Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Boat Recipe
When it comes time to figure out dinner, there doesn't need to be any stress involved. Sure, you need to make sure you have the right ingredients and the proper equipment on hand. But otherwise? Whipping up a delicious dinner should be simple!
But what if you want a simple dinner that's totally Instagram-worthy? Or a dish that will certainly impress your parents or your friends if they're over for dinner? That's where these pineapple teriyaki chicken boats come into play. "These truly are impressive," says photographer and recipe developer Petar Marshall. "But the beauty of this recipe is that it only takes twenty minutes to put together, creating a show-stopper in the process."
With a fresh, whole pineapple used as your serving dish, paired with delicious homemade teriyaki chicken and a side of rice, you'll have dinner on the table in no time. And it's sure to be a spectacular dinner to boot.
Gather the ingredients for pineapple teriyaki chicken boats
To get started on making your own pineapple teriyaki chicken boats, you'll want to gather all of your ingredients ahead of time. For this recipe, you'll need, one pound of boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, one whole pineapple, two cups of cooked white rice, one cup of soy sauce, one and a half tablespoons of ground ginger, one and a half tablespoons of honey, half of a cup of brown sugar, one tablespoon of chili paste, one tablespoon of ground ginger, and one tablespoon of lime juice. In addition, you may want to garnish your boats with chopped scallions.
As for selecting the pineapple? Marshall suggests looking for a ripe option so it's ready for use when you're prepping this dish. "Part of the magic of this dish is the appearance," he says. "You'll want a nice, ripe pineapple with yellow on the inside, rather than green."
Prep the pineapple boats
You'll want to prep the pineapple ahead of time so it's ready for your final pineapple teriyaki chicken boats. Set up a station with a cutting board and a sharp knife. Then, cut the pineapple in half, cutting from the stem to the base. This will give you two boats to work with.
To hollow out the pineapple, cut slits in the flesh of the fruit to form small squares. "Once the squares are cut, it's best to use a spoon to dig out the fruit," says Marshall. "Scrape the inside of the pineapple with the spoon until it's smooth." Be sure to reserve the pineapple juice from the fruit, as it will be utilized for the sauce.
Make the teriyaki sauce
To prep the teriyaki sauce for this recipe, start with a large mixing bowl. Add in the soy sauce, ground ginger, brown sugar, honey, chili paste, and lime juice. Use a whisk to combine the mixture, and then add four tablespoons of the reserved pineapple juice. "This is a nice, simple teriyaki sauce with a hint of spice from the chili paste," says Marshall. "Feel free to leave that out if you're not a fan of a little kick."
Cook the chicken for your pineapple boats
Once the sauce is prepped and ready, it's time to cook the chicken. Be sure the chicken tenderloins are cut up into small pieces.
Prepare a skillet pan with cooking spray, and bring the pan up to heat on your stovetop. Cook the chicken on medium heat, with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Be sure to cook the chicken until there's no pink showing on the meat and it's fully cooked.
Add the sauce to finish the chicken for your pineapple boats
Once you've determined the chicken is fully cooked, it's time to add the sauce for plenty of flavor. Pour in the entire bowl of the prepared sauce, and stir the chicken and sauce mixture to combine. Turn the heat on your stovetop up to high and allow the chicken to simmer in the sauce. Cook until the sauce is reduced, and then remove the hot skillet from the stovetop to allow the mixture to cool just slightly. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Assemble and garnish your pineapple boats
Now, with your chicken cooked and your pineapples prepped, it's time for assembly. This is the fun part! "The pineapples truly serve as the perfect dish for serving this easy teriyaki chicken with rice," says Marshall. "And you even get a hint of the pineapple flavor while enjoying the meal."
Add one cup of cooked rice into each prepared pineapple boat. Spread the rice throughout the entire pineapple boat, and then top it with the chicken. Divide the chicken between the two boats, and feel free to spoon the rest of the sauce from the skillet over top. Garnish the dish with chopped scallions and dig in.
- 1 whole pineapple
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ tablespoons honey
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili paste
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- Chopped scallions
- Cut the pineapple in half from the stem to the base. Cut slits in the pineapple to create small squares, and then use a spoon to dig out the fruit. Reserve the pineapple juice. Scrape the inside until it's smooth.
- Cut up the chicken tenderloins into small pieces.
- Make the teriyaki sauce in a large bowl. Combine the soy sauce, ground ginger, honey, brown sugar, chili paste, and lime juice, and whisk well. Add in the reserved pineapple juice (about four tablespoons) and mix.
- Spray a skillet with cooking spray and allow it to heat up on the stovetop. Cook the chicken on medium heat, seasoning as desired with salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is fully cooked and no pink is showing.
- Once the chicken is cooked, pour in all of the prepared teriyaki sauce. Allow the chicken to simmer in the sauce on high until the sauce reduces. Once reduced, remove from the stovetop to allow to slightly cool and thicken.
- While the chicken is cooling, prepare your pineapple boats. Add one cup of rice in each boat. Then, divide the chicken between the two pineapple boats, and spoon the remaining sauce over top. Garnish with chopped scallions.