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About This Recipe
These Pineapple Chicken Rice Bowls are the best tropical tasting meal prep options! Made with my grilled Huli Huli Chicken thats marinaded in a delicious homemade sauce and paired with juicy pineapple, and fluffy rice, you’re guaranteed to get a burst of island-inspired flavor in every bite!
We all know spring and summer can be super busy and I love finding easy and simple meals that I know everyone will enjoy! These bowls are light but filling and are a tasty meal perfect for meal prep or a quick weeknight dinner. You can also totally customizable these bowls by mixing up the type of rice, adding different veggies or drizzling with your favorite sauce!
If you love how easy these bowls are, be sure to try some of my other favorite meal prep options including my Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls, Salmon Sushi Bowls, Crockpot Cuban-Style Mojo Pulled Pork Bowls or my Asian Ground Chicken Rice Bowls.
Why You’ll Love This Pineapple Chicken Rice Bowl Recipe
- Tropical twist: Use grilled or fresh pineapple to add natural sweetness and a juicy contrast to the savory chicken, making every bite irresistible.
- Hearty and healthy: Served over fluffy rice (white, brown, or even cauliflower rice for a low-carb option), these juicy chicken bowls are filling yet light making them a healthy meal perfect for meal prep or a quick dinner.
- Customizable: Load it up with fresh veggies like bell peppers, edamame, or avocado. Drizzle with spicy sriracha mayo or skinny yum yum sauce for a fun kick.
- Easy recipe: Whether you grill the chicken outdoors or cook it on a stovetop, these Hawaiian bowls are simple to make yet tastes like a tropical getaway.
- Meal prep: The perfect summer meal prep option! Prep in advance and enjoy all week for a tasty lunch or quick weeknight dinner that the whole family will love!
- Chicken thighs: Tender, juicy boneless skinless chicken thighs are perfect for soaking up all the bold flavors of the marinade while staying moist and flavorful on the grill!
- Fresh pineapple: Save time and buy fresh pre-cut rings or fresh diced pineapple chunks from the store. Grilling the pineapple adds a fun touch but these bowls are just as good with fresh pineapple!
- Rice: I used jasmine rice for these bowls but any kind of rice works! You can use brown rice, yellow rice or cauliflower rice for a lower carb option!
- Pineapple juice: The pineapple juices adds sweet, tropical flavor to this chicken marinade. Make sure to use canned pineapple juice, not fresh for the marinade!
- Ketchup: The ketchup serves as the base of our marinade and provides a tangy flavor to constrast to the sweet pineapple juice. I used sugar-free ketchup, but regular works just as well.
- Brown sugar: Helps create a delicious caramelized glaze on the chicken as it grills. I used light brown sugar but dark also works.
- Soy sauce and rice vinegar: The soy sauce and rice vinegar work together to add saltiness and acidity to help balance out the sweetness of the marinade. You can use Worcestershire sauce in place of the soy sauce and apple cider vinegar in place of the rice vinegar if needed. For gluten-free, use coconut aminos or gluten-free soy sauce.
- Smoked paprika: I really like the balance the subtle smoky flavor that the smoked paprika brings to compliment the sweetness of the marinade but you can always use regular paprika if you don’t have smoked on hand.
- Flex rice: Feel free to flex your rice / use a different amount to meet your desired macros.
- Type of rice: Use any type of cooked rice for these bowls! Try white rice, coconut rice, brown rice, yellow rice, etc. You can also swap the rice for cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles for a lower carb option.
- Avocado: These bowls are lower in fat so I like serving with some sriracha mayo or diced avocado to make them more filling.
- Veggies: Add any extra veggies that sounds good! Try adding bell peppers, red onion, green beans, broccoli florets, cauliflower, zucchini, etc.
- Spice: Drizzle with a little sriracha or sprinkle with red pepper flakes for a bit of heat!
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Whisk the chicken marinade ingredients together. Reserve 1/2 cup to baste the chicken later (store in the fridge).
2. Add the rest to a resealable bag, along with the chicken thighs. Move chicken around to make sure it’s all coated. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours (preferably 12-24 hours).
3. Grease your grill grates, grill pan or a regular skillet. Set to medium-high heat. Add the chicken (discard remaining marinade) and grill for 2-3 minutes, until golden. Adjust the heat if it’s browning too quickly–then flip, and grill the other side for 2-3 minutes.
4. Baste the chicken with some of the reserved marinade, flip again, and cook for 1 minute. Repeat this every minute or so until chicken is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes total (or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees f). Transfer to a serving plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.
5. For grilled pineapple rings- skip if using fresh diced or canned- spray both sides of all the pineapple rings with cooking oil spray then grill over medium heat 3-4 minutes each side. Make sure you have grill marks before flipping.
6. Build bowls- divide the chicken, rice and pineapple between 6 bowls, (can prep all at once or individually when ready to eat). Top with green onions to garnish and enjoy!
To store: Store bowls in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
To freeze: Let chicken cool completely to room temperature. Add chicken to a freezer size plastic bag. Press bag flat, squeeze out excess air to prevent freezer burn. Seal, label and freeze for up to 3 months.
If you’re making these bowls for meal prep, you can go ahead and add your chicken, rice and grilled pineapple to your meal prep containers. Or, if you’re using fresh pineapple you can wait to add until after reheating. Store in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat in the microwave then add your green onions to garnish.
Helpful Tips
- Marinate for maximum flavor: Let the chicken sit in the huli huli chicken marinade for at least 4 hours. Overnight is even better if you want to prep in advance. This allows the flavors to fully soak in and tenderize the meat.
- Basting: Before adding the chicken to the marinade make sure to reserve 1/2 a cup of the huli huli sauce for basting while grilling. Basting as the chicken cooks with the reserved sauce helps to build up that caramelized glaze while it grills.
- Turn Frequently: Did you know that Huli Huli means “turn-turn”? Traditional huli huli chicken is turned multiple times while grilling to develop an even, caramelized crust. That’s why we continue to flip the chicken every minute or so while cooking and basting with the rest of the marinade.
- Meat thermometer: I highly recommend using a instant-read thermometer to know when the chicken is done! Chicken thighs can take a bit longer to cook than breasts so to avoid overcooking or undercooking, I recommend checking that internal temperature reaches 165°F before removing from the grill.
- Let rest: For the best flavor, let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes after grilling. This keeps it juicy by allowing the juices to redistribute.
Can I use chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins instead of thighs?
Yes you can use breasts but since chicken thighs are dark meat they are more flavorful and stay juicier. If using boneless skinless chicken breasts, pound them to an even thickness and reduce the cooking time to prevent drying out.
Can I use fresh pineapple juice for the chicken marinade?
I do not recommend using fresh pineapple juice for the marinade. Fresh pineapple juice has enzymes that can break down the protein of the raw chicken pieces making it weird and mushy if it marinates for too long.
Can I make Huli Huli chicken without a grill?
Yes you can bake the chicken in the oven at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or air fry it at 375°F for 15-18 minutes.
More Meal Prep Bowl Recipes You’ll Love
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Pineapple Chicken Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 16 oz. fresh pineapple 1 pineapple peeled, cored & sliced into ¾” rings, fresh diced or canned
- 4 cups cooked jasmine rice (630g)
- Sliced green onions optional to garnish
Chicken Marinade:
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice (120g) canned, not fresh
- 1/4 cup ketchup (60g) I used no sugar added
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (48g)
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (60g)
- 1 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar (15g)
- 1 Tbsp fresh minced ginger or 3 frozen cubes
- 3 cloves garlic minced (or 3 frozen cubes)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
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Instructions
- Marinate: Whisk the chicken marinade ingredients together. Reserve 1/2 cup to baste the chicken later (store in the fridge), add the rest to a resealable bag, along with the chicken thighs. Move chicken around to make sure it's all coated. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours (preferably 12-24 hours).
- Cook chicken: Grease your grill grates, grill pan or a regular skillet. Set to medium-high heat. Add the chicken (discard remaining marinade) and grill for 2-3 minutes, until golden. Adjust the heat if it's browning too quickly–then flip, and grill the other side for 2-3 minutes.
- Baste the chicken with some of the reserved marinade, flip again, and cook for 1 minute.
- Repeat this every minute or so until chicken is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes total.
- Transfer to a serving plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.
- Pineapple: For grilled pineapple rings- skip if using fresh diced or canned- spray both sides of all the pineapple rings with cooking oil spray then grill over medium heat 3-4 minutes each side. Make sure you have grill marks before flipping.
- Bowls: Build bowls- divide the chicken, rice and pineapple between 6 bowls, (can prep all at once or individually when ready to eat). Top with green onions to garnish and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
