These Hawaiian Chicken and Vegetable Teriyaki Bowls are packed with so many delicious ingredients and fresh flavors. Easily customizable to your liking!
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 eternity and keep wanting more. IT’S SO AWESOME!
Hawaiian Chicken Marinade
I took two of my favorite recipes (this and this) and put them together to create the perfect marinade for this flavorful chicken.
Ingredients for the marinade:
- soy sauce (I always use low sodium)
- pineapple juice
- Brown sugar
- unseasoned rice vinegar
- Garlic
- Ginger
This marinade has an incredible taste! Allow the chicken to marinate for at least an hour, but preferably longer (up to 24 hours).
What kind of chicken should I use?
This recipe is great for boneless skinless chicken thighs, chicken breasts or chicken fillets.
The cooking time will depend on the type of chicken used, so keep an eye on it. Cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F at the thickest part.
For this recipe, I use a pellet grill and preheat it to 375 degrees F, but Other cooking methods can also be used:
- air fryer
- Oven Grill (line a sheet pan with foil and grease with cooking spray)
- Grill pan for indoor use
Grilled pineapple and vegetables
The real star of this recipe is the grilled pineapple. 😍 It might be the tastiest stuff on the planet.
Pineapple is incredibly delicious on its own, but when grilled, the natural sugars caramelize, making them extra sweet, extra juicy, and extra delicious.
Peppers and zucchini are also grilled for this recipe, and lest they be forgotten in the shadow of the almighty pineapple, know that they are wonderful in their own right.
Cut pineapple, zucchini and peppers into sticks or thick strips for easier cooking (especially on the grill!).
For an added flavor boost, the pineapple and veggies are brushed with reserved teriyaki marinade during grilling/cooking.
How to assemble Hawaiian chicken teriyaki bowls
To assemble the bowls, start by adding some hot, cooked rice.
Brown or white rice can be used here – for a delicious twist, try cilantro-lime rice or coconut rice.
Add after the rice:
- grilled teriyaki chicken
- grilled zucchini and peppers
- pineapple
- other additions such as: red onions*, avocados, fresh lime wedges, additional teriyaki sauce, toasted sesame seeds, etc.
If you use red onions, They can be sliced and grilled with the other veggies, thinly sliced and served raw, or simply pickled (see recipe notes for details!).
An easily customizable meal
How is this meal even legal?
It’s beautiful, yes. But more importantly, it’s incredible and amazingly delicious.
The beauty of these Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetable Bowls is how easy they are to customize to suit your flavor preferences or what you have on hand.
This recipe is easily made with additional veggies (mushrooms, asparagus, eggplant, yellow squash) or without the chicken, and the rice could be left out for a low carb meal. The secret lies in the aromatic marinade.
Everything about this meal speaks to my soul. I can’t wait for you to make it – and make it your own!
It’s a fantastic meal to serve when you want to tailor a meal your way for a crowd…or just a family with diverse tastes/picky eaters.
We often prepare our own meals for dinner because it allows everyone to build their own plate and avoids drama and speculation like, “How many veggies did you put in this casserole, Mom, and will I be able to pick them out?”. 👀
However, I hope that even the pickiest of eaters will give the grilled vegetables and pineapple a try. Even my hesitant vegetarian kids agree that every portion of this is delicious when drizzled with additional teriyaki sauce. Enjoy!!
A year ago: Greek pasta salad
Two years ago: Blueberry Muffin Bread
Three years ago: Soft Peanut Butter Sugar Cookies with Chocolate Frosting {No rolling or cutting}
Four years ago: Zucchini Banana Bread
Five years ago: One pot creamy tomato and basil pasta
six years ago: Falafel meatballs with a simple tzatziki sauce
Seven years ago: Grilled Sesame Herb Chicken
Eight years ago: Balsamic beef or chicken skewers
nine years ago: Corn salad with radishes, jalapeno and lime
Ten years ago: Amazing Gluten Free Chocolate Cake with Whipped Chocolate Frosting
Hawaiian Chicken and Vegetable Teriyaki Bowls
Chicken + Marinade:
- 1½ to 2 Pound Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chicken breast fillets, or chicken 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 chopped fresh garlic (see note)
Vegetables + Rice:
- 1 small Pineapple, peeled and cut into wedges or thick sticks
- 2 to 3 Middle Zucchini, cut into sticks
- 2 Middle Core the peppers of any color 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 bowl. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and whisk until most of the sugar has dissolved. Pour half Pour the marinade into a container for later use; cover and store in the refrigerator. Pour in the rest Pour the marinade over the chicken. Mix to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
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Preheat an outdoor grill, indoor grill pan, air fryer, or oven grill to medium-high heat. I use a pellet grill and preheat it to 375 degrees F.
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Cook the chicken until tender, turning once and brushing over reserved marinade the last 1-2 minutes of cooking (discard the marinade used for the chicken). Exact cooking times will vary depending on the thickness/type of chicken used; An instant-read thermometer should read 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. Remove the chicken, cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes while you cook the veggies.
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Place the pineapple, zucchini, and peppers on the grill (you can also use a griddle or one of the cooking methods above in step 2). Brush with reserved marinade. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip, brush with marinade and cook for another 3-5 minutes until crisp and tender. Put in a pan.
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If desired, add the remaining marinade (used to brush the chicken, pineapple, and vegetables) to a small saucepan and simmer for a few minutes, until slightly reduced.
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To serve, cut the chicken into strips. Cut the pineapple, bell pepper and zucchin into bite-sized pieces.
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Place a scoop of rice on a serving plate or bowl, followed by chicken slices, pineapple, peppers, zucchini, and other ingredients like diced avocados, sliced red onion, and fresh lime wedges.
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Drizzle with remaining teriyaki marinade/sauce and toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately.
Rice: This recipe goes great with cilantro lime rice, coconut rice, or plain, cooked white or brown rice. The rice can easily be left out for a low-carb meal.
Teriyaki sauce: If all of the marinade has been used to brush the chicken/pineapple/vegetables, it can be helpful to have a favorite store-bought teriyaki sauce on hand to avoid the extra squirt of sauce at the end.
Pickled onions: Peel and thinly slice the red onions. Pack them in a pint glass. Combine the following and heat on stovetop or in microwave until sugar and salt are dissolved: 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup unseasoned rice or apple cider vinegar (or a combination), 1 tablespoon caster sugar, 2 teaspoons coarse Kosher salt. Pour the hot mixture over the onions. Cover. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably up to 8 hours, before serving. They can be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Portion: 1 portion, Calories: 390kcal, Carbohydrates: 60G, Protein: 30G, Fat: 4G, Saturated Fatty Acids: 1G, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 909mg, Fiber: 4G, Sugar: 29G
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
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