Recipe Blog - Feature - Chicken Teriyaki

Pineapple Chicken Teriyaki Recipe

By: Andrea Alden

Everyone should have a Chicken Teriyaki Recipe that they have mastered. It’s the first thing you learn to love when experiencing Japanese cuisine for the first time. Teriyaki sauce is flavorful and a little sweet, it can be light or cooked down to an intense and sticky pairing for just about any of your favorite proteins. This recipe teaches you how to make that quintessential sauce and combines it with a bit of an Island twist. Serve this meal directly in a pineapple bowl for an incredible presentation or on a plate for a delicious dinner that is no less impressive.

Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Yield
2 to 4
Difficulty
Easy

Pineapple Chicken Teriyaki Recipe

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Ingredients

Method

Photos

Ingredients

The Best Homemade Teriyaki Sauce:

  • 2 tsp. (10 ml) sesame oil
  • 2 tsp. (3.5 g) Ginger, minced
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 cup (250 ml) Sake (Japanese Rice Wine)
  • 1 cup (250 ml) Mirin* (Sweet Cooking Sake)
  • 1 cup (250 ml) Light Soy Sauce
  • ¼ to ½ cup (50 to 100 g) Brown sugar

Ingredients:

  • 1 Pineapple
  • 8 Chicken thighs
  • Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese 7 spice) to taste, or salt and pepper
  • Metal or bamboo skewers
  • Rice for serving
  • Sesame seeds
  • Green onion
Method
  1. Start by making the teriyaki sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the sesame oil and gently cook the ginger and garlic until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the sake, mirin, soy sauce and brown sugar. Simmer the sauce together for 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened and becoming syrupy. It should coat the back of a spoon and stay in place when a finger is dragged through the middle of it. Be careful, it’s hot. Set aside in a jar or container. 
    To rush this process, you can always combine up to 2 tbsp. (18 g) of cornstarch with equal parts of the sauce, then gently stir the mixture back into the sauce. It will thicken almost immediately and will get thicker as it cools.
  2. Slice the chicken thighs into thirds and season thoroughly with Shichimi Togarashi (or salt and pepper) to taste. 
  3. Slice the pineapple in half vertically. Cut out the centers so that the pineapple resembles a bowl. Remove the core section of the pineapple and slice the remaining parts into chunks. 
  4. Preheat the barbecue to 500°F (260°C) using the bottom burners. For a more authentic “island-style” flavor, you can also use the Cast Iron Charcoal tray and your favorite lump hardwood charcoal. 
  5. Keeping the meat and pineapple separated, skewer the chicken and the pineapple. 
  6. Grill the chicken and the pineapple over direct heat for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) inside. When you flip the chicken for the first time, begin basting it with the teriyaki sauce. 
  7. Serve the grilled chicken and pineapple in the pineapple bowls with steamed rice and an extra drizzle of sauce. Top with toasted sesame seeds and freshly chopped green onion.  

When you barbecue Chicken Teriyaki, the beautiful char from your grill adds a whole new dimension to the meal. Add to that the sour-sweet and juicy pineapple and the very tropical serving dishes and you have yourself a beach party in your own backyard. Who would love this Pineapple Chicken Teriyaki recipe in your family? Have you used fruit to serve barbecue before? Tell us about your best “island-style” barbecue adventures and recipes and share your photos on our social pages like Facebook and Instagram, using the hashtags #NapoleonEats and #NapoleonGrills.

Happy Grilling!

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - Ingredients

Gather together your ingredients

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - sauce

Once the garlic and ginger are fragrant, add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - skewer

Skewer the chicken and pineapple separately

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - grill1

Grill on one side until they release from the grids easily

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - grill2

Once seared on one side, begin basting liberally with sauce

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - Grill3

Remove the chicken and pineapple from the barbecue once cooked

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - Serve1

Serve with steamed rice in the hollowed out pineapple

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - Serve2

Top with toasted sesame seeds and fresh green onion

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - Serve3

Don't forget a little extra sauce

AndreaAlden
Andrea Alden

I used to be the Sultana of Sizzle, but you can call me Andrea. I have always been passionate about food. Even though I was majoring in Art and Graphic Design, I would frequently be found cooking for my friends and family.

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Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - Ingredients

Gather together your ingredients

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - sauce

Once the garlic and ginger are fragrant, add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - skewer

Skewer the chicken and pineapple separately

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - grill1

Grill on one side until they release from the grids easily

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - grill2

Once seared on one side, begin basting liberally with sauce

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - Grill3

Remove the chicken and pineapple from the barbecue once cooked

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - Serve1

Serve with steamed rice in the hollowed out pineapple

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - Serve2

Top with toasted sesame seeds and fresh green onion

Recipe Blog - Chicken Teriyaki - Serve3

Don't forget a little extra sauce