Sweet and Saucy Pineapple Chicken
Sweet, saucy, and extremely easy to make, this pineapple chicken stir fry transforms basic ingredients into an Asian-inspired dinner in less than 30 minutes. The sweet and tangy homemade sauce lightly coats tender bites of chicken, juicy pineapple, and crisp bell peppers. Add crunchy cashews and green onions to top it all off.
Ingredients
- 2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch divided
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon canola or other cooking oil
- 2 bell peppers any color, seeded and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 3/4 cup pineapple chunks fresh or canned
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar or honey
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced, grated, or a frozen cube
- 1/2 cup roasted cashews
- rice, sesame seeds, and sliced green onions for serving
Instructions
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons of the cornstarch, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Toss until the chicken is evenly coated.2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch, kosher salt and black pepper
- Set a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add a generous drizzle of avocado, canola, or vegetable oil. When it starts to shimmer, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning once or twice, until it's golden and crisp on the outside and just cooked through in the middle. Remove chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.1 Tablespoon canola or other cooking oil
- While chicken cooks, chop the peppers and pineapple.2 bell peppers, 3/4 cup pineapple chunks
- To make the sauce, whisk together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, chicken broth, hoisin, brown sugar or honey, garlic, ginger, and remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch in a large liquid measuring cup. Set aside.3/4 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth, 1/4 cup hoisin sauce, 3 Tablespoons brown sugar, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
- After removing the chicken, add peppers and pineapple to the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then pour in the sauce. Increase the heat slightly if needed to bring the sauce to a rapid simmer.
- Let the sauce bubble until it’s thickened as much as you like. (We like when it's thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon, which usually takes about 5 minutes.) You can speed things up if needed by stirring in another teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in an equal amount of cool water.
- When the sauce is nearly the consistency that you want, stir the chicken pieces back into the pan, tossing well to warm through and coat with the sauce. Stir in cashews if desired, or leave those aside to top individual bowls.1/2 cup roasted cashews
- Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!rice, sesame seeds, and sliced green onions
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Notes
- Sauce: If you’re worried about the sauce being too sweet, decrease the brown sugar/honey to just 1 or 1 and ½ Tablespoons.
- Canned vs. Fresh Pineapple: Canned pineapple is convenient in this recipe because you can use the juice that comes inside the can to make the sauce. Fresh pineapple, however, has a more sturdy texture that I quite like, and we often have pineapple juice on hand anyway as a treat for the kids, so we opt for that more often than not. If using canned pineapple, just be sure to buy chunks rather than crushed.
- Other Veggies: Broccoli florets, water chestnuts, snow peas, and green beans can all go well with this stir fry, too.
- Storage & Reheating: Leftovers keep well tightly-covered in the fridge for 3-4 days; reheat in the microwave and enjoy. Add extra cashews and freshly-chopped green onions to get a fresh crunch!
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 421 kcal, Carbohydrates: 50 g, Protein: 30 g, Fat: 12 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 73 mg, Sodium: 1049 mg, Potassium: 810 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 35 g, Vitamin A: 995 IU, Vitamin C: 50 mg, Calcium: 54 mg, Iron: 3 mg