Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich

Smoky, full of flavor, sweet, and saucy, this Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich is incredible! Piled high with grilled chicken, pineapple, lettuce, and red onion, it gets drizzled with a thick, tangy, and slightly sweet homemade teriyaki sauce!

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich on a white plate being drizzled with teriyaki sauce.

Ever since the start of summer, I have been grilling like crazy. Lots of corngrilled veggies, and salads. (Yes, grilled salad is totally a thing and it is amazing).

I layered this Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich with chicken, pineapple, lettuce, and onion. It gets drizzled with a thick, slightly sweet homemade teriyaki sauce.

The Homemade Teriyaki Sauce makes this sandwich. So do the homemade burger buns too!

I love making my own teriyaki sauce at home. It’s so much easier to control the sweetness and the salt level. I used the same homemade teriyaki sauce as my Easy Teriyaki Beef Meatballs and my Teriyaki Baked Salmon.

It all comes together in under 20 minutes! Perfect for an easy summertime meal.

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich on a white plate.

What you’ll need for this Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich recipe

  • Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts are ideal for this recipe. You could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs or turkey breast if needed.
  • Pineapple: love grilled pineapple! It really brings out the sweetness. If you haven’t tried it, now is the time!
  • Onion: I love the taste of red onion on this Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich. It’s sweet and less pungent than white or yellow onion, perfect for eating raw!
  • Spring mix: For some greens, I added spring mix because I had it on hand. Spinach or arugula are also great options.
  • Buns: My Homemade Burger Buns are pillowy soft and so easy to make!

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

  • Oil: To sauté the ginger and garlic, I used a neutral oil (olive or avocado oil works well). You can also add sesame oil for its rich, nutty taste.
  • Garlic and ginger: Garlic and ginger, minced, add a lot of flavor! It’s always nice to eat something fresh. A powdered version isn’t something I’d endorse.
  • Soy sauce: I always choose low sodium soy sauce because it is healthier. Regular soy sauce or gluten-free soy sauce will work just as well; just add a bit more water to keep it from being too salty. Water thins out the sauce and keeps the flavor from being overbearing.
  • Sugar & honey: Because the teriyaki sauce is sweet and tangy, I added some light brown sugar and honey. Brown sugar has a stronger flavor than white sugar, and it’s what I love to use to sweeten sauces. You can replace the honey with more brown sugar if desired.
  • Vinegar: Rice wine vinegar is the best vinegar for this dish. It’s usually easy to find in large supermarkets’ international aisles, at your local Asian grocery store, or online. If you can’t get red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar will suffice.
  • Cornstarch and water: To thicken the homemade teriyaki sauce, I produced a cornstarch slurry.

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce dripping from a spoon into a clear bowl.

How to Make a Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich

  1. Preheat: Begin by preheating the gill.
  2. Pineapple: Grill pineapple for about 2 minutes on each side or until it has nice grill marks. Take off of the grill and set aside.
  3. Chicken: Grill chicken until fully cooked about 8-10 minutes. Take off of the grill and set aside.
  4. Assemble: To assemble the sandwich layer lettuce, red onion, chicken, and sliced pineapple onto each sandwich.
  5. Teriyaki: Drizzle with homemade teriyaki sauce and serve immediately.

How to make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

  1. Sauté garlic: Add oil and garlic to a medium saucepan. Cook for 1 minute.
  2. Add teriyaki sauce ingredients: Add in soy sauce, water, honey, brown sugar, and ginger.
  3. Simmer: Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Make slurry: In a small bowl mix together the cornstarch and water until combined.
  5. Whisk it all together: Slowly add this to the teriyaki sauce and whisk until the sauce has thickened. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich on a white plate being drizzled with teriyaki sauce.

Tips for Success

  • You can use store-bought buns, however, my Homemade Burger Buns are delicious and so easy to make!
  • Toast the buns and add a little butter for the best flavor.
  • Double or triple batch the Homemade Teriyaki Sauce for easy dinners throughout the week. Try my Teriyaki Chicken, Teriyaki Salmon, Beef Teriyaki Noodles, or my Teriyaki Meatballs!
  • Store any leftover chicken and pineapple in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  • Store the Teriyaki sauce and buns separately. The teriyaki sauce will last for up to a week in the fridge, and the buns last for a week at room temperature.

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich on a white plate drizzled with teriyaki sauce.

What can I serve with these Grilled Chicken Pineapple Sandwiches?

Hand holding a Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich.

Here are more delicious Sandwich Recipes to try!

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Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2
Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich piled high with grilled chicken, pineapple, lettuce and red onion. Drizzled with a thick, tangy and slightly sweet homemade teriyaki sauce!

Ingredients

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich

  • 2 boneless chicken breasts
  • 2 thick slices of pineapple cored
  • 2 slices of red onion
  • 1/2 cup spring mix
  • 2 sandwich buns

Teriyaki Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • ½ tablespoon honey
  • ½ tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ginger mined
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich

  • Add chicken and pineapple to a preheated grill.
  • Grill pineapple for about 2 minutes on each side or until it has nice grill marks. Take off of the grill and set aside.
  • Grill chicken until fully cooked about 8-10 minutes. Take off of the grill and set aside.
  • To assemble the sandwich layer lettuce, red onion, chicken, and sliced pineapple onto each sandwich.
  • Drizzle with homemade teriyaki sauce and serve immediately.

Teriyaki Sauce

  • Add oil and garlic to a medium saucepan. Cook for 1 minute.
  • Add in soy sauce, water, honey, brown sugar and ginger. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes.
  • In a small bowl mix together the cornstarch and water until combined. Slowly add this to the teriyaki sauce and whisk until the sauce has thickened. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Recipe Notes

Original recipe from chefsavvy.com. Please do not publish my recipe or pictures without linking back to the original post. Thank you!

Nutrition Facts
Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich
Amount per Serving
Calories
515
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
20
g
31
%
Saturated Fat
 
9
g
56
%
Cholesterol
 
72
mg
24
%
Sodium
 
2008
mg
87
%
Potassium
 
463
mg
13
%
Carbohydrates
 
51
g
17
%
Fiber
 
3
g
13
%
Sugar
 
17
g
19
%
Protein
 
33
g
66
%
Vitamin A
 
236
IU
5
%
Vitamin C
 
9
mg
11
%
Calcium
 
81
mg
8
%
Iron
 
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Main Course, Sandwiches
Cuisine: Hawaiian
Keyword: Chicken Recipes, Easy Weeknight Dinner, Grilling, Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich

 

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Comments - page 1/2

  • Manali @ CookWithManali

    grilling pineapple is the best thing ever!! this looks delicious!

  • Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

    What a gorgeous sandwich, Kelley! I love adding pineapple to pretty much everything, especially in the summer. And that sauce looks just perfect!

  • Danielle

    We’ve been grilling like crazy lately too, it’s one of our favorite things to do this time of year. This sandwich looks so amazing! That teriyaki sauce looks so perfect!

  • Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy

    Yes please! I am loving grilled pineapple at the moment. I had grileld pineapple salsa the other day too.

  • Keri @ Fashionable Foods

    Love the flavor combo here! What a great looking sandwich.

  • Medha @ Whisk & Shout

    Love the bright colors and that delicious pineapple!

  • Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits

    Oh, grilled pineapple in a sandwich! I’ve ordered something similar at at burger joints before, but I don’t know why I haven’t made it at home yet! LOVE it!

  • Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat.

    That burger looks fantastic! I love pineapple and teriyaki, such a great combo!

  • Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen

    Oh god! What a stunner you have here, Kelley! Loving all the refreshing, gorgeous and delicious flavors here! DROOLING! 🙂

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