SAUCY SIMPLE PINEAPPLE CHICKEN
on Aug 12, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Deliciously sweet and tangy, this pineapple chicken is a healthier version of Chinese takeout — and arguably tastier too!
The beauty of this Saucy Simple Pineapple Chicken is the sweet and sticky sauce.
A mixture of fresh pineapple juice, coconut aminos, honey, hot sauce, and ground ginger makes for a saucy glaze that’s bursting with flavor.
The sauce is then mixed with the crispy, tender bite-sized pieces of chicken and whole pineapple cubes.
Don’t forget to serve this with cooked rice because once the sauce gets into all the nooks and crannies of the rice, it makes for the most wonderful bite.
Give this recipe a try when you’re looking for a healthier version of your favorite takeout meal. By the time you can even decide where to order from, you’ll have a healthy dish that is fresh, protein-packed, and more satisfying too! Enjoy!
Get the Protein-Empowered digital cookbook!
Key Ingredients for Simple Pineapple Chicken
A taste of the tropics is only a few ingredients away. Here’s what you’ll need for this simple pineapple chicken recipe.
- Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces for this recipe. The trick is to keep the pieces roughly the same size so they cook evenly. You could make this with chicken tenders or even with chicken thighs if that’s more your style!
- Pineapple Juice: I used fresh pineapple juice for this as opposed to the juice from a can of pineapples. Canned fruit tends to be sweetened with unnatural forms of sugar, which I try to avoid if possible.
- Coconut Aminos: This gluten-free soy sauce alternative is slightly sweeter in taste. If you aren’t gluten-free, you can swap with regular soy sauce or even tamari. If using either, you may want to sweeten with a touch of coconut sugar to amp up the flavor.
- Honey: Additionally, I use a touch of raw honey to bring out the natural sweetness of the sauce.
- Hot Sauce: A dash of your favorite hot sauce will help round out the flavors. I like @sietefoods hot sauce or you could even use sriracha for a nice kick.
- Ground Ginger: To make this easy, I used ground ginger instead of mincing up pieces of fresh ginger.
- Fresh Pineapple: Buying pre-cut pineapple from the grocery store will make your life easier here, but if you’re going for the real tropical vibe (see Notes) then buy a regular pineapple, saving half for the final presentation.
- Arrowroot Starch: Arrowroot starch is mixed with a few tablespoons of chicken broth to create a slurry and added to the pan. You can use tapioca starch or cornstarch as well.
How to Make Pineapple Chicken
To start, whisk together the sauce ingredients (pineapple juice, coconut aminos, honey, hot sauce, ground ginger) in a small glass or bowl.
Next, heat a large stainless steel or cast iron pan over medium high heat, adding two tablespoons of avocado oil to the pan. As the pan comes to temperature, season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
Add the chicken to the hot skillet in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes. You’ll know it’s time to flip when the chicken pieces easily come off the pan. Cook for another two minutes.
Remove the chicken pieces and set aside. Note, the chicken won’t be fully cooked at this point. Turn the heat to medium. Add the sauce, scraping up the chicken bits with a wooden spoon as the sauce bubbles and deglaze the pan.
Return the chicken to the pan, tossing all the pieces in the sauce. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes or so.
In a separate glass bowl, make an arrowroot slurry by whisking together the chicken broth and arrowroot starch until no lumps remain.
Push the chicken to the edges of the pan and whisk the slurry into the pineapple sauce, stirring well to incorporate. The purpose of the slurry is to thicken sauce, so it has more of a glaze-like consistency. The slurry should quickly thicken the sauce.
Add the fresh pineapple pieces, tossing to coat with the sauce. Keep on the heat until the pineapple is heated through, serve (or eat it straight out of the pan), and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions with Pineapple Chicken
My favorite way to eat this is over a pile of cooked white rice alongside quickly steamed broccoli. Having pre-cooked frozen white rice in the freezer is a great hack. It takes only a few minutes to reheat, meaning you can get dinner on the table even faster. A sprinkle of sesame seeds is a nice touch, but definitely not necessary!
Other Fruity Favorites
- Blackened Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa
- Piña Colada Chia Pudding
- Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Quinoa Power Porridge
Pin this recipe for later!
Pin ItSAUCY SIMPLE PINEAPPLE CHICKEN
Ingredients
Pineapple Sauce:
- ¾ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Chicken:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
- 3 tablespoons chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch (or tapioca or cornstarch)
For Serving:
- Prepared rice
- Steamed broccoli
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small glass or bowl and set aside.
- Heat avocado oil in a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- While the oil heats up, generously season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken to the pan in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet (at this point, it won’t be cooked all the way) and turn the temperature to medium. Add the sauce, scraping up the chicken bits as the sauce bubbles and deglaze the pan.
- Simmer the sauce for 5 to 7 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken.
- Return the chicken to the pan, tossing in the sauce, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through (about 3 minutes).
- Make an arrowroot slurry by stirring together the chicken broth and arrowroot starch until no lumps remain. Push the chicken to the edges of the pan and whisk the slurry into the pineapple sauce, stirring well to incorporate. The slurry should quickly thicken the sauce.
- Add the fresh pineapple, tossing to coat in the sauce, ensuring the pineapple is heated through before removing the skillet from the heat.
- Serve over rice with a side of steamed broccoli and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
- ENJOY!
