Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Bowls

These slow cooker teriyaki pineapple chicken bowls are warm and fresh and made without a lot of fuss or mess. The slow cooker works its magic to make the chicken breasts or chicken thighs soft and juicy, and the fresh pineapple salsa topping adds the right amount of sweetness to balance the salty teriyaki sauce. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

Sometimes I don’t feel like cooking although I always want a warm, home-cooked meal come dinner time. When my lazy gene kicks in, I muster the strength to make these slow cooker teriyaki pineapple chicken bowls because it’s easy to do and doesn’t require a lot of time in the kitchen.

If you’re time-crunched and looking for a warm, home-cooked meal, bust out the slow cooker, grab some chicken breasts or thighs, and store-bought gluten-free teriyaki sauce and you’re good to go!

How to Make Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Bowls

You won’t believe how simple it is to make these teriyaki pineapple chicken bowls. You’ll need:

• 1.5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 3/4 cup gluten-free teriyaki sauce. I use this brand.
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp high-heat vegetable oil

Add the chicken to your slow cooker, along with the onion, garlic, and ground ginger, and then pour the teriyaki sauce over all the ingredients. Give everything a quick mix before

To elevate the dish, I recommend sauteing the onion in a little vegetable oil before adding it to the slow cooker. You can also lightly saute the garlic (for about 30 seconds) until it’s fragrant, then add it to the slow cooker. Again, this part is optional but it will elevate the taste of the final dish.

You only need about enough teriyaki sauce to lightly cover the chicken, about 3/4 cup. Don’t add too much or else your final product will be too saucy.

You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. Thighs will come out more tender, but the breasts will be just fine too. If the breasts are too large, cut them in half lengthwise so they cook more evenly in the slow cooker.

Set your slow cooker to cook for four hours. Do not cook the mixture longer than four hours or it the chicken breast will become mealy.

After the mixture is finished cooking, use a fork to shred the chicken. The chicken pieces will soak up the sauce and take its beautiful shredded teriyaki chicken shape.

Serve your shredded teriyaki chicken breasts over white or brown rice and top with a few green onions for effect.

Pineapple Salsa Topping

Teriyaki and pineapple are a winning flavor profile, so if you’re looking to add some freshness to your slow cooker teriyaki chicken bowl, add this delicious pineapple salsa to the mix.

My pineapple salsa is made from:

• Pineapple (fresh or canned), diced
• Red pepper, diced
• Fresh corn, kernels removed from the cob
• Jalapeno pepper, diced
• Green onions, chopped
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Lemon
• Salt and pepper, to taste

I combine all these ingredients in a large bowl, mix together, and wind up with a fresh, amazing topping for my slow cooker teriyaki chicken recipe.

You can use fresh or canned pineapple, depending on the season, and if you don’t have fresh corn, you can use canned corn or swap for another vegetable, like diced jicama.

When I assembled the dish, I start by adding a layer of white or brown rice, then top with the shredded chicken and the fresh pineapple salsa. Look at this beautiful bowl of deliciousness!

Simple Gluten-Free Dinner Ideas?

Are you in search of simple, gluten-free dinner ideas? These tasty slow-cooker teriyaki chicken breasts will do the trick.

I also recommend my Fall-Off-the-Bone Chicken Thighs (also a slow cooker recipe), Lemon Chicken Piccata Bowls, and Sesame Chicken for other simple, weeknight meals.