Ultimate Pu Pu Platter (Made Easy) Recipe

Pu pu platters are the ultimate appetizer spread. Salty, crunchy, sweet, and spicy — it's all of the little bites from your favorite take out spot in one epic bundle. Recipe developer Leah Maroney puts a fresh spin on some of the classic components and makes the whole process exponentially easier — All of the parts are cooked on one sheet pan in under 20 minutes! 

Bang bang shrimp tops crunchy toast, pineapple is wrapped in bacon and glazed in sweet and sticky sauce, and you'll skewer chicken teriyaki on handy little sticks. Then, Maroney adds in two ready-to-bake components, spring rolls and crab rangoon, but the possibilities are endless when it comes to the delicious finger foods that you can serve on this platter. Any frozen Chinese food appetizer bakes up easily alongside the other elements. Try potstickers, egg rolls, or fried shrimp. You can also replace the chicken skewers with beef or more shrimp! 

Maroney says, "This spread is best served immediately, so make sure you have a hungry party of guests to dig in right away. A variety of sauces, such as duck sauce and hot mustard, are the perfect addition; spread them out so there's plenty for everyone to enjoy. The platter also makes a fun dinner idea for two, although be prepared for leftovers, which can be reheated easily in the air fryer."

Start off this epic spread by marinating the chicken in teriyaki sauce, garlic, and brown sugar. While it's marinating, you can prepare the other elements. Dice the shrimp and combine it with mayo, sweet chili sauce, sriracha sauce, and an egg. Cut the crusts off of the bread and make little triangles. Then, you'll top the bread with the diced shrimp and sesame seeds. Wrap chunks of pineapple with the precooked bacon. Precooked bacon cooks much faster and creates a lot less grease on the baking sheet! Then, brush the bacon with teriyaki sauce. Skewer the chicken and make a little section on the baking sheet using aluminum foil or parchment paper so the sauce doesn't run into the crunchy items. Then, you'll add the prepared spring rolls and crab rangoon to the baking sheet. Once the whole platter is baked to a golden brown, serve it with your favorite dipping sauces and chopped scallions. 

Slice the chicken thighs into thin strips.

Whisk together the teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, and garlic in a bowl.

Add the chicken strips to the bowl, cover, and marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 F on the convection or air fryer setting.

Skewer the chicken strips onto wooden skewers.

Chop the raw shrimp into a fine dice.

Whisk together the egg, sweet chili sauce, mayonnaise, and sriracha in a bowl.

Add in the shrimp and whisk to combine.

Cut the crusts off of the bread and cut each slice into 2 triangles.

Add 1 tablespoon of the shrimp-and-egg mixture to each triangle, spray with cooking spray, and top with black sesame seeds.

Wrap each cube of pineapple with half a strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Brush with teriyaki sauce.

Arrange the skewered chicken, shrimp toast, bacon-wrapped pineapple, crab rangoon, and egg rolls on a baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165 F and the other items are crisped and browned.

Top with chopped scallion and serve with duck sauce or other dipping sauces, if you wish.

Although pu pu platters are widely offered on Chinese American take out menus, their origins are actually Polynesian. No one really knows exactly where the first pu pu platter was invented, but the dish rose to prominence amid the growing popularity of the tiki bar, at places such as Don's and Trader Vic's in Southern California. The word "pu pu" is sometimes used in the Hawaiian language to represent dips or appetizers, even though its original meaning was "shellfish."

They were traditionally served with some kind of heating element, like a little charcoal briquette fire topped with a small metal grate. Pu pu platters were often served with great fanfare as part of a luau celebration in tiki restaurants during the '50s and '60s. Now, they are a staple in most Chinese American restaurants as a way to get all of your favorite bites in one order, and no tiny stove is needed! It's so fun to bring back some of the fanfare and make them at home.

The pu pu platter may look like a hodge podge of appetizers, but there's actually a science to the spread. Most importantly, all of the elements should all be able to be eaten without utensils. There are then three main components that all pu pu platters should have. The first component is something on a stick, whether its a beef, chicken, or marinated shrimp skewer. Next is something saucy — this can be combined with other elements like the sauce on the chicken teriyaki skewers or it can stand on its own, like chicken wings or sticky spare ribs. Finally, you need the crunch! Something fried and crunchy is essential. Since we baked this in the oven, we use store-bought fried elements and crisped them up in the oven so you still get all of the crispy goodness without having to break out the deep fryer.