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.
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Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
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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!
Had it tonight, super easy & DELICIOUS!!!
What about cooking it without a slow cooker OR instant pot? I’m a minimalist when it comes to kitchen equipment.
Has anyone tried this with white meat?
Just made it with two large boneless chicken breasts and it turned out delicious! I shredded the meat afterwards and let it cook for an additional 20 minutes.
please provide
nutritional info. thank you!
This recipe really sounds delicious. I intend to make it soon. I’m wondering how it would work with some pork tenderloin. It might be an interesting alternative to chicken just to try a variation. Thanks for posting this!
I bet that would be awesome!
Planning to make this tonight once I get to the store after work. This looks delish. THANKS!
This recipe is FANTASTIC, Beth. :D My partner and I have been waiting to make this since 8 hours after you posted the recipe and we got the notification. My partner adores pineapple in savoury food; I often dislike it. When I saw this recipe, though, I immediately got excited: I’ve learned to trust in your flavour combinations, and this recipe seemed like the perfect balance for Generally Pineapple Apathetic me (He was overjoyed when I showed it to him — my first time ever coming with pineapple!)
And this. recipe. DELIVERED. Just utterly scrumptious in every way. The pineapple flavohr wasn’t too overpowering: it was subtle and delicate enough for me while still being pineapple-packed enough for my boo. The fact that it’s a slow cooker recipe is even better — we put it on while we were over at a friend’s house and came home to a delightful treat of a dinner. And the recipe is so simple!!! So impressed at what you can do with so few ingredients. The scallions were also a pleasant surprise — what a worthwhile contrast!
We served this with broccoli and red pepper cooked in a wok with about 1/3 of the pineapple bits and a bit of soy sauce, over white ice. We made a few small alterations to suit our tastes: we doubled the garlic and ginger because we love them, used brown sugar Truvia rather than brown sugar to cut the calories a bit, added 1/2 a tablespoon more corn starch because we like a thicker sauce, and swapped out pineapple chunks for pineapple tidbits because they were a stunning $3CAD cheaper than the chunks at my local grocery store.
OUTSTANDING recipe, Beth. Adding this to our rotation for sure!
Thank you, Emily! I’m so glad you both enjoyed it. :)
Can this be made with fresh pineapple? Thanks!
If you can still get 3/4 cup pineapple juice out of the fresh pineapple, then yes. You definitely need the juice for the sauce. :)
Can you substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts for the thighs? Thanks.
Yes, I mention that in the beginning of the post. 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.
Will the chicken cook properly and will this turn out properly if I double the recipe. We have a family of 5 and often the kids have guests. Looks great!
Thanks!
Laura
Yes, that should be fine.
Could this be adapted to instant pot? How long would you recommend cooking it?
I’m sure there’s a way to do it, but unfortunately I’m not well versed at converting recipes from slow cooker to IP.
I just made it with infant pot and it only took 20 mins (poultry settingl. I put it on saute and stirred after adding the cornstarch. Then combined everything back in.
This works perfectly in the Instant Pot exactly as written (I considered adding more water but I’m glad I didn’t bother). I did the manual high pressure setting for 10 minutes and a 5 minute natural release. Then I removed the chicken and used the saute setting to thicken the sauce.
Thank you so much! I’m going to try it!
This a perfect recipe to reduce ad prepare in my tiny crock pot while traveling in our motor home.
I love it when you post a recipe and I have everything already! I think I’ll have to save it for one of those insanely hot day they’re calling for when I just can’t cook (and don’t want another salad). This is where the rice stash in the freezer comes in handy too!
Can’t wait to give this a try this week! Thanks for sharing another great recipe!
My mouth is watering right now!!! :-)