Make Pineapple Chicken Teriyaki
Pineapple chicken teriyaki uses only a few basic ingredients but doesn't fall short on flavor, and it's a very easy dish to make. If you do things in the right order, you can make this entrée in the time it takes to cook the rice and have a delicious, home-cooked meal in about half an hour.
Ingredients
Quantities are approximate. Feel free to adjust them to taste or to change the amount you make.
- Rice
- Water
- Chicken breasts or thighs (about 2 breasts or 3-4 thighs)
- An onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 bell pepper(s), any color. Green and red contrast nicely with the yellow pineapple.
- A dozen or so mushrooms (optional)
- One 15 oz. can of cubed pineapple in juice or about 2 cups. Drain about half the juice and drink it or use it some other time.
- A tablespoon of cornstarch (more if you want a thicker sauce).
- Teriyaki sauce, about half a cup or to taste for your quantity of ingredients. It's worth getting the fancy kind for this recipe.
- 4 Tablespoons barbecue sauce (optional, to taste)
- Olive or vegetable oil for frying (2-3 Tbsp)
Steps
- Put some rice on to cook. How much depends on how many people you will be feeding, but if you're not sure, start with about two cups of uncooked rice and two cups of water.
- Defrost the chicken. It's easiest to slice uncooked chicken if it is slightly frozen. The microwave is a good choice, but don't overdo it.
- While the rice cooks and the chicken defrosts, cut the bell pepper(s), onion, and mushrooms into bite-sized pieces.
- Check the rice and turn the heat down, if you are making it in a pot.
- Slice the defrosted chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Have the teriyaki sauce and pineapple ready. If you would like to thicken the sauce, mix the cornstarch with the pineapple juice right now. Mix in the barbecue sauce at this stage, if you are using it.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium to high heat.
- Add some olive or vegetable oil to the hot pan and give it a moment to heat up.
- Add the chicken and start stir-frying.
- Add the onion while the chicken still has some pink showing and stir-fry for another minute or two. About halfway through, add the minced garlic. Cook until the onion is most of the way to the consistency you want it.
- Add the mushrooms.
- Add the peppers.
- Add the pineapple and cornstarch mixture and the teriyaki sauce fairly soon after the peppers go in. Don't overdo the peppers. Cook it for just enough longer to heat the pineapple through and thicken the sauce a bit. It's ok if the sauce has a consistency more like liquid than jelly.
- Serve immediately over the rice that should now be ready.
Tips
- There is no need to add salt to this recipe. The teriyaki sauce and pineapple give it plenty of flavor.
- Don't overdo the vegetables, especially the peppers. Aim for crisp-tender, not mush (unless you expect dinner guests with no teeth). Remember that the peppers will continue to cook while you heat the pineapple, so don't wait long at all between adding the pepper and adding the pineapple.
- Don't add powdered cornstarch to hot liquid. It will make unattractive little clumps rather than dissolve. Mix it with a little cold water or other liquid before adding it to the hot pan.
- Use your rice cooker, if you have one. It's easier than monitoring the rice and stir-frying at the same time.
- Like any stir-fry, it's best to have everything ready to go before you turn on the heat. The small pieces cook quickly and handle better with chopsticks, for those who choose to use them. The first ingredients added are those that take longest to cook.
- The barbecue sauce changes the character of this dish, but give it a try if you like it.
Warnings
- Handle the chicken safely and be sure it is cooked through. It generally will be if cut thinly.
Things You'll Need
- A large sauté pan or wok
- A spoon or spatula
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Saucepan or rice cooker
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