 hrs 15 mins
Servings:
INGREDIENTS
- 1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks in juice ($1.59)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce ($0.24)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.08)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger ($0.10)
- 5 skinless chicken thighs* ($4.87)
- 1.5 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.04)
- 2 green onions, sliced ($0.17)
- 5 cups cooked rice, for serving (optional) ($0.88)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Separate the juice from the pineapple chunks. You should have approximately 3/4 cup juice. The juice will go into the sauce and the pineapple chunks will be added later. Refrigerate the pineapple chunks until they’re needed.
- To make the pineapple teriyaki sauce, stir together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, and grated ginger. If you have a little less than 3/4 cup pineapple juice, you can add a bit of water to bring it up to 3/4 cup.
- Place the chicken thighs in the slow cooker and pour the pineapple teriyaki sauce over top. Close the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours. Flip the chicken 3/4 of the way through cooking to make sure all the meat is exposed to the marinade.
- After cooking, carefully lift the chicken out of the slow cooker (it will be fall-apart tender). In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch with 2 Tbsp water, then whisk it into the remaining liquid in the slow cooker. Replace the lid and let it simmer for 5 minutes on high, or until thickened.
- Once the sauce is thickened, add the pineapple chunks and stir to combine. Finally, add the cooked chicken back to the pot and coat with sauce. Sprinkle sliced green onions over top, and serve over a bed of rice.
NOTES
*You can use bone in or boneless chicken thighs for this recipe. The chicken will be extremely tender after cooking, so you can either leave the pieces whole, or shred it into the sauce (remove the bones if using bone-in chicken). I left my chicken pieces whole for easy portioning.
SLOW COOKER PINEAPPLE TERIYAKI CHICKEN
Tender chicken doused in a deliciously sweet sauce, Slow Cooker Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken is a delicious meal that takes just about ZERO effort to pull off! Put it on your busy family’s menu today!
We are HUGE fans of Chinese takeout around our house. We’ve ordered basically everything on the menu (multiple times…). But, just as much as we love ordering takeout, we love to try to make copycat recipes at home too! We’ve mastered the art of homemade lo mein and now we’ve got this delicious Slow Cooker Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken. It’s tender, juicy, and packed with sweet and salty flavor that will leave you licking your plate clean. The best part? It is literally the easiest recipe I’ve EVER made.
SET AND FORGET FAMILY FAVORITE
Sports season is in FULL swing around here which means late-night practices, games practically every day of the weekend… it feels like we’re NEVER home anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I adore watching my boys out on the field and I rarely miss a game. But, sometimes it feels like I have just about zero time to cook (hello drive-thru with sweaty sports uniforms on!).
That’s why whenever I’m feeling like I’ve got no time to cook, I pull out one of my favorite slow cooker recipes! This slow cooker chicken pineapple teriyaki is the perfect meal for busy families. It’s literally a dump it in and let it do its thing kinda recipe. And, added bonus (at least for MY kids…) it’s a copycat recipe from our favorite Chinese restaurant.
Pineapple chicken teriyaki recipes are simply the best because they mix the bold salty flavor of teriyaki with the sweet tropical tastes of pineapple. It’s a combo that tastes incredible and my family literally devours it. Now add in the fact that it’s a teriyaki chicken recipe slow cooker style? It’s REALLY a winner. Busy soccer moms, this one is for you.
INGREDIENTS
Teriyaki Sauce – in my (many) years of attempting to copy my favorite Chinese restaurants, I’ve tried out nearly EVERY bottle of store-bought teriyaki sauce. My absolute, hands-down, favorite kind (and the only kind I’ll use when making pineapple teriyaki chicken) is the Soy Vay brand. It’s not sticky and gummy like so many teriyaki sauces are and it doesn’t burn in the slow cooker!
Pineapple – did I mention that this chicken pineapple teriyaki is SUPER simple? You don’t even need to chop up a fresh pineapple. Just grab two of those fruit cups you’ve got lying in the back of your snack cabinet and dump them right into the slow cooker, juice and all!
Chicken – you’ll need about 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You can also make slow cooker teriyaki chicken thighs if you prefer that cut instead of breasts.
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER TERIYAKI CHICKEN
I wasn’t lying when I said this slow cooker teriyaki chicken recipe is literally one of the easiest recipes you’ll find on the internet. So what are you waiting for? Grab your slow cooker and get cooking!
STEP ONE: Place the chicken breasts into your slow cooker. Dump the teriyaki sauce and pineapple tidbits right on top. Make sure you add in the juice from the pineapples as well.
STEP TWO: Stir the sauce and pineapple together. Then cover the slow cooker and let it cook on LOW for 4 hours and 30 minutes. Don’t mix it, don’t mess with it, just let it do its thing.
STEP THREE: Serve this pineapple teriyaki chicken over rice topped with sesame seeds and green onions for garnish.
SHOULD YOU FLIP CHICKEN IN SLOW COOKER?
NO! That is the beauty of a slow cooker! You never have to open it, you never have to stir it, you never have to flip your chicken. In fact, it’s better that you don’t touch it at all. Slow cookers rely so much on heat retention and moisture and every time you open the lid, that precious heat escapes.
CAN YOU PUT RAW CHICKEN IN A SLOW COOKER?
Again, that’s the beauty of a slow cooker! Cooking your chicken on low for 4.5 hours from raw ensures that the moisture is locked in and you’ll get the most tender, juicy, delicious chicken ever! Some people like to sear their chicken first rather than putting it in the slow cooker raw. If you do this, I would cut back on your cooking time a bit.
WHAT DO YOU SERVE WITH TERIYAKI CHICKEN?
In our house, we love to make chicken teriyaki pineapple bowls. Simply put your cooked chicken over a bed of cooked white or brown rice and add in some cooked veggies like zucchini or broccoli. It’s a complete meal in one neat little bowl!
If you’re looking for some more “fun” sides to pair with your slow cooker teriyaki chicken, here are some of my favorite homemade Chinese sides:
Asian Ramen Broccoli Slaw – this sweet and crunchy slaw is the perfect way to contrast the tender pineapple chicken.
Easy Fried Rice – not a huge fan of plain white rice? Mix up a batch of this yummy fried rice. Want to skip the carbs? Make some cauliflower fried rice.
Edamame Snap Pea Salad – ok, so it’s really more of a Japanese-inspired recipe, but this edamame salad has the perfect amount of sweetness to match with your pineapple teriyaki chicken.
Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
Just THREE ingredients! Throw the stuff for this chicken pineapple teriyaki recipe in the crockpot and a couple of hours later the house smells amazing and dinner is ready! Serve with rice for a delicious meal the entire family will love.
Total time 6 hours 5 minutes
Next time try this creamy crock pot Ranch chicken slow cooker recipe! It’s another easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love!
❤️ Why you’ll love it
- just 3 ingredients
- tropical Hawaiian flavor warms up winter evenings
- slow cooker simple with moist chicken and sweet pineapple
When you make this easy, crockpot dinner it’s almost like taking the night off! Just toss the ingredients in the slow cooker, set it, and forget it until dinnertime!
I love the combination of chicken and fruit. Teriyaki pineapple chicken is one of my favorite recipes and you’ll understand why as soon as you make it!
🧾 Ingredients
- boneless skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs
- crushed pineapple or pineapple chunks
- teriyaki sauce (try my easy, homemade recipe)
🔪 Instructions
- Place chicken in the crock.
- Cover with the pineapple. Don’t drain.
- Pour teriyaki sauce over the top. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Sprinkle with green onions and serve on top of rice. It’s good with white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice.
🥄 Equipment
You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- slow cooker
- rice cooker (not necessary but I LOVE mine)
- small bowl for mixing cornstarch and water
🥫 Storage
Store slow cooker pineapple teriyaki chicken covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You can freeze it in a freezer container for longer storage.
If you have a vacuum sealer you can even put all the uncooked ingredients for slow cooker chicken pineapple teriyaki in a bag, seal it, and freeze it until the night before you are ready to cook.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, dump in the slow cooker the next morning, and proceed with the recipe as written.
So easy!
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: For a thicker sauce you can dip out the juices at the end of cooking time and put about 2 cups in a medium saucepan. Stir in 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup cold water and simmer until clear and thick. Stir back into the pineapple teriyaki chicken in the crockpot.
- If you make my homemade teriyaki sauce recipe use pineapple juice instead of water for even more tropical flavor!
- Put some sauce in a small pitcher on the table to drizzle over the dish.
- Grate some fresh ginger into the slow cooker to add more ginger flavor if you like.
📖 Variations
- Add diced bell pepper.
- This is good with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
- brown rice has a nutty flavor and chewy texture. It’s a delicious alternative to the white rice.
- Shred leftovers and pile on a bottom bun. add a spoonful of cole slaw and top with the top bun. It makes a delicious sandwich!
- Use pork loin instead of chicken.
- Make a teriyaki chicken bowl by layering rice, the crockpot teriyaki chicken and pineapple, and steamed broccoli in a bowl. Spoon on a little more sauce and sprinkle the top with some sesame seeds or chopped cashews.
👩🍳 FAQs
Can I use fresh pineapple chunks in this teriyaki chicken recipe?
Sure! If you’ve got fresh pineapple use it but you’ll want to add a little pineapple juice or water to the slow cooker.
Is it better to cook chicken on high or low in crockpot?
Always cook on low. Cooking on high can make chicken tough.
Is teriyaki sauce the same as teriyaki marinade?
No. Teriyaki sauce is thicker.
Slow Cooker Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
📞 The last word
Oh my gosh y’all – if you’re looking for an easy dinner or “soccer night suppers” I’ve got you!
This teriyaki chicken will stay warm in the slow cooker for hours and it won’t dry out or start tasting scorched either. Everyone can eat when they get a chance.
I don’t know about you but that’s gold around here!