This Simple Chicken Teriyaki Pineapple Bowl Recipe is going to be your new favorite meal! With juicy pieces of chicken and hearty brown rice served in beautiful pineapple boats, this is a healthy dinner win the whole family will love.
How To Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce That's Soy Free
If you're someone that avoids using soy in your cooking you will be happy to know that this recipe is completely soy free. Instead of using soy sauce as they use in traditional teriyaki sauce, I opted to use Coco Aminos instead. Coconut Aminos are easy to find at your local grocery store. I picked mine up at Costco.
Although many people think that Coco Aminos are made from coconuts it's the sap of the coconut plant. Have I mentioned that it's also super delicious? You won't miss the soy in this recipe I promise. It still creates the perfect sweet teriyaki sauce with the other ingredients.
How To Cut Your Pineapple To Make It Into A Bowl
Nothing is better than eating this delicious meal in a juicy pineapple. This part might seem intimidating if you're not used to cutting up whole pineapples, but I promise it's super simple. You will want to use a large cutting board and a very large sharp knife to cut the pineapple in half down the middle.
From there you will want to cut the core down the middle, avoiding the sides of the pineapple. You want the sides to stay intact for your bowl. Once the core has been removed you will want to cut the fresh pineapple into one-inch cubes. There will be a pool of pineapple juice in each bowl. Pour that into a measuring cup and set it aside for making your own homemade teriyaki sauce.
If you're like me, you won't use all of the pineapple chunks for this recipe so feel free to store the rest in a ziplock bag or other airtight container.
Is This Recipe Low Carb?
Yes! This recipe is around 45 grams of carbohydrates. I love teriyaki chicken but have found it difficult to use store-bought sauces because they spike my blood sugar. In an effort to still enjoy foods that I love I've found that using monk fruit for the sweetener works great. I'm able to enjoy this meal without feeling like it's missing something.
Many sauces have you make a slurry with cornstarch as well. I skipped the cornstarch and used almond flour which makes an excellent low-carb substitute.
I also used Brown Rice instead of white rice. It's not necessarily much lower in carbs, but I've found that because it takes longer to digest it doesn't spike my blood sugar as white rice would.
As a rule of thumb, if it's a carb that cooks quickly (ex: instant rice) your body will process it quickly too. If you don't have type 2 diabetes like me, then you probably don't need to worry about this. That's why I include several options for substitutions below.
Possible Ingredient Substitutions
Coco Aminos - If you don't have a soy sensitivity you can use regular soy sauce instead of the Coco Aminos.
Golden Monkfruit - Not worried about carbs or sugar? You can use brown sugar instead.
Avocado Oil - Peanut Oil or Olive Oil are excellent substitutes if you don't have avocado oil on hand. Just know that the peanut oil will change the flavor slightly.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs - Want a healthier cut of chicken? Feel free to use boneless skinless chicken breast instead. I prefer chicken thighs because they are juicier and less likely to dry out than chicken breasts. But you do you!
Brown Rice - You can use white rice, wild rice, or cauliflower rice instead of brown rice. You could also switch it up and omit the rice altogether and use fresh veggies instead. Snap peas, broccoli, green bell peppers, water chestnuts, or asparagus would all be great with this dish.
Tools Needed
- Cutting Board
- Large Sharp Knife
- Small Bowl
- Large Skillet
- Measuring Cup
- Measuring Spoons
Storing It For Later
This recipe is great to make for meal prep. You could skip the pineapple boats, double up the ingredients, and make enough to have for lunch or dinner the next day. I made extra chicken and rice with mine to eat later in the week. Just store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Simple Chicken Teriyaki Pineapple Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 Pineapple
- ⅓ cup Coco Aminos
- 2 tablespoon Golden Monkfruit
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Pineapple Juice
- 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 2 teaspoon Minced Ginger
- 1 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil
- 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 2 teaspoon Almond Flour
- 2 teaspoon Water
- 2 cups Cooked brown rice
Garnish
- Sesame Seeds
- Green Onions
- Extra Pineapple Chunks
Instructions
- Start by making the brown rice according to the package directions. I chose to use chicken stock and a tablespoon of butter to flavor the rice while cooking.
- While the rice is cooking cut your pineapple in half and hollow it out. (See notes above if needed) Save the pineapple chunks for later and a tablespoon of pineapple juice for the sauce.
- Using a small bowl, whisk together the coco aminos, golden monk fruit, pineapple juice, minced garlic, minced ginger, and toasted sesame oil until blended. Once you're done making the sauce, set it aside.
- Next up, you will want to slice your chicken on a cutting board. Try to cut it into even-sized strips. Then season with kosher salt to taste.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the avocado oil and wait for it to shimmer before adding the chicken to the pan. Cook for 4 minutes and let it sit before stirring. This will give it a nice golden brown color. Using a large spatula stir the chicken and proceed to cook for another 3 minutes.
- Combine the almond flour and water in a measuring cup. Whisk together to make a slurry that will thicken up your sauce.
- Pour your homemade teriyaki sauce over the chicken. Stir together and then add the slurry. Bring the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 minutes or until the sauce is thickened.
- Once the chicken is finished cooking, add additional chunks of pineapple to the skillet. Stir to combine.
- Scoop into the pineapple boats and serve with cooked rice or veggies. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Making this recipe? Please tag me on Instagram @natashasfoodadventures so I can see your creations! I love getting to know you guys and can’t wait to see which recipe you will make next.
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