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!
This recipe is delicious! It’s so easy and flavorful. It’s become one of my meal prep staples. Thank you so much for all your fantastic recipes Beth. You make them so delicious and easy to follow.
Thanks Paige!
This was great and the whole family loved it. Definitely a keeper.
Yum! One thing I did differently was grill the pineapple chunks for a few minutes just because I prefer the taste of cooked pineapple. Add to sauce in the usual way.
You are amazing!!! Keep posting recipes as I work 7 days a week and your recipes have saved me countless hours and tons of money plus they are delicious!!!
Chicken was tender, but the sauce just had no flavor.
Hi Beth, I just started cooking and I was wondering if you have a favorite recipe you use to stir fry the frozen broccoli? I’ve searched the website, but couldn’t find one. Thanks!
These Simple Mushroom Broccoli Stir Fry Noodles are good!
Do you think cutting the cooking time would help if I only have breasts? I think my kids would love this but I don’t love dry, crockpot chicken breast.
It’s possible that might help, but it’s hard to say without testing it.
I used 3 large chicken breasts. I cooked it for 2.5 hours on low. I checked them with a thermometer and they were around 170°. I could have done a little less time, but they were moist, much better than other times I’ve overcooked breasts in the crockpot. I added 2 large chopped red peppers when I took the chicken out. The meal was delicious
! Thanks!
Thank you for sharing how it turned out!! I know a lot of people will want to know. :)
Amazing recipe! The first time I made it, I was home all day and could flip the chicken 3/4 of the way, as you say. I’d like to make it during the week – set the slow cooker in the morning and have it ready when I get home from work. Do you think not flipping 3/4 of the way through will be a total dealbreaker?
Nah, I don’t think it will be a total deal breaker. :)
YUM! so easy and so tasty, a new favorite for sure! The rice I used was the savory coconut rice, which was SO GOOD (I use that rice for everything..). https://www.budgetbytes.com/coconut-rice-take-2/ Awesome!
Too sweet for me, and everything just turned into mush. Could be bad quality chicken, but it seemed fine to me. Couldn’t stomach the smell while cooking either. Right in the trash for me unfortunately :( Easy enough to prepare but the slow cooker method is not for me
Do you think this would work well in the instant pot? I sold my slow cooker once I got mine and haven’t looked back, but am hesitant to convert slow cooking recipes. Thank you Beth!
I would think so. I feel like most slow cooker recipes convert to IP very well. I don’t have specific instructions on how to do so, but I know there are a lot of resources out there on the web about converting slow cooker to IP. :)
Hi, do you think this will freeze well after cooking?
The salsa definitely won’t stay fresh, but other than that I think it would do okay frozen. I’d probably still eat it and enjoy it, salsa and all! Haha
Very easy and tasty. I used plain breasts because that’s what I had, and it still turned out fine if a little dry. But I don’t mind. Will do it again.
Delish! I made this tonight and everyone loved it, even my toddler devoured it. I’m a 90s kid, and grew up eating only chicken breasts, so I’m always hesitant to cook up dark meat, but this was seriously good and the chicken so tender. You renewed my hope in dark meat.
Why do you not show nutritional numbers?
I do not have a reliable source for that information. The databases and calculators used by most websites are general estimates at best, and can be disastrously inaccurate at worst. I don’t feel comfortable posting numbers that I have no way of verifying. That can be extremely dangerous for people with health concerns. I prefer to leave it to my readers to use the calculator that they trust.
Have you cooked this in the insta pot? I’ve made this recipe before and it was great, just trying to speed up the process! Thanks for the goof food
I haven’t tried this one in the Instant Pot yet, but I feel like it would convert pretty well. I’d probably try using the “chicken” setting and see how that does. You might need just a little more water, too, because Instant Pots need a specific amount of liquid to generate the correct amount of steam pressure. Maybe an extra 1/4-1/2 cup.