Baked Island Teriyaki is how you get classic sweet-and-savory teriyaki flavor on your plate, sitting on top of a bed of rice, in under an hour. Simply make up that classic tangy, umami-rich teriyaki sauce and pour it over chicken and tropical fresh pineapple, then bake. The chicken is savory and sticky in the delicious sauce, with the pineapple providing lovely tangy contrast! Baked Island Teriyaki shows that great Japanese flavors can come from inside your oven, as well as from your stovetop!
Ingredients
For the teriyaki:
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water, room temperature
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 1 cup pineapple chunks, fresh or canned
Optional, for serving:
- rice, to taste, cooked and warm
- green onions, to taste, chopped
- sesame seeds, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –In a small bowl, add the cornstarch and the water and whisk to combine.
Step 2 –In a small saucepan over low heat, add the slurry mixture, the brown sugar, the honey, the soy sauce, the cider vinegar, the garlic, the ginger, and the black pepper and simmer, while whisking occasionally, to combine.
Step 3 –Bring the sauce mixture to a boil and continue to boil for 1 minute.
Step 4 –Turn off the heat and set the sauce mixture aside until cooled and thickened, about 10 minutes.
Step 5 –Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 6 –In a baking pan, arrange the chicken and the pineapple chunks. The pan can be of any size that allows the chicken to be arranged in a single layer.
Step 7 –Pour the sauce over the chicken-pineapple mixture, turning the chicken to make sure it is completely coated.
Step 8 –Bake the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 30-32 minutes.
Step 9 –Optionally, after about 25 minutes of cooking, carefully transfer the chicken to a cutting board and slice it into chunks before returning it to the baking pan to finish baking.
Step 10 –Serve the chicken teriyaki over the warm rice, topped with the green onions and the sesame seeds.
