Teriyaki Chicken Pineapple Wraps (Printable)

Tender chicken glazed in teriyaki, paired with pineapple and fresh veggies in crisp lettuce leaves.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken & Marinade

01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
02 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
03 - 1 tablespoon mirin or dry sherry
04 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced

→ Teriyaki Sauce

07 - 4 tablespoons soy sauce
08 - 2 tablespoons honey
09 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
10 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
11 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

→ Vegetables & Wraps

12 - 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
13 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
14 - 2 spring onions, finely sliced
15 - 1 carrot, julienned
16 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
17 - 1 head butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce, leaves separated and washed

→ Garnishes

18 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
19 - Extra chopped cilantro
20 - Lime wedges

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a bowl, combine diced chicken with soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. Marinate for at least 15 minutes.
02 - In a small saucepan, whisk together soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the cornstarch slurry and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
03 - Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken, discarding excess marinade, and sauté until cooked through and lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes.
04 - Add diced pineapple and red bell pepper to the skillet. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until heated through but still crisp.
05 - Pour the prepared teriyaki sauce over the chicken mixture. Toss to coat evenly and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
06 - Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter. Spoon the chicken-pineapple mixture into each leaf. Top with julienned carrot, spring onions, and chopped cilantro.
07 - Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve with lime wedges if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • No dairy means you can serve this to almost anyone without worrying, yet it feels completely indulgent thanks to that sticky-sweet teriyaki glaze.
  • Everything comes together in about 35 minutes, but tastes like you spent way more time fussing over it.
  • The textures keep surprising your mouth—juicy chicken, crispy lettuce, chewy carrot, sweet bursts of pineapple all in one bite.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cornstarch slurry—I learned this the hard way when my sauce stayed thin and soupy and just dripped off the lettuce leaves instead of clinging to everything.
  • The pineapple should go in at the very end of cooking; if you let it sit in the pan too long it falls apart and loses that subtle textural contrast that makes these wraps special.
03 -
  • Dice your pineapple and vegetables while the chicken marinates so when you're ready to cook you can move fast and keep everything from sitting around getting tired.
  • If you're cooking for a crowd, set up a toppings bar so people can customize—some folks hate cilantro, others could bathe in it, and it's way easier to let everyone build what they want.
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