Pineapple Chicken

Is there anything better than a quick chicken stir-fry recipe for dinner? Probably not. Equal parts sweet, spicy, and a little sticky, this is the perfect easy pineapple chicken recipe that makes every age run to the dinner table. Best of all, it takes less than 30 minutes to make. By the time the rice is cooked, dinner is officially ready.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 623kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

For the sauce:

3/4 cup canned pineapple from 1 (15 ounce) can pineapple
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
1 jalapeño pepper seeded and minced (or omit, see notes)
2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the chicken:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 cup pineapple chunks from 1 (15 ounce) can pineapple
1/4 cup roasted cashews

For serving:

3 scallions thinly sliced
2 cups cooked white rice for serving
1 lime cut into wedges, for serving

Instructions

To make the sauce:

In a small saucepan, combine pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, and jalapeños and bring to a simmer.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons water and cornstarch until combined (this is called a "slurry"). Whisk into sauce pan and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

To make the chicken:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes.
Stir in bell pepper and cook until just tender, 3 minutes more. Add sauce and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in pineapple and cashews.
Garnish with scallions and serve with rice and lime wedges.

Notes

If you like spicy food, add one or more jalapeños. Omit if you don't like spicy food (the dish will still be super flavorful and delicious). Adding 1/2 jalapeño will not add any noticeable heat to the dish.
Do not substitute fresh pineapple because 1). the pineapple will not soften sufficiently in the amount of time it takes to make this recipe, and 2). you would have to buy pineapple juice separately, and who wants to do that?

Nutrition

Calories: 623kcal