This pineapple chicken is a stir fry of chicken, pineapple and vegetables all tossed in a sweet and savory sauce. Serve this Chinese style pineapple chicken over rice for an easy dinner that everyone will love!
In the mood for something tropical for dinner? Try some pineapple chicken with sauteed chicken thighs, chunks of fresh pineapple and crisp red bell peppers. Add some sides and appetizers like veggie fried rice, Asian slaw or cream cheese wontons for a memorable meal.
I’m constantly searching for easy chicken dinners that my whole family will love, and I’m happy to say that this quick and easy pineapple chicken is always a huge hit! It’s essentially a chicken stir fry with the addition of juicy pineapple, and the sauce is also infused with pineapple flavor. You’ll feel like you’re on a tropical vacation when you serve this dish for dinner.
Pineapple Chicken Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need vegetable oil, chicken thighs, red bell pepper, pineapple, garlic, ginger, pineapple juice, soy sauce, chicken broth, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, corn starch, sesame seeds, green onions, salt and black pepper.
How Do You make pineapple chicken?
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then add them to the pan. Cook the chicken until it is golden brown. Add the bell peppers and pinapple to the pan, and cook until tender. Next, add ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Place the sauce ingredients in a bowl, and whisk to combine. Add the sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer. Whisk together the corn starch with cold water, and pour it into the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce is thick. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
- Leftovers will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- You can use either fresh or canned pineapple here, but I wouldn’t recommend frozen pineapple. If you use a can of pineapple, be sure to reserve the juice to use in the sauce.
- I use a red bell pepper because it adds flavor and crunch, but you could use a different colored pepper if you prefer. A yellow or orange pepper tastes the same as a red pepper if you’ve got one of those on hand. Green bell peppers are not as sweet as red, orange and yellow peppers.
- Hoisin sauce is an Asian condiment that can be purchased in the international foods aisle of most grocery stores.
Quick Tip
Feel free to swap out the chicken thighs for boneless skinless chicken breast.
Recipe FAQs
Choose a flavorless oil that can withstand high heat for stir frying. Some great options include vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil or avocado oil.
Chicken and pineapple pair well together because the mild flavor of the chicken really lets the sweet, tropical flavor of the pineapple shine through. Pork also pairs well with pineapple.
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Flavor Variations
Pineapple chicken is delicious as-is, but you can easily customize the flavors to suit your taste.
- Protein: Swap out the chicken thighs for pork tenderloin, thinly sliced flank steak, ground chicken or even shrimp.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add extra vegetables to this recipe. Some great options include onions, mushrooms, broccoli or carrots.
- Flavorings: Amp up the flavor of the sauce with additions such as sriracha, toasted sesame oil or orange zest.
While serving this meal inside a pineapple is clearly optional, it’s also super impressive and not a lot of work to pull off. It’s a great one to serve to company, or just to make a weeknight dinner feel a little more special.
More Chicken Recipes
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Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
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Monterey Chicken
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Pineapple Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper seeded. cored and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup pineapple chunks fresh or canned
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon sliced green onions
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and add to the pan.
- Cook the chicken for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through.
- Add the red bell pepper and pineapple to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, chicken broth, hoisin sauce and brown sugar.
- Add the sauce mixture to the pan and bring to a simmer.
- Mix the corn starch with 1 tablespoon of cold water; stir until smooth.
- Add the cornstarch mixture to the pan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute or until sauce has just thickened.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions, then serve.
Notes
- Leftovers will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- You can use either fresh or canned pineapple here, but I wouldn’t recommend frozen pineapple. If you use a can of pineapple, be sure to reserve the juice to use in the sauce.
I’ve been making this recipe for years and is one of my family’s favorites.