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.
Shredded Teriyaki Chicken Breasts
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
Shredded Chicken
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 4-5 breasts
- 1 tsp avocado oil or other high-heat cooking oil
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 cup gluten-free teriyaki sauce
Pineapple Salsa
- 1.5 cups pineapple diced (fresh or canned)
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 4 ears of corn cooked and kernels removed
- 1 jalapeno pepper diced
- 3 green onions (scallions) chopped
- 2 Tbsp cilantro fresh, chopped
- 1 lemon
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
Shredded Teriyaki Chicken
- Add chicken breasts to your slow cooker.
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 6-10 minutes until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Turn off heat. Add ground ginger and mix well.
- Add onion mixture on to of chicken breasts, then pour teriyaki sauce on top of everything.
- Set your slow cooker to cook for 4 hours. Once cooked, use a fork to shred the chicken into small bits. The chicken will soak up the teriyaki sauce.
Pineapple Salsa
- Combine pineapple, pepper, jalapeno, corn, green onions and cilantro in a large bowl and mix well. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste and mix. Refrigerate until serving.
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