Pineapple Chicken Bowls

5 from 31 votes

These flavorful pineapple chicken bowls are filled with juicy chicken, veggies, rice, and teriyaki sauce—all served in a pineapple shell!

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Hawaiian, Asian, Japanese

Servings: servings

Calories: 670kcal

1 pineapple
8 ounces bacon
3 cups chopped vegetables use a variety of broccoli, squash, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, snap peas, etc.
1 small onion chopped
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
1 pound chicken tenderloins or 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips. *See Notes below
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce low sodium soy sauce, or tamari sauce
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups cooked white rice (if time allows, refrigerate rice for 1-2 hours) *See Notes below
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup teriyaki glaze

Lay the pineapple on its side on a sturdy cutting board. Using a large chef's knife, slice pineapple in half lengthwise, from top to bottom. If desired, cut off the crown at the top of the fruit.
Starting at the top of one half, cut through the flesh, about 1 inch in from the outer peel of the fruit.
Next, slice through the center of the inner pineapple section lengthwise to make two halves.
Use a large spoon to scoop underneath each section, freeing it from the pineapple. NOTE: There will be a lot of juice in the pineapple. Pour it off into a small bowl or glass measuring cup and set it aside. You will use it later, to make the teriyaki glaze.
Repeat steps to create a bowl from the other half of pineapple. Pour the juice from the second pineapple half into the bowl with the other juice.
Cut off and discard the fibrous core from the sections of flesh you removed. Slice each piece into chunks.
Add pineapple chunks to a bowl and set aside. Set empty pineapple bowls aside.

Add a tablespoon of oil to griddle, wok, or skillet then preheat on high heat until oil is shimmering.
While the oil is heating, cut bacon into bite-size pieces. Lower heat to medium and add bacon. Cook until bacon is halfway rendered, about 4 minutes.
Add the cut vegetables and onion to the griddle/wok/skillet with the bacon. Season with garlic powder and continue to cook the mixture.
Meanwhile, add the sesame oil and chicken to the other side of the griddle, wok, or skillet. Drizzle soy sauce over the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Flip the chicken pieces over, then add the pineapple chunks. Add brown sugar to the pineapple juice and stir to combine; pour it over the chicken and pineapple.
Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink inside, the pineapple is lightly golden, and the pineapple juice and brown sugar have glazed on the chicken. If you prefer bite-sized chicken, pull it from the griddle and chop it before returning it to the griddle, wok, or skillet.
Create a well in the middle of the bacon and vegetables, then place the butter in the well. When the butter is melted, add the cold rice, breaking it up. Stir fry the rice and vegetables for about 3 minutes, or until rice is warm.
Add the teriyaki chicken and fried rice to the pineapple halves. Garnish each pineapple bowl with a drizzle of teriyaki sauce before serving.

Ingredient Notes

It has been my experience that the colder the rice is, the more favorable hibachi fried rice it makes. So, if you have time, refrigerate your rice for 1-2 hours prior to cooking on your griddle.
Cut chicken breasts into strips: Cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts crosswise into 1 1/2 by 2 inch strips like chicken tenderloins.

Recipe FAQs

Is teriyaki sauce Japanese or Hawaiian?
- While the teriyaki technique is almost a hallmark of Japanese cuisine, the sauce is commonly thought to have originated in Hawaii. There is a lot of gray area to consider: the common ingredients of teriyaki sauce (soy sauce, mirin, and sugar) were certainly used in Japanese cooking years ago. However, the sauce we know today is characteristically Hawaiian.
What is Hawaiian teriyaki chicken sauce made of?
- The pineapple teriyaki chicken sauce combines pineapple juice, brown sugar, and soy sauce. It all cooks together to form a thick, yummy glaze!

Recipe Variations

Cauliflower rice bowl: Swap out the white rice for cauliflower rice to make this a lower-carb dish. Stir-fry it with a touch of fresh ginger, salt, and garlic for a flavorful base before adding the teriyaki chicken and vegetables.
Coconut rice with green Beans: Cook jasmine rice with coconut milk for a fragrant coconut rice option. Add sautéed green beans to the stir-fried vegetables for extra crunch. Finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onions for a bright, tropical twist.
Boneless skinless chicken thighs with rice vinegar: Use boneless skinless chicken thighs marinated in a teriyaki marinade enhanced with a splash of rice vinegar. This gives the chicken a touch of acidity and helps tenderize the meat even more. Top the bowl with sesame seeds before serving.
Ginger teriyaki stir fry bowl: Amp up the flavor by adding extra ginger and green onions to the teriyaki sauce. Serve everything over a bed of steamed rice or grains, and garnish with sesame seeds and a few pinches of salt to balance the sweetness.

TFN Pro Tips

Chopped peanuts or cashews jazz up the teriyaki chicken bowls visually, while also adding crunch. Toast them lightly in a skillet prior to mixing them into the pineapple fried rice.
To make your prep even easier, you can also create the pineapple bowls the night before. Just keep them (and the fruit chunks) in the fridge until you're ready to use them.
Spending a few minutes on meal prep reduces stress, and will save you time in the long run!

Make-ahead Instructions

If possible, cook the rice at least an hour before you make the rest of the Hawaiian chicken recipe. This will give the grains some time to cool in the fridge.
After an hour or two, you can move forward with making the Hawaiian chicken recipe.
Even better, prepare the rice the night before you plan to make the pineapple bowl, fried rice, and chicken teriyaki.

Storing Instructions

Any leftover Hawaiian teriyaki chicken and pineapple fried rice can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. The bowls themselves will last that long as well, which is very convenient.
Reheating is the tricky part. It’s best to reheat the leftovers separately from the pineapple bowl.
For the best results, scoop out the Hawaiian teriyaki chicken mixture, and reheat it in a skillet over medium heat. Or, microwave it for a few minutes, until it warms through.
Then, return everything to the pineapple bowl for serving.