Pineapple Chicken (Asian Style)

pineapple chicken on rice in a beige bowl

Pineapple Chicken (Asian Style)

This pineapple chicken stir fry recipe has a deliciously sweet and tangy sauce that perfectly coats the tender chicken, pineapple, and veggies and costs less than takeout!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian American

Keyword pineapple chicken recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 407kcal

Author Natasha Bull

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts cut into 1" pieces
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Pepper to taste
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
2 (8 fluid ounce) cans pineapple tidbits or chunks drained (but reserve 3/4 cup juice for the sauce)
1/2 red bell pepper cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 medium onion sliced or cut into bite-size pieces

Sauce:

3/4 cup pineapple juice (from the canned pineapple)
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

Add the sauce ingredients to a small bowl. If you don't have quite enough pineapple juice to make 3/4 cup, just top the rest up with water. Whisk until smooth.
Prep your veggies.
Cut the chicken into 1" pieces and add them to a bowl. Toss them with the garlic powder and some pepper. Add the cornstarch and toss until coated.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Let the pan heat up for a few minutes. Cook the chicken in two batches (don't crowd the pan). Cook the chicken for 4 minutes and then flip (I use tongs to do this quickly) and cook for another 3-4 minutes or so. Chicken should be browned and cooked through (165F). For the second batch, I add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Transfer each batch of the chicken to a plate when it's done.
If the pan is dry, add a small splash of olive oil (a teaspoon or so), and then add the pineapple. Let it cook without stirring it for about a minute.
Stir in the peppers and onions and cook for another 3 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Veggies will be tender-crisp. You can cook for a little longer if you wish.
Add the chicken back to the pan and then stir in the sauce. Let it bubble until it's thickened (about 1-2 minutes), then take the pan off the heat and serve immediately over rice or noodles.

Notes

I buy the canned pineapple that's unsweetened (packed in its own juice).
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition