Baked Pineapple Chicken

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Make your stir fry in the oven with this hands-off, baked pineapple chicken. This recipe makes weeknight meals super easy and it’s packed with healthy chicken, vegetables and flavorful pineapple topped with a simple Hawaiian-inspired sauce.

pineapple chicken stir fry over rice in a white bowl

Why I love this pineapple chicken recipe

Ok. I’m going to be honest. I don’t know the origin of this dish. I thought for the longest time that it was a Chinese takeout dish, but I couldn’t really find any concrete evidence to back that up upon google.

I honestly didn’t even know what to call it. Is it pineapple teriyaki chicken? Is it sweet and sour chicken with pineapple? Is it Hawaiian chicken? I just not sure.

But, I am sure about how easy and delicious it is, though. It’s like a little vacation for your mouth, and all you have to do is bake it.
So for now, I’m calling it baked pineapple chicken, and I’m serving it with a heap of jasmine rice and big handful of cilantro and my favorite black sesame seeds.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

Ingredient notes:

I used fresh pineapple to make this recipe, but you can use canned pineapple chunks if that’s what you have. The flavor will definitely be better with fresh, but canned works in a pinch and can be a little less expensive. Just be sure to drain your can.

The sauce in this recipe is just a blend pineapple juice and store bought teriyaki sauce – this is the brand we use, and we love it – but you can also swap in a basic stir fry sauce (homemade or store bought) if you prefer.

How to make pineapple teriyaki chicken

Prep the ingredients. Preheat your oven to 400˚F and chop all of your ingredients. You can go ahead and place them right onto your baking sheet as you chop.

Make the sauce. In a small bowl, mix the teriyaki sauce, pineapple juice and cornstarch until smooth. Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables and stir directly on the baking sheet to coat them in the sauce.

Alternatively, you can making everything together in a bowl and transfer it to the baking sheet.

Bake the chicken. Put the baking sheet into your preheated oven and bake for 20 – 25 minutes – or until the chicken reaches 165˚F and the sauce has started to thicken.

Toss and serve. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and stir the mixture to distribute the thickened sauce before serving.

FAQs and tips for making the best pineapple chicken

What is the best teriyaki sauce?

Normally, we try to make our own sauces and condiments, but that’s just not always possible. Our favorite bottled teriyaki sauce is Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce and Marinade. It has the freshest flavor and tastes less processed to us.

Does pineapple juice break down meat?

Yes. Pineapple juice contains enzymes that tenderize and break down meat. It takes a bit of time though, so this recipe will not benefit from the pineapple juice in that way. It does, however, get tons of flavor from the pineapple.

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