Colorful pantry staples come together to make this aromatic and flavorful pineapple chicken that has the perfect balance of sweet and sour to brighten your day! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}
Are you struggling to come up with new meal ideas based on what you have in your pantry? So many people are, and I thought I’d share one of my favorite Chinese dishes to cheer you up. My pineapple chicken recipe is something you can make with things you probably have in your kitchen right now. You just might not realize those things go together.
If you like sweet and sour chicken from your local Chinese takeout, this will completely satisfy that craving. My version of pineapple chicken makes it healthier with less sugar thanks to the abundant aromatics. The recipe will teach you how to create crispy chicken with less oil and no deep-frying. So you can indulge in these sweet and savory flavors without guilt!
Pineapple chicken ingredients
My pineapple chicken recipe calls for chicken thighs, though chicken breast can work in a pinch for this. Make sure you thaw it out first! Frozen peppers can be used as-is without thawing, and that can of pineapple you have in the back of the pantry has just been waiting for a moment like this to truly shine.
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have these ingredients:
- Chopped pepper and pineapple
- Marinated chicken
- Mixed sauce
- Minced ginger
NOTE:
What adds that extra zing to the sauce is the addition of grated fresh ginger. I know it is a bit extra work compared to using ginger powder. But when you have time, you can grate it and freeze it for later use so it makes prepping faster. You can find all my tips for freezing ginger right here!
How to cook pineapple chicken
Cooking pineapple chicken is so easy.
- Coat the marinated chicken with cornstarch
- Pan fry the chicken with a thin layer of oil
- Briefly cook the veggies
- Thicken the sauce and add back the cooked chicken
TIPS
- Coat the chicken with cornstarch only when you’re ready to cook, to create the extra crispy effect.
- This recipe uses the minimum amount of oil to create extra crispy chicken. It’s important to remove the chicken to let it cool off a bit before adding it back, which will crisp up the coating a bit more.
- When you cook the veggies, it’s important to keep the cooking time short so the veggies are not completely cooked through. Because the veggies will continue cooking once you add the sauce.
Afterthought
So, you have chicken, veggies, and fruit together in one dish. It’s bright and cheerful in appearance and tastes absolutely amazing with steamed white rice.
This pineapple chicken dish is so simple and flavorful, and with such easy ingredients, you’ll want to make it again and again!
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More easy Chinese takeout recipes
Pineapple Chicken
Servings: 2 to 4 servings
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1 lb (450 g) chicken thighs (or breast) cut into 1” (2.5 cm) pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons peanut oil
Sauce:
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice (*Footnote 1)
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Stir Fry:
- 1 cup (about half a 20 oz/565 g can) pineapple slices cut into 1” (2.5 cm) chunks
- 1 bell pepper cut into 1” (2.5 cm) pieces
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
Instructions
-
Add the chicken, salt, and Shaoxing cooking wine in a medium-size bowl, mix well. Let marinate while preparing other ingredients.
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Combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and set aside.
-
When you’re ready to cook, add the cornstarch to the marinated chicken and toss it to coat it completely.
-
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick (or carbon steel) skillet until hot. Shake the excess cornstarch off the chicken and spread the pieces into the pan without overlapping. Cook without touching until the bottom is browned, 2 minutes or so. Flip to cook the other side until browned, another 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a big plate to let it cool.
-
Use a few layers of paper towel held in a pair of tongs to wipe the extra oil from the pan and leave only 1 tablespoon in it. If your pan doesn’t have enough oil, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Heat the skillet over high heat and add the pineapples and peppers. Add the ginger on top of the veggies. Allow them to cook undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes, until the pineapples caramelize and the peppers begin to blister. Stir a few times.
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Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely, and pour it into the pan. Cook until the sauce is fully thickened.
-
Take the pan off the heat and add the chicken. Toss to coat the chicken with sauce.
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Serve hot as a main with steamed rice.
Notes
- This is how much juice you get from 1 (20 oz/565 g) can of sliced pineapple.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 399kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 34.2g, Fat: 15.4g, Saturated Fat: 3.5g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 779mg, Potassium: 476mg, Fiber: 1.4g, Sugar: 13.6g, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 2mg
Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
