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These Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches are packed with bold island flavors and loaded with juicy chicken, sweet teriyaki sauce, grilled pineapple, deli ham, and melty pepper jack cheese. They are the ultimate backyard cookout sandwich and always a huge hit.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“The whole family loved these. Such a great flavor combination!” – Allison
“We just made these for dinner. Oh my goodness! So delicious. I’m so happy to have found this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing. I followed the directions exactly, the only thing I did differently was to throw these puppies onto King’s Sweet Hawaiin buns. Can’t wait to make them over and over and over again, and knock the socks off any person who happens to be lucky enough to come over when we make them.” – Dani
“Absolutely delicious change to the common grilled chicken sandwich. Love this recipe! Will definitely make again…. and again. Thank you for sharing!!” – Tonya
Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe started as a simple teriyaki chicken dinner, but once we turned it into a sandwich, it completely changed the game. My husband actually named these the Big Kahuna Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches while he was out at the grill, and the name just stuck.
What makes these so special to me is the combination of flavors. The juicy teriyaki chicken is amazing on its own, but when you add thin slices of deli ham, sweet grilled pineapple, and melty pepper jack cheese, it takes everything to another level. I honestly don’t think I will ever go back to making it the old way again! These have become a go-to for cookouts and weekend dinners because they always impress.
When I serve these, I love pairing them with Hawaiian macaroni salad, sweet potato fries, or a fresh slaw. They also go perfectly with chips or grilled veggies if I want to keep things simple.
🩷 Erica
Table of Contents
Ingredients for a Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich
- Chicken – we like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts but you could use boneless chicken thighs too.
- Teriyaki sauce – save time by using a bottle of your favorite marinade. We like Lawry’s brand because it has good low sodium options. Or you can make your own with water, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and some cornstarch to thicken.
- Brown sugar – enhances the sweetness of the teriyaki sauce
- Deli ham – make sure it’s sliced very thin.
- Pineapple slices – fresh pineapple tastes best but you can use a can of sliced pineapple too.
- Pepper Jack cheese – we like to use deli slices of cheese so it melts evenly over the sandwich.
- Hamburger buns – you’ll need a larger size to fit the large chicken breast and all the toppings.
Extra Toppings
Once your sandwich is assembled, add any toppings you like! Here are some ideas:
- lettuce
- mayonnaise
- a drizzle of honey
- tomato
- bacon
- red onions
Step by Step Instructions
- Prep the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts between plastic wrap or in a bag. Pound them to an even 1/4″ thickness to ensure they cook quickly and uniformly.
- Marinate and Organize
Marinate: In a bowl, whisk the teriyaki sauce and brown sugar until dissolved. Pour half into a Ziploc bag with the chicken. Seal and refrigerate for 4-5 hours.
Divide Sauce: Split the remaining sauce into two separate bowls (one for brushing chicken, one for pineapple) to avoid cross-contamination.
Prep Sides: Drain the pineapple, reserving a splash of juice in a small bowl for the ham.
- Grill and Glaze
Grill: Place chicken and pineapple on the grill over medium heat. Flip only once, brushing frequently with their respective bowls of sauce until the chicken is cooked through.
Warm the Ham: In a pan or on a flat grill plate, cook the ham with the reserved pineapple juice until hot and slightly caramelized.
- Assemble and Serve
Place the cooked chicken on the bottom buns. Layer with cheese, ham, and a slice of grilled pineapple. Close the sandwiches and serve immediately with any extra pineapple on the side.
Make Big Kahuna Burgers
You can easily make these into “Big Kahuna” grilled teriyaki burgers by marinating beef or ground turkey patties in the teriyaki sauce rather than chicken. Trust me, you’ll never have a more moist or flavorful burger in your life! And for an extra Hawaiian spin and protein, add a fried egg to the top.
Tips for Grilling the Teriyaki Chicken
- Meat thickness: The key to getting perfect grilled teriyaki chicken is making sure the thickness of the meat is as even as possible. You don’t want one end of the chicken to be thick and the other end to be thin (how it comes naturally). To get an even thickness on the chicken breasts, place each breast in between pieces of plastic wrap, then use a meat pounder and flatten out that thick part to match the thinner part (or close to it).
- Grill Temperature: You want to make sure you have the right grill or skillet temperature. Aim for around 375-degrees and 450-degrees. If you’re cooking in a skillet on the stove top turn it to medium-high heat. This makes it so you don’t have a charred outside and raw inside, which happens when you cook at too high of a temperature.
- Digital Read Meat Thermometer: Using a digital-read meat thermometer is also very helpful. When the internal temperature reaches 150-155 degrees (should only take a few minutes on each side) take it off the grill and allow to rest for a few minutes. Wrap the chicken in foil and the chicken will continue cooking to reach 165-degrees. You will have perfectly juicy chicken.
Side Dish Ideas
Here are some great side dish ideas that will go PERFECTLY with these teriyaki chicken sandwiches:
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad: Hawaiian Mac Salad is a staple side dish for any Hawaiian meal. This is an AUTHENTIC Hawaiian recipe, straight from the islands!
- Fresh Mango Avocado Cole Slaw: You have got to try this coleslaw with a fun island twist! Goes GREAT alongside these grilled chicken teriyaki sandwiches!
- Sweet Potato Fries: Chicken sandwiches and sweet potato fries are a winning combination. Every. Time. You can’t go wrong!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can cook the chicken in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
Any store-bought sauce works great, but a lower sodium option is ideal. Homemade is also a great choice.
Absolutely. Just make sure to drain it well before grilling.
Yes, you can cook the chicken ahead and reheat it before assembling the sandwiches.
More Teriyaki Recipes to Try
If you can’t get enough of that sweet, tangy teriyaki flavor, you’re going to love these recipes too:
These Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches are one of my favorite ways to bring bold, tropical flavors to the table. They are easy to make, full of flavor, and always a crowd favorite. If you try this recipe, I would love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below. 🍔🍍
Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches
Video
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 bottle Lawry's teriyaki sauce
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 4 slices deli ham
- 1 can sliced pineapple, or you can use fresh which would be even better
- 4 slices Pepper Jack cheese
- 4 hamburger buns, large
Instructions
- Pound chicken breasts until they are about 1/4" thick all around.
- Place in a large Ziploc bag. Combine Teriyaki sauce and brown sugar until sugar dissolves. Add ½ of the mixture to the bag with the chicken and seal tightly. Place bag in refrigerator for at least 4-5 hours. Separate remaining Teriyaki mixture into 2 separate bowls (to prevent cross contamination use 2 separate brushes too)– one for the pineapple, one for the chicken. Open pineapple can and save a little of the juice in a bowl.
- Place chicken and pineapple on the grill (medium heat).Brush with Teriyaki sauce every few minutes until chicken and pineapple are done. Try to only flip the chicken and pineapple once. Either on the grill or in a frying pan, cook ham with a little of the pineapple juice until it becomes nice and hot.
- Slice open hamburger buns and place a piece of cooked chicken on each bottom bun. Top with cheese, ham, grilled pineapple, and bun top. Serve immediately with remaining grilled pineapple.
Equipment
- Outdoor Barbecue Grill
Notes
- Marinate longer for deeper flavor
- Use even thickness chicken for best results
- Grill pineapple for extra sweetness
- Let chicken rest before serving to keep it juicy
- Add toppings to customize flavor and texture
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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What size bottle of teriyaki sauce is used, please?
A 12 oz bottle!
How can Burger/Sandwich not be really awesome when it has chicken, good ham and fresh Pineapple. Found your recipe 2 days ago and made it for lunch today. I did swap out breast for thighs personal reasons and my option tastes better. I really really enjoyed this.i used shop bought Brioche but next time I’m making Hawaiian rolls which I love … Thankyou for sharing…
Made them tonight. Everyone said it was the best chicken sandwich they have had. Thanks
Just came across this recipe, sounds delish. Scrolling dow to see other recipes and noticed your from boise, small world I live in twin falls id.
Absolutely delicious change to the common grilled chicken sandwich. Love this recipe! Will definitely make again…. and again. Thank you for sharing!!
Erica can I do the Chicken in the Air fryer? And at what temperature and how many minutes?
Can’t wait to try these! Can they be marinated for 12 hours?
Made these last night, they was really good. I added mayo, tomatoes, and lettuces. Will make again. Thanks
What kind of buns are being used? I know I have enjoyed a bun like this one before but can never find them at stores… Help!
I don’t remember the exact type of buns, but usually grocery stores will have a large bun option instead of regular sized buns. We usually get those!
I don’t have a grill. Can these be made stove top or in an instant pot or crockpot?
Yes, of course. You just want to make sure the chicken is cooked through. You could also bake the chicken.
This was delicious! Can’t wait to grill these up again soon!
The whole family loved these. Such a great flavor combination!
Very good and something different! Made it last week and making it again tonight. Highly recommend.
Made these and my family loved them. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Excellent taste! The whole family loved this and said several times throughout dinner how good it was. I served mine with jalapeno coleslaw.
This was delish!