Ready in under an hour, baked pineapple teriyaki chicken is a quick dinner recipe for busy nights. The thick and delicious homemade teriyaki sauce adds tons of fresh, bold flavor—and you control the ingredients, sodium, and spice. Serve with rice or quinoa and vegetables for a wholesome meal.
I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos, helpful success tips, and a couple small tweaks to ensure a thicker teriyaki sauce.
If you’ve ever made my honey garlic shrimp, you know that dinners can be quick, healthy, and flavorful. Today’s baked pineapple teriyaki chicken is bursting with flavor and makes excellent leftovers. I encourage you to add this easy meal to your weeknight recipe rotation!
Why You’ll Love This Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
- Simple to prepare
- Completely from scratch, so you control the ingredients
- Healthy and wholesome
- Ready in under an hour
- Makes great leftovers (and freezes well, too)
- Customizable to your taste preferences
- Packed with protein
One reader, Lisa, commented: “…You really scored a touchdown with this one. The chicken and the pineapple absorb all of the flavor from the teriyaki sauce beautifully. I had to sop up all the remaining sauce because I didn’t want any of it to go to waste. Definitely a recipe to do again and again!!!! ★★★★★“
One reader, Frida, commented: “…I made it last night and instantaneously became a staple in my house. I’ll substitute soy sauce with tamari next time to make it gluten free, and use chicken drumsticks which are a personal preference. This sauce is out of this world!!! ★★★★★“
One reader, Michelle, commented: “This was really easy and tasty! I added a chopped red bell pepper into the baking dish and used partially thawed, frozen pineapple chunks. We all loved it and my 7 year old even asked to add it to his favorites list—high praise!! ★★★★★“
Favorite Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
This is my very favorite homemade teriyaki sauce made with real ingredients you can pronounce. It is similar to the sauce in this honey teriyaki chicken (we use more honey in that recipe). It’s incredibly versatile and delicious on cooked salmon or stir-fry veggies, too.
We’ll use brown sugar and honey to sweeten the sauce. Not much of either, just enough to balance the soy sauce and bring a sweet profile to the sauce as a whole. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and salty, and you know exactly what’s in it.
If you enjoy trying homemade sauces, try the garlic pan sauce from this creamy garlic chicken and vegetables dish. (Unbelievable!)
Ingredients You Need:
- Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead, or even bone-in chicken thighs, drumsticks, or wings.
- Pineapple: Fresh, canned, or frozen—use whatever form of pineapple you’d like!
- Cornstarch: This is what thickens the sauce; I do not recommend skipping it. Dissolve it in a little water first before adding it to the pot.
- Brown Sugar & Honey: For sweetness.
- Soy Sauce: You can use reduced-sodium or regular soy sauce here. You could also use tamari instead, for a gluten-free option.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This balances the flavors in the sauce. You can use rice wine vinegar instead if needed.
- Garlic: You need 1 clove, minced, for flavor. If you love garlic, feel free to add more!
- Ginger: You can use dried ground ginger or minced/grated fresh ginger, whatever you prefer/have on hand. I usually use fresh. Just make sure to adjust the amount accordingly. 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger = 2 Tablespoons fresh minced ginger.
- Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper, like the ginger, adds just the right amount of spice, without making the sauce spicy.
Overview: How to Make Baked Teriyaki Chicken
Make the sauce. Cook the sauce ingredients together on the stovetop. Let it boil for a couple minutes to thicken the sauce. The consistency should be slightly thicker than maple syrup, or thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. I slightly increased the amount of time it boils in the recipe, to ensure a thicker sauce.
Pour the sauce over the chicken. Pat the chicken dry, and arrange it and the pineapple in a greased baking dish. Pour all of the teriyaki sauce on top.
Bake. Bake until the chicken is completely cooked through. During this time, prepare any sides you want to serve alongside. Rice and broccoli are my favorite pairings.
Right before it’s finished baking, I remove the pan from the oven and cut the chicken into smaller pieces. This is completely optional. Here’s the dish before cutting the pieces of chicken:
Serve. Garnish with a sprinkle of scallions/green onions and sesame seeds, if desired. These are the same garnishes I always add to another similarly flavored dish: slow cooker honey teriyaki chicken. (That one is always a hit!)
Are you looking for a traditional Japanese-style teriyaki sauce? I’ve made and loved Nami’s homemade teriyaki sauce.
Yes, absolutely. If you want regular baked chicken teriyaki, skip the pineapple altogether. You could even replace it with 1 cup sliced red bell pepper (about 1 pepper).
You can, and I recommend salmon. The bake time will be slightly shorter, until the fish is completely cooked through.
I recommend baking this teriyaki chicken uncovered.
More Favorite Dinner Recipes
- Baked Chicken Meatballs
- Maple Sesame Salmon
- Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs
- Citrus Chicken Quinoa Salad
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Lemon Thyme Chicken
Baked Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Ready in under an hour, baked pineapple teriyaki chicken is a quick dinner recipe for busy nights. The thick and delicious homemade teriyaki sauce adds tons of fresh, bold flavor—and you control the ingredients, sodium, and spice. Serve with rice or quinoa and vegetables for a wholesome meal.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon room-temperature water
- 1/4 cup (50g) light or dark brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (43g) honey
- 1/2 cup (120ml) soy sauce
- 1/4 cup (60ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs. total)
- 1 cup (175–190g) fresh or canned pineapple chunks*
- optional: chopped scallion/green onion and sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Use a fork to whisk the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. It will be a thick, milky liquid. Combine the cornstarch mixture, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and pepper in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisking occasionally, bring to a boil. Once boiling, stop whisking and allow to boil for 2 minutes, or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and is the consistency of maple syrup. Turn off the heat and set aside for at least 10 minutes, allowing it to cool and thicken.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Lightly grease a 2–3-quart baking dish, such as a 10-inch baking pan, 11×7-inch baking pan, shallow 9×13-inch pan, or 10-inch cast iron skillet. In the photos, I used this exact pan. Set aside.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Arrange in the prepared pan. Add the pineapples on top and all around the chicken. Pour sauce on top, then turn the chicken over to make sure every inch is coated in the sauce. Use a basting/pastry brush if needed.
- Bake uncovered for 30–32 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through (internal temperature should be at least 165°F (74°C)). This is optional: at the 25-minute mark, remove from the oven and carefully slice the chicken into chunks, then return to the oven. The smaller the chicken pieces, the more sauce they’ll soak up. You can also cut up the chicken prior to cooking.
- Sprinkle green onion and sesame seeds on top and serve the chicken and pineapple with sauce from the pan poured on top. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: The teriyaki sauce, prepared in step 1, can be made 1 day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. You can even prepare the dish and chicken through step 3, cover the pan tightly, and keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature, and then bake as directed.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Saucepan | Casserole Dish (any similar size will work; I used this pan in photos) | Pastry Brush
- For a rounded out meal, serve with broccoli, rice, quinoa, baked sweet potatoes, or anything to soak up the delicious teriyaki sauce.
- Pineapple: You can use fresh, canned (drained), or even frozen pineapple. If using frozen, thaw and pat dry first. You can also skip the pineapple altogether if desired, or replace with 1 cup sliced red bell pepper.
- Slight updates in 2025: I increased the sauce’s boiling time from 1 minute to 2 minutes to allow for a thicker sauce. You will also pat the chicken dry, which helps the sauce coat it easier.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast and 1/4 cup pineapple
- Calories: 399
- Sugar: 34.9 g
- Sodium: 598.8 mg
- Fat: 5.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.5 g
- Protein: 46.4 g
- Cholesterol: 144.8 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
This was really easy and tasty! I added a chopped red bell pepper into the baking dish and used partially thawed, frozen pineapple chunks. We all loved it and my seven year old even asked to add it to his favorites list – high praise!!
Whenever I make chicken in oven it gets very dry . I m tempted to make this recipe but scared if it get dry and waste my effort .Please help .
Hi Binny, we can’t speak to other chicken recipes, but we find this recipe to be plenty juicy (especially with the sauce) when followed as written. Let us know if you give it a try!
Excellent! Turned out perfect. Added extra pineapple.
Really like this recipe. Easy and quick to do. Would add more pineapple. Just enough left over for one more person.
My husband and teenage sons absolutely loved this and requested it go into our regular”rotation”. Thanks for a great recipe!
I think this is the first savory recipe of Sally’s that I made! I made the sauce the night before to save time. Turned out great!
Would you cook everything, including the veggies and be able to throw in the freezer? Or put it all in a bag raw (including veg) and freeze it?
I’ve baked, cooled & frozen this meal before but haven’t froze it when the meat and veggies are raw. I suppose you could do either!
Loved this recipe! So delicious!
Hi Sally. Can hardly wait to try this recipe. If I don’t have cornstarch can flour be used
Cornstarch is key, but you can try flour if you’re in a pinch.
I made the Hawaiian chicken tonight and it was so easy and delicious. The teriyaki sauces is so good. I added some of the pineapple juice to it. I will definitely have this often.
* I had extra sauce that I didn’t put on the chicken. Can this be kept in the fridge for awhile?
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Karen! The extra sauce should keep in your refrigerator covered for up to 5 days.
We made this with chicken thighs instead (just for a lack of breasts), and my entire family LOVED it. Absolutely delicious! Will definitely be making again
tried this recipe . it came out perfect . thank you Sally .
So easy and so delicious!!! I added carrots, peppers and snow peas, cooked it all together and served with brown rice and asian cole slaw. Everyone loved it. Thank you, Sally.
A brilliant recipe! Cheap, easy & so tasty. A new family favourite. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
This is one of our favorites, but I throw it in the slow cooker just like Sally’s teriyaki chicken, mmmmmmmmm!
Absolutely lovely recipe, Sally. My whole family loved it. Thank you SO much for sharing your great ideas with us – we’re your biggest New Zealand fans!
Hi Sally! Can this be made in a slow cooker? Any adjustments I’d have to make? I know this is pretty similar to your honey teriyaki chicken recipe, but I tried that one already.
Definitely! Add everything to the slow cooker, including the sauce, and cook on low for about 5 hours.
Thank you so much for this recipe, I made it last night and instantaneously became a stapler in my house. I’ll substitute soy sauce with tamari next time to make it gluten free, and used chicken drumsticks which are a personal preference. This sauce is out of this world!!! Thank you!
Receipe was excellent, thank you! I made a few substitutions such as using Braggs Amino Acids in lieu of Soy Sauce, and I used Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar for the cider vinegar ingredient. And your right, this tereyaki sauce is Awesome! Thanks again
Made this tonight for my husband and he kept saying “ I knew it was a Sally recipe, it is so delicious and wonderful.
Thank you Sally. We talk about you like you are a treasured family member.
Thank you!
Would this work well with chicken legs also?
Definitely!
Sally, a friend of mine just had a baby and I’m wanting to do this as a freezer meal for her. What do you suggest would be the best way to do so?
How sweet of you! Two options:
1) Prepare through step 3 then freeze. Have her thaw/bake or just bake frozen at 350 until chicken is safe to eat and heated through.
2) Prepare the entire meal, allow to cool, then freeze. Have her thaw then bake until warmed through.
Made this for dinner this evening. It was very good, easy peasy to put together and tasty. Served up with Jasmine rice and broccoli. Always looking for yummy chicken dishes to make so thanks Sally!
Loved this recipe! Wish I had doubled the sauce from the start!
Great idea for next time!
This is my second time making this recipe and I just love how simple and delicious it is. For those looking to reduce the refined sugar they consume, I tried this tonight with coconut sugar instead of the brown sugar and it was just as good! I love that you don’t feel like your teeth are covered in sugary grit like you do with those bottled dressings. Thanks for another winner Sally!
Hi, Sally! Made this dish for dinner tonight. First of all, let me say how much I DO NOT like cooking……. I found this recipe to be extraordinarily easy! Just followed your excellent instructions and wala! PERFECTION! My parents loved it. Very flavorful. My family can’t wait until I make it again 🙂 Thanks for all your wonderfully tasty recipes, I absolutely love all your muffins and this morning my mom made your donuts, ooolala.
This sauce is awesome. It makes a great freezer meal — freezing the sauce separately from the chicken. Thaw and cook. Yum! I added pineapple tidbits to the sauce before I froze it.
Sally, I made this recipe a few weeks back and it is the first savory that I tried from your blog. You really scored a touchdown with this one. The chicken and the pineapple absorb all of the flavor from the teriyaki sauce beautifully. I had to sop up all the remaining sauce because I didn’t want any of it to go to waste. Definitely a recipe to do again and again!!!!
Thank you!! I added red pepper flakes to make it like a” sweet n spicy” teriyaki, delicious!!!! Thanks again 😉