On Easter, I was outside working out and could smell so many of my neighbors grilling. The smell was amazing, and I was super bummed that we weren’t having something on the grill for dinner that night. I mean, the day had been perfect. Blue skies. Perfect spring temperature. It was the ideal grilling weather.
Alas, I already had my rack of lamb recipe planned and ready to go, and my husband had been craving that for several weeks. But, it meant that I was now craving barbecue and had to have it soon!
Something about grilled chicken with crispy smoked edges sounded soooo good to me. And for me, that translated to a sweeter marinade so the sugars could crystallize on the grill. Then, it occurred to me how I have literally never made teriyaki chicken at home. NEVER! I couldn’t believe it when that realization occurred! And what better sweet marinade for grill crystallization deliciousness is there?? I mean, I do have several other recipes that would have sufficed, and feel free to check those out too:
Steakhouse Shish Kebabs (feel free to swap the steak out for chicken!)
Hawaiian Chicken (easy to make in the oven or on the grill!)
Filipino Barbecue (my son’s favorite!)
Greek Marinated Chicken (my favorite!)
All of these are super delicious, but teriyaki chicken had popped into my head and teriyaki chicken was the way I had to go! I decided to make it with a ton of veggies and pineapple. So, I guess this is kind of like my Hawaiian chicken recipe? Except the marinade is teriyaki! Either way, it’s super delicious and nutritious. I made rice with it, but barely ate any with all the veggies loaded onto my plate!
The best thing? This is super quick to make! If you want, make the marinade the night before and let the chicken sit overnight in the fridge. Then, it’s only about ten minutes on the grill! Easy peasy! An awesome, delicious, and nutritious Japanese meal right at home!
Enjoy!
Teriyaki Chicken with Grilled Vegetables & Pineapple
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Marinate: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Asian, Japanese
- Cuisine: Dinner
Ingredients
Teriyaki Chicken
1½ – 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup brown sugar
2 TBs honey
2 TBs cornstarch
1 TB rice wine vinegar
1 TB mirin (rice wine)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2” ginger, minced
Vegetables and Pineapple
12 oz fresh broccoli florets (about 2 to 3 cups)
3 bell peppers, various colors, cut into about 1½” x 1½” pieces
1 pineapple, skinned and cored and cut into chunks
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, honey, cornstarch, rice wine vinegar, mirin, garlic, and ginger. Add the chicken thighs and using a spoon or your hands, mix to thoroughly coat the chicken. Cover and let sit at room temperature for half an hour or refrigerator overnight.
When ready, heat the grill over medium, maintaining a temperature between 350°F and 400°F.
Thread the peppers and pineapple onto kebab skewers. Take two pieces of aluminum foil, about a foot and a half by a foot long. Align the lengths of the two pieces together and fold over several times, then flatten. Place the broccoli onto and fold the aluminum over to create a packet about one foot by 8 inches long, give or take.
When the grill is hot, place the broccoli packet on one side of the grill, place the pepper and pineapple skewers next to it and then the chicken next to that. Reserve the marinade. Grill everything for about five minutes per side, including the foil packet, turning often and moving around the grill to prevent hot spots from overcooking anything.
Meanwhile, place the marinade into a small pot and cook over medium until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir frequently until the sauce thickens. When the chicken has cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F, slice it then toss it it in the sauce.
Serve immediately with the vegetables and pineapple. Be careful opening the foil packet in case any steam is trapped inside! Serve over white rice, if desired.
Enjoy!
Keywords: teriyaki, teriyaki chicken, grilled teriyaki chicken, teriyaki chicken thighs, teriyaki chicken and vegetables, teriyaki marinade
