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!
Do you think this would go well with your coconut rice?
They would be awesome together! :)
Could i possibly throw in some frozen broccoli into the slow cooker with the chicken or will that offset the taste? Maybe cook a little longer for the added ingredient?
If you do add frozen broccoli, I would add it at the VERY end and only let it heat through. If you add it in the beginning it will cook down to mush and probably give everything a slightly sulfurous flavor. Add it at the end with the pineapple so it stays bright green and maintains its texture. :)
This was delicious. My only issue was my canned pineapple. It was a cheap brand, and made the sauce watery and less flavorful. I even pureed the pineapple juice and chunks for better flavor, but it didn’t help. Thankfully I had fresh pineapple slices in the freezer and it saved the flavor. I added red and green bell pepper slices and diced onion because we love that kind of stuff. All the other ingredients and instructions were spot on perfect, and easy to follow. Husband loved it served over white rice. Thanks for a great recipe!
This is delicious!I i will prepare this evening for my partner.Thank you very much
Absolutely delicious!! I used 6 small skinless thighs and shredded after cooking. After reading comments I only put in 2 tbsp dark soy sauce and i used ginger that I had in a squeezy tube. I will definitely make again and have already shared the recipe from the site. I served with a small amount of rice and steamed greens. Top marks!!
I need to double this, or maybe double plus another half. Should I double the sauce as well? Thanks so much for your wonderful website–it’s been a blessing to me.
Yes, I would increase all the ingredients in equal proportions. :)
Made this for my mom’s birthday today (July 20th) for four of us and the sauce came out too weak.
I used lower sodium soy sauce though and the only thighs I could get were smaller and were more quantity than 5 thighs.
But I will probably try this recipe again. It was pretty easy to prepare.
Ah yes, a low sodium soy sauce will definitely change the outcome quite a bit.
This turned out so great! I made some changes however :P
I used real pineapple, and blended some pineapple chunks and water to make the 3/4 cups. I also added a bit more sugar as canned pineapple is usually canned in juice or syrup, plus, my pineapple wasn’t SUPER ripe and was a bit tart.
I then added cucumber and red pepper to the pineapple at the last step. Turned out AMAZING!
Holy wow. I was worried, between the pineapple juice and brown sugar, this would turn out too sweet. Nope! It is savory and yum with just a hint of sweetness from the pineapple pieces. Green onions added a nice bright element. My thighs were shredding when I took them out, so I went ahead and shredded the whole batch. I ended up enjoying it this way, because every little shred got coated in the delicious thick sauce. This is Chinese takeout at a fraction of the price.
Thank you for the tip Rachel! I picked up a whole pineapple forgetting that the juice from the can was part of the recipe. (& was sitting here wondering what the heck to do…) You saved me! Looking forward to making this recipe today. :) Cheers, AG
Not sure why but this seemed too salty, perhaps too much soy. What can I do to reduce the salt? Otherwise it was great and I made it in my instant pot.
Yes, if it’s too salty for you, you can try reducing the soy sauce. I would start with just 3 Tbsp instead of 1/4 cup.
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! i love it
This was everything I was hoping it would be. It was perfect.
This was delicious. The perfect flavor combo. The whole family plus a guest family loved it and served themselves at leadt twice. I was able to double it in my crockpot with no problem. Served with rice and veggies. Thanks for another keeper
So good! The whole group of picky eaters at our house cleaned their plates and asked for seconds! And I loved the super easy prep! Thanks so much, this will get added to the rotation!
Made this a few days ago and loved how easy and good it was! Thanks for another winner, Beth! I served it with roasted broccoli and brown rice. Also, if anyone likes brown rice when they get it at the Chinese restaurant but hates it when cooked at home, I highly recommend medium grain brown rice that you get at an international market or online. I get Nishiki. I soak it first (30 minutes minimum, but it’s better if you can do a little longer) and then cook it- SO much better than the brown rice at the grocery store.
I’m so excited to try your brown rice tip, I run into that all the time!