Baked Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

Name: Baked Pineapple Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup water; ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce; 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger; ½ teaspoon onion powder; 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs; 6 Tablespoons pineapple juice; 6 Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce; 2 Tablespoons cornstarch; ¼ cup honey; 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar; 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar; 2 Tablespoons lime juice; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 2 teaspoons ginger paste or freshly grated ginger; 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds; 6-7 pineapple rings (cut in half); Chopped green onions (for garnish (optional)); Sesame seeds (for garnish (optional)); Steamed rice (for serving)

This baked pineapple teriyaki chicken is sticky-sweet, savory, and ready in just 45 minutes, with the sauce thickening to glossy perfection right in the pan alongside juicy chicken thighs and caramelized pineapple. It’s an easy weeknight dinner with the kind of glossy, restaurant-style finish that makes it just as fitting for weekend dinner guests, piled high over a bowl of steamed rice!

An overhead image of a pan of baked pineapple teriyaki chicken.

This teriyaki chicken bakes up in one dish, so there’s minimal cleanup and no standing over a grill to babysit the sauce. The chicken thighs stay juicy the whole time while they soak up all that sweet, garlicky glaze, and the pineapple caramelizes right alongside them for little pops of tangy sweetness in every bite.

Teriyaki cooking originated in Japan, where the word literally combines “teri” (glossy shine) and “yaki” (to grill or broil), a nod to the shiny glaze that sauce gets as it cooks down. The pineapple pairing is more of a Hawaiian twist, born from the islands’ long history of pineapple plantations and a local love for sweet-and-savory combinations. Baking the whole thing in one dish is the easy, modern shortcut that skips the grill but keeps all that sticky-glossy goodness!

The sauce is the real star here, going from thin and glossy straight out of the oven to perfectly thick and clingy once it cools for a few minutes. It’s the kind of sauce you’ll want to spoon over every last bit of rice, and the sesame seeds and green onions on top bring the crunch and color that make it pop!

For more sweet-and-savory Hawaiian flavors, check out my Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Skewers, Huli Huli Chicken, Huli Huli Chicken Bowls, Grilled Pineapple Spears, and Hawaiian Macaroni Salad!

Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!

The sauce thickens up perfectly as it cools, coating the chicken and pineapple in a sticky-sweet glaze without any extra effort.
Baking it all in one dish keeps the chicken juicy and the pineapple caramelized, with no grill and barely any cleanup.
It’s built on pantry staples like soy sauce, brown sugar, and pineapple juice, so it’s just as easy on a random Tuesday as it is for company.

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Water: Thins out the marinade to help it coat the chicken evenly.
Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce: Brings the salty, savory backbone to both the marinade and the sauce. Stick with reduced sodium here since you can always add salt at the end, but you can’t take it back out.
Light Brown Sugar: Balances the salty soy sauce with a deep, caramel-like sweetness in both the marinade and the sauce.
Garlic Powder: Adds a mellow, savory depth to the marinade without any chopping.
Ginger Paste: Gives the marinade its warm, slightly spicy kick. Freshly grated ginger works just as well if that’s what you have on hand.
Onion Powder: Rounds out the marinade with a subtle savory note.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: They stay juicy and tender through baking, soaking up all that flavor from the marinade. Chicken breasts can be swapped in, but keep an eye on the bake time since they can dry out faster.
Pineapple Juice: Forms the tropical backbone of the sauce, adding sweetness and a little tang. Use the juice straight from the pineapple can, or fresh pineapple juice if you’d rather.
Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce into that glossy, clingy texture as it cooks and cools.
Honey: Adds another layer of natural sweetness alongside the brown sugar.
Rice Vinegar: Brightens up the sauce with a little acidity to keep it from tasting flat. Apple cider vinegar makes an easy substitute since it brings a similar level of acidity.
Lime Juice: Adds a fresh, citrusy punch that balances all that sweetness.
Garlic: Fresh and minced, giving the sauce a punchier flavor than the powder does in the marinade.
Ginger Paste: Brings the same warm spice to the sauce that it does to the marinade. Freshly grated ginger works here too.
Sesame Seeds: Adds a nutty crunch stirred right into the finished sauce.
Pineapple Rings: Caramelize in the oven right alongside the chicken, turning soft and golden with concentrated sweetness. Fresh pineapple rings work just as well as canned.
Green Onions: An optional garnish that adds a pop of color and freshness on top.
Steamed Rice: The perfect base for soaking up all that extra sauce.

Ingredients for making baked pineapple teriyaki chicken.

How to Make Baked Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

Whisk marinade. Combine water, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, ginger paste, and onion powder in a bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisking until sugar has dissolved.
Marinate chicken. Pour marinade into a zipper-top bag with chicken thighs and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.

Chicken thighs marinating in a ziploc bag.

Preheat oven. Heat to 400°F and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Start sauce. Whisk together soy sauce, pineapple juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan until combined, then stir in honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, lime juice, garlic, and ginger paste.
Simmer sauce. Bring to medium heat, whisking frequently, then reduce heat slightly and whisk for 2-3 minutes as sauce simmers and thickens.
Finish sauce. Let cool for 5 minutes, taste and add salt if needed, then stir in sesame seeds. Sauce will continue thickening as it cools.

Combining ingredients in a saucepan to make homemade teriyaki sauce.

Adding sesame seeds to make homemade teriyaki sauce.

Drain chicken. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry, so excess liquid doesn’t thin out sauce in pan.
Layer dish. Spread about a third of sauce in bottom of prepared baking dish, arrange chicken in an even layer on top, then tuck pineapple rings around chicken.
Coat chicken. Pour remaining sauce over top and use a basting brush to make sure chicken is completely covered.

Chicken thighs with pineapple slices in a baking dish.

Chicken and pineapple in a large baking dish with homemade teriyaki sauce poured over the top.

Bake chicken. Bake uncovered for 28-32 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
Rest and serve. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving over rice, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

A serving spoon lifting chicken thighs and pineapple from a baking dish.

Baked pineapple teriyaki chicken on a serving platter.

Recipe FAQ’s

Why is my sauce burning on the edges of the pan?

This can happen if the sauce spreads too close to the edges of a glass baking dish. Keeping the sauce and chicken more centered, or using a metal pan, can help prevent it.

My sauce turned out too thin. What happened?

This is normal right out of the oven since the chicken releases juices as it bakes. The sauce continues to thicken as it cools, so give it a few minutes before deciding it needs help.

Can I make this ahead of time?

The chicken can marinate up to a day in advance. The sauce can also be made a day ahead and refrigerated separately until ready to bake.

How do I store and freeze leftovers?

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To freeze, cool completely and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, then thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

A close up image of a chicken thigh in teriyaki sauce with pineapple slices.

Tips for Success

Pat the chicken completely dry after draining the marinade, since any extra liquid left clinging to it will thin out the sauce as it bakes.
Let the sauce simmer for the full 2-3 minutes so it has a chance to thicken properly before it goes anywhere near the oven.
Give the sauce those 5 minutes to cool and thicken before deciding it needs more cornstarch, since it firms up a lot as it sits.
If the sauce ever thickens up like jelly while cooling, it’s a sign it simmered a touch too long. A tablespoon or two of water or pineapple juice whisked in will loosen it back up.
Use reduced sodium soy sauce so you stay in control of the salt level. It’s always easier to add a pinch at the end than to fix an oversalted sauce.

What to Serve with Baked Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

Steamed white or jasmine rice works perfectly well here, soaking up every bit of that sticky sauce pooled in the pan, but Coconut Rice is the pick if you want to lean even further into the tropical flavors.

Oven Roasted Broccoli rounds out the plate with a bit of green and a little extra crunch.

For something a little more in line with the dish’s Asian flavors, Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy, a mild, leafy Chinese cabbage with crisp stalks, is another easy option.

Baked pineapple teriyaki chicken on a large platter.

Baked pineapple teriyaki chicken on a plate of rice with forks next to it.

Substitutions and Variations

Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a small drizzle of sriracha to the sauce for a bit of heat.
Stir in sliced bell peppers or snap peas alongside the pineapple for extra color and crunch.
Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs instead of boneless for a richer flavor, adjusting the bake time to account for the bone.
Stir a spoonful of gochujang into the sauce for a spicy, savory Korean-inspired twist on the classic teriyaki flavor.