Try this quick and delicious Buddha bowl recipe that combines pineapple teriyaki chicken and simple noodles or pasta.
Reinvent Leftovers with the Buddha Bowl!
Bored of the same ol’ leftovers? Buddha Bowl recipes helps you reinvent last night’s supper into a completely brand-new, flavorful dish.
Just remember this easy formula for a Buddha bowl:
Let’s get started!
For a perfectly pineappled teriyaki chicken Buddha bowl…
Here’s how you can customize each component!
Getting down to the details…
For the GRAIN:
Buckle up, because it’s not the rice or quinoa you may have expected! In this bowl we’re getting our grains in the form of noodles.
Choose from whole-grain spaghetti, ramen noodles, shirataki, or whatever sends your sauce flying!
BUT – if you have any leftover rice, pasta or noodles in your refrigerator — let’s use them up!
For the VEGETABLES:
Broccoli complements chicken in any classic teriyaki bowl, so we’re bringing it back!
Got anything else yummy in the fridge–say, julienned carrots or half an onion? Bring them in the fold.
For the PROTEIN:
If you have leftover roasted or grill chicken, then you’re already set to go! Even shrimp is amazing in this recipe.
If you’d like to make the Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken, it only takes a zip-top bag for marinating.
The chicken will hang out in an easy 6-ingredient pineapple teriyaki marinade while you prep the rest of the ingredients. When it comes time to cook, you can pop the chicken in the oven, on the stove, or on the grill.
For the PINEAPPLE TERIYAKI SAUCE:
Timeless teriyaki sauce benefits greatly from the natural sweetness of pineapple. It gives the classic Japanese flavors a hint of Hawaii!
You’ll make up a batch of the Pineapple Teriyaki Sauce (all it takes is 3 minutes + a mason jar).
Add these 6 ingredients into a mason jar, and shake.
- 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, or tamari
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup water
Pour HALF of this sauce into bowl or zip-top bag: Use this to marinate the sliced chicken breast.
The remaining Pineapple Teriyaki Sauce is for your Buddha Bowl….drizzle on top just before serving.
TIP: If you have no time for homemade sauce – use a good quality store-bought teriyaki sauce. Trader Joe’s has my favorite “Island Teriyaki.”
For the CRUNCH:
Why not sprinkle a little something nutty on top to counter the sweet teriyaki? Let’s go with flax seeds–and feel free to add some toasted seaweed (nori) if you’re feeling extra adventurous!
Are you ready to dive bowl-first? Let us know in the comments what changes you made!
Something More?
- A great, laidback non-recipe yakisoba recipe
- A vegan yakisoba recipe worth trying
- A basic teriyaki sauce that’ll have you raving
- A teriyaki salmon recipe, if fish is more your thing
- A guide for prepping flaxseeds, from toasting to grinding
- Our original baked Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Breast recipe
Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Buddha Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
For the SAUCE:
- 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger use microplane grater
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup water
For the CHICKEN:
- 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts Thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (optional)
- 2 tbsps cooking oil divided (use half for veggies)
For the GRAINS/VEG
- 4 cups noodles or pasta cooked according to package instructions
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
- 1 cup julienned carrots
- 1/2 cup cooked edamame
For the CRUNCH:
- 4 tablespoons toasted seeds or nuts flax seeds or pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- In a mason jar, add all of the sauce ingredients. Cover with lid securely, and shake. Pour half the teriyaki sauce in a large bowl and reserve the other half. Add the sliced chicken breasts and the cornstarch to the bowl, and stir to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Cook the noodles according to package instructions.
- For the vegetables, you can eat them raw or just saute lightly. Steam the broccoli in a covered large saute pan with a 1/4 cup water for 2 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green. Push the broccoli to the outer edge of the pan. In the middle of pan, add in 1 tbsp cooking oil, minced garlic, and red chili flakes. Cook for a few seconds. Add in the julienned carrots. Give everything a good toss. Cook for 2 minutes, until carrots softened and broccoli tender. Season with salt – or pour in just a little bit of the Pineapple Teriyaki sauce to mix in.
- Let's cook the chicken: Heat the large saute pan over high heat. Add in the remaining 1 tbsp cooking oil. When hot, add in the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- To assemble the Buddha bowls, divide the noodles, vegetables and chicken to the bowl. Add in the cooked edamame. Drizzle on some Pineapple Teriyaki sauce and top with seeds.
