This recipe was designed for easy prep and a solid “shovel factor” (as my friend Doug used to call it). It’s even easier if you buy the chicken already cut up (or skip the chicken altogether).
The container amounts listed below are based on typical brands.
Ingredients
- 1 can (15.25 oz) of corn (whole corn kernels, drained)
- 1 can (11 oz) of Mandarin orange slices (with the juice)
- 1 can (20 oz) of pineapple chunks (with the juice)
- 1 can (14.5 oz) of tart cherries (with the juice)
- One time the store didn’t carry cherries, so I swapped in a can of fruit cocktail (with the juice).
- 1 bottle (~21 oz) of teriyaki sauce
- I tend to get Soy Vey’s “Veri Veri Teriyaki,” but have tried many other kinds.
- Optional: Splash of wine or orange liqueur to shake in the emptied teriyaki bottle.
- 3 large chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- Clearly, if you want a vegetarian or vegan version, then don’t use chicken; instead, after the rice is stirred into the teriyaki fruit mixture (Step 8), you could add something like paneer or tofu… or nothing (albeit that might end up sort of soupy).
- 4 C of rice (This is 4 rice cooker cups, which is the equivalent of 3 standard cups, i.e.: 4 ⨉ ¾ = 3 C)
- Some might prefer 3 C of rice (or 2¼ standard cups, i.e., 3 ⨉ ¾ = 2¼ C)
Directions
- Add the drained corn to the crockpot.
- Add the remaining cans of fruit with the juice to the crockpot (i.e., orange, pineapple, and cherries).
- Add the bottle of teriyaki.
- Optionally, pour a good splash of something like wine or orange liqueur into the mostly empty teriyaki bottle, shake it vigorously — need I say “with the lid on”? — and then empty that into the crockpot.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add it to the crockpot.
- Stir it all up.
- Set the crockpot to high for 2½ hours. (This needs to boil for a while to cook the chicken.)
- About 2 hours into the cooking, start the rice.
- When the rice is done, scoop it into the crockpot and stir it all together. (Some folks might prefer to ladle the teriyaki fruit over a bowl of rice.)
- Divide any remainder into containers for the fridge.
The leftovers microwave well.