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.
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. YUM!
Pairs well with Savory Coconut Rice.
Slow Cooker Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
Servings 5Ingredients
- 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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Slow Cooker PIneapple Teriyaki Chicken – Step by Step Photos
Begin by draining one 20 oz. can of pineapple chunks in juice. You’ll be using both the juice and the pineapple chunks, but they’ll be added to the recipe at different points. You should get approximately 3/4 cup juice out of the can. If you’re slightly under, you can add a bit of water to bring it up to 3/4 cup. Refrigerate the pineapple chunks until it’s time to add them to the recipe.
To make the pineapple teriyaki sauce, combine the 3/4 cup pineapple juice with 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 cloves garlic (minced), and about 1 tsp grated fresh ginger.
Place five skinless chicken thighs in the slow cooker (bone-in or boneless) and pour the marinade over top. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.
Turn the chicken once about 3/4 of the way through, just to make sure all the meat is in contact with the sauce. After cooking, carefully lift the chicken out of the pot and place it on a plate or cutting board.
In a small dish, stir together 1.5 Tbsp cornstarch and 2 Tbsp water. Whisk this into the remaining liquid in the slow cooker. Replace the lid and let it simmer on high for about 5 minutes, or until it has thickened. Cornstarch only thickens liquids once it reaches a simmer, so make sure it’s simmering.
Once the sauce has thickened, add the pineapple chunks to the pot and stir to combine.
And finally, add the cooked chicken back to the pot and coat it in the sauce. Sprinkle sliced green onions over top and serve!
Sooo saucy. ;) (And not too salty)
Slow Cooker Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken – The official meal of “pajamas and Netflix” days!
I have been using your recipes for years.. my family and I love them so much. This was another winner. So simple and delicious .. I’m
Glad I can pass these recipes on to my college age kids. Thank you so much!
Just made this tonight and it’s SO GOOD! I used pork instead since it’s what I had on hand and only cooked on low for 7 hours. I’m sure some would consider it dry but it fell apart beautifully and tastes delicious! The sauce is a bit loose, but I’m more than happy to sop it up with more rice 😁
I’ve been making this for years and it’s delicious. Tried it with the coconut rice this week and it takes the whole recipe to the next level!!
Made this today and adapted it for the instant pot as I forgot to get the slow cooker going earlier in the day haha Make the marinade and place the chicken in it (try to get the chicken submerged in as much marinade as you can). Pressure cook for 10min (add 1-2min if using frozen meat). Let the instant pot do a natural release of pressure for 5min and then very carefully do a quick release of the valve seal. Take the chicken out, add in the corn starch slurry, and change to the saute function to help thicken up the sauce (~1-2min). Then add the chicken back to the pot along with the pineapple chunks :)
Flavors were a good base, but I’d most likely increase the measurements in the marinade next time to adjust it to our liking. Definitely recommend trying the savory coconut rice recipe with this as recommended above! Thanks Beth!
If you mention Tamari instead of Soy Sauce in the recipe, this could fit in the Gluten-Free section too :)
Do you think it would work okay to double the recipe?
Probably. :)
This was very tasty! I also loved the versatility of vegetables that you could add to it. I served some steamed vegetables on the side and let the family choose what they wanted to add to their main dish.
It has great potential to be a super yummy dish! But honestly I feel like the measurements are too modest! I tasted it as is, how you said to do and it had flavor but basically needed to be elevated, I added higher portions of the ingredients, tasted way better.
Not bad by any means, but the chicken could use more seasoning. Additionally, nothing I did would reduce the sauce at the end. I added the slurry and even boiled for 10 min on the stovetop.
Things I did different: used 1 cup of pineapple juice (that’s how much was in the can) and only cooked on low for 6 hours+2 more on warm (everything cooked through in 6) but even the extra 1/4 cup doesn’t seem like it would thin things that much.
Yes! Agreed! I added more as well
Absolutely love this recipe! Made it countless times and every time it was a hit! Currently experimenting with using seitan/other meat substitutes!
Yummy! My husband enjoyed it. I used boneless thighs and they were pretty dry after 3.75 hours. I’d use bone-in next time.
Hello! Just wondering if the calorie information is including the rice or not. Thanks!
Yep! I just ran it through the calculator again to make sure. :)