These Hawaiian chicken and veggie teriyaki bowls are loaded with so many delicious ingredients and fresh flavors. Easily customizable to your liking!
Please meet one of the best things I’ve eaten this year. This is the summer meal of my dreams! I could eat it every day for the rest of forever and still be wishing for more. IT IS SO AMAZING!
Hawaiian Chicken Marinade
I took two of my favorite recipes (this one and this one) and merged them to get the perfect marinade for this flavorful chicken.
Marinade ingredients:
- soy sauce (I always use low-sodium)
- pineapple juice
- brown sugar
- unseasoned rice vinegar
- garlic
- ginger
This marinade packs a punch of incredible flavor! Let the chicken marinate for at least one hour but preferably longer (up to 24 hours).
What Type of Chicken to Use
This recipe works great with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chicken breasts or chicken tenders.
The cooking time will vary based on the type of chicken used, so keep a close eye on that. Cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F at the thickest part.
I use a pellet grill and preheat to 375 degrees F. for this recipe, but other cooking methods can be used as well:
- air fryer
- oven broiler (line a sheet pan with foil and grease with cooking spray)
- indoor grill pan
Grilled Pineapple and Veggies
The real star of this recipe is the grilled pineapple. It might be the most delicious stuff on the planet.
Pineapple is incredibly delicious on its own, but when it is grilled, the natural sugars caramelize making it extra sweet, extra juicy, and extra yummy.
Bell peppers and zucchini are also grilled for this recipe, and lest they be forgotten in the shadows of the almighty pineapple, let it be known that they are lovely in their own right.
Cut the pineapple, zucchini and bell peppers in spears or thick strips for easier cooking (especially on the grill!).
The pineapple and veggies are brushed with reserved teriyaki marinade while grilling/cooking for an extra boost of flavor.
How to Assemble Hawaiian Chicken Teriyaki Bowls
To assemble the bowls, first spoon in a bit of hot, cooked rice.
Brown or white rice can be used here – for a delicious variation, try cilantro lime rice or coconut rice.
After the rice, add:
- grilled teriyaki chicken
- grilled zucchini and bell peppers
- pineapple
- other add-ins like: red onion*, avocados, fresh lime wedges, extra teriyaki sauce, toasted sesame seeds, etc.
If using red onions, they can be cut into rounds and grilled with the other veggies, thinly sliced and served raw or easily pickled (details in the recipe notes!).
An Easily Customizable Meal
Like, how is this meal even legal??
It is gorgeous, yes. But more importantly, it is unbelievably and astoundingly delicious.
The beauty of these Hawaiian chicken and veggie Teriyaki bowls is how easy they are to customize to your taste preferences or what you have on hand.
This recipe could easily be made with extra veggies (mushrooms, asparagus, eggplant, yellow squash) or without the chicken, and the rice could also get nixed for a lower carb meal. The secret is in the flavorful marinade.
Everything about this meal speaks to my soul. I can’t wait for you to make it – and to make it your own!
It is a fantastic meal to serve when you need a build-your-own style meal for a crowd…or just for a family with varied taste preferences/picky eaters.
We do a lot of build-your-own meals for dinner, because it allows everyone to customize their own plate and avoids drama and speculation, like “how many veggies did you hide in this casserole, mom, and will I be able to pick them out?”
I do hope even the pickiest eaters will give the grilled veggies and pineapple a chance, though. Even my hesitant-veggie kids agree that every part of this is delicious when smothered in extra teriyaki sauce. Enjoy!!
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Hawaiian Chicken and Veggie Teriyaki Bowls
Chicken + Marinade:
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders or thighs
- 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger (see note)
- 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh garlic (see note)
Veggies + Rice:
- 1 small pineapple, peeled and cut into wedges or thick spears
- 2 to 3 medium zucchini, cut into spears
- 2 medium bell peppers, any color, cored and cut into thick strips
- 3 cups hot, cooked rice (see note)
- Other: diced avocados, fresh or pickled onions, toasted sesame seeds, fresh lime wedges, extra teriyaki sauce.
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Place the chicken in a shallow dish. Combine all the marinade ingredients and whisk until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Pour half of the marinade into a container to use later; cover and refrigerate. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. Toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
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Preheat an outdoor grill, indoor grill pan, air fryer, or oven broiler to medium or medium-high heat. I use a pellet grill and preheat to 375 degrees F.
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Cook the chicken until cooked through, flipping once and brushing with reserved marinade the last 1-2 minutes of cooking (discard the marinade used for the chicken). Exact cooking times will vary based on the thickness/type of chicken used; an instant-read thermometer should read 165 degrees F when inserted at the thickest part of the chicken. Remove the chicken, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes while cooking the veggies.
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Add the pineapple, zucchini, and bell peppers to the grill (can also use a grill pan or any of the aforementioned cooking methods in step #2). Brush with reserved marinade. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip, brush with marinade, and continue cooking until crisp-tender, another 3-5 minutes. Remove to a pan.
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If desired, pour the remaining marinade (that was used for brushing the chicken, pineapple and veggies) into a small saucepan and simmer for a couple of minutes until reduced slightly.
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To serve, slice the chicken into strips. Chop the pineapple, bell peppers and zucchin into bite-size pieces.
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Add a scoop of rice to a serving plate or bowl followed by chicken slices, pineapple, bell peppers, zucchini, and any other add-ins like diced avocados, red onion slices, fresh lime wedges.
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Drizzle with remaining teriyaki marinade/sauce and toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately.
Rice: this recipe is fantastic with cilantro lime rice, coconut rice, or plain, cooked white or brown rice. The rice can easily be left out for a lower carb meal.
Teriyaki Sauce: having a favorite storebought brand of teriyaki sauce on hand can help with the extra drizzle of sauce at the end if all the marinade was used for brushing chicken/pineapple/veggies.
Pickled Onions: peel and thinly slice red onions. Pack them into a pint jar. Combine the following and heat through on the stovetop or in the microwave until sugar and salt are dissolved – 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup unseasoned rice or apple cider vinegar (or a combo), 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons coarse, kosher salt. Pour the hot mixture over the onions. Cover. Refrigerate at least an hour but preferably up to 8 hours before serving. They keep in the fridge for several weeks.
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 390kcal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 909mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 29g
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
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