1 ½ to 2poundsboneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders or thighs
1cuplow-sodium soy sauce
1cuppineapple juice
½cuplightly packed light brown sugar
⅓cupunseasoned rice vinegar
1tablespoonfinely grated ginger (see note)
1tablespoonfinely minced fresh garlic (see note)
Veggies + Rice:
1smallpineapple, peeled and cut into wedges or thick spears
2 to 3mediumzucchini, cut into spears
2mediumbell peppers, any color, cored and cut into thick strips
3cupshot, cooked rice (see note)
Other: diced avocados, fresh or pickled onions, toasted sesame seeds, fresh lime wedges, extra teriyaki sauce.
Instructions
Place the chicken in a shallow dish. Combine all the marinade ingredients and whisk until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Pour half of the marinade into a container to use later; cover and refrigerate. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. Toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
Preheat an outdoor grill, indoor grill pan, air fryer, or oven broiler to medium or medium-high heat. I use a pellet grill and preheat to 375 degrees F.
Cook the chicken until cooked through, flipping once and brushing with reserved marinade the last 1-2 minutes of cooking (discard the marinade used for the chicken). Exact cooking times will vary based on the thickness/type of chicken used; an instant-read thermometer should read 165 degrees F when inserted at the thickest part of the chicken. Remove the chicken, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes while cooking the veggies.
Add the pineapple, zucchini, and bell peppers to the grill (can also use a grill pan or any of the aforementioned cooking methods in step #2). Brush with reserved marinade. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip, brush with marinade, and continue cooking until crisp-tender, another 3-5 minutes. Remove to a pan.
If desired, pour the remaining marinade (that was used for brushing the chicken, pineapple and veggies) into a small saucepan and simmer for a couple of minutes until reduced slightly.
To serve, slice the chicken into strips. Chop the pineapple, bell peppers and zucchin into bite-size pieces.
Add a scoop of rice to a serving plate or bowl followed by chicken slices, pineapple, bell peppers, zucchini, and any other add-ins like diced avocados, red onion slices, fresh lime wedges.
Drizzle with remaining teriyaki marinade/sauce and toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Ginger + Garlic: if using fresh ginger, it works best to freeze the ginger (no need to peel) and then grate the frozen ginger on the small holes of a box grater or rasp grater (again, no need to peel). The frozen cubes of ginger and/or garlic from Trader Joe's and other grocery stores work great in the marinade, too. I have not used dried/ground ginger or garlic for this recipe, but it might work - feel free to experiment. Rice: this recipe is fantastic with cilantro lime rice, coconut rice, or plain, cooked white or brown rice. The rice can easily be left out for a lower carb meal.Teriyaki Sauce: having a favorite storebought brand of teriyaki sauce on hand can help with the extra drizzle of sauce at the end if all the marinade was used for brushing chicken/pineapple/veggies.Pickled Onions: peel and thinly slice red onions. Pack them into a pint jar. Combine the following and heat through on the stovetop or in the microwave until sugar and salt are dissolved - 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup unseasoned rice or apple cider vinegar (or a combo), 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons coarse, kosher salt. Pour the hot mixture over the onions. Cover. Refrigerate at least an hour but preferably up to 8 hours before serving. They keep in the fridge for several weeks.