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Home » Dinner » Pineapple Chicken

Published: April 15, 2018 Last Modified: March 23, 2019 By Sara 126 Comments

Pineapple Chicken

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Pineapple Chicken | Hawaiian Chicken | Chicken Stir Fry

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. You can have this easy meal on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Pineapple Chicken | Hawaiian Chicken | Chicken Stir Fry #pineapple #chicken #dinner #stirfry #dinneratthezoo

Pineapple chicken stir fry in a skillet, topped with sauce, sesame seeds and green onions.

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.

How to make pineapple chicken

The basis of this dish is chicken thighs, pineapple and red bell peppers. These ingredients are sauteed to golden brown, then flavored with garlic and ginger and tossed in a sweet and savory sauce. Add some rice on the side, and you’ve got a complete meal. If you’re feeling really fancy, you can even serve this dinner in a hollowed out pineapple for a fun presentation.

A skillet of cooked chicken, pineapple and red bell peppers.

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 here 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. Sometimes I also add a little chopped onion for extra flavor.

A skillet of pineapple chicken with a wooden spatula in it.

I like to make this dish with chicken thighs because it’s more traditional, and the dark meat chicken adds a little bit of richness to the recipe. If you’re a white meat fan, you can absolutely use cut up chicken breasts in lieu of the thighs.

I finish this dish with sesame seeds and green onions, but if you don’t have those garnishes on hand, don’t even worry about it. You can omit those finishing touches and still end up with a fabulous meal.

A skillet of pineapple chicken with chunks of chicken, pineapple and bell peppers..

I typically put a pot of rice on the stove at the same time as I start cooking my pineapple chicken, that way everything is done at the same time. Pineapple chicken with rice is really a complete meal as is, because you’ve got fruit, vegetables, protein and your starch. That being said, sometimes I add a side of steamed broccoli, because I don’t think it’s possible to eat too many green veggies!

Pineapple chicken stir fry over rice served inside half a pineapple.

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 easy chicken recipes

  • Chicken Caprese
  • Baked Lemon Chicken
  • Chicken Santa Fe
  • Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
  • Monterey Chicken
Pineapple chicken stir fry in a skillet, topped with sauce, sesame seeds and green onions.
Print Pin
4.96 from 94 votes

Pineapple Chicken

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!
Course Main
Cuisine Asian Fusion
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 393kcal
Author Sara Welch

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 615mg | Potassium: 664mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 1030IU | Vitamin C: 55.7mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2.4mg
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    Comments

    1. Jen says

      February 15, 2020 at 1:49 pm

      Can this be made in a crockpot? How long would you cook it for?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        February 18, 2020 at 3:07 pm

        You could try it in the crockpot, I’d guess maybe 2-4 hours on low, although I’ve never made it this way so I can’t say for sure!

        Reply
    2. Marianne says

      February 6, 2020 at 8:30 pm

      5 stars
      very good and easy. I’m a fresh pineapple fan as when the snow flies the choices of inexpensive fresh fruits are limited. Bananas and citrus are boring and so over done. The pineapple needs recognition and uses in both baking and especially the savory side of cooking. Vegetarian recipes could be conducive as well. Any ideas out there?

      Reply
    3. Christina says

      January 28, 2020 at 5:18 pm

      5 stars
      Yum!
      Went with others suggestions to omit brown sugar and it was still sweet and flavorful. I think any sugar would be too much since pineapple and juice and hoisin are all sweet. Added jalapeno and served over rice. Great combination of flavors. Plenty of sauce with recipe as written and we love stuff saucy. Will definitely make again!

      Reply
    4. Teresa says

      January 16, 2020 at 6:29 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for a greatrecipe. It as quick, easy, very tasty, filling and satisfied all the taste buds. The smell was very good also as everone kept drifting into the kitchen to see what was up. No left overs either. Good job!

      Reply
    5. Joe says

      October 28, 2019 at 8:48 am

      What is a good side dish?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        October 28, 2019 at 10:50 pm

        I like to serve this with steamed rice and a vegetable such as broccoli!

        Reply
    6. Linda 8115 says

      October 9, 2019 at 10:33 am

      Amazing flavor! I made extra sauce (we like our rice loaded with sauce) and doubled the rest of the recipe with green pepper and onion & chicken & pineapple so we’d have leftovers. First time using hoisin sauce and it adds a lot of flavor. This recipe is a “keeper”

      Reply
    7. Michele says

      September 17, 2019 at 4:32 pm

      This was easy and delicious! But it does not need the added brown sugar, it’s sweet enough without it.

      Reply
    8. Christopher Casano says

      August 30, 2019 at 8:41 am

      5 stars
      Made this for my wife last night. She is gluten free and cannot really do spicy/acidic. I substitute olive oil for vegetable oil, an orange pepper for a red pepper, onion powder for green onion and a light teriyaki sauce for the hoisin sauce. Came out fantastic! Served it over a bed of rice. I will definitely check out your other recipes. I’m sharing this one on FB!

      Reply
    9. Larry says

      August 29, 2019 at 7:33 pm

      5 stars
      I bookmarked this recipe weeks ago and just got around to making this for dinner tonight. It was delicious! As good as the pictures above only better. I followed the recipe exactly except used 2 red peppers instead of one. Great recipe. Thanks!

      Reply
    10. Heather Marie says

      August 25, 2019 at 7:42 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious and looked gorgeous served in a pineapple! I cut the sugar slightly and next time will try only putting in half the amount and possibly even omitting it altogether. But the recipe turned out great and the flavor and presentation was beautiful. I also sautéed onion with the red pepper. Can’t wait to make this again!

      Reply
    11. Joan Lamb says

      August 14, 2019 at 3:55 pm

      5 stars
      I LOVED this recipe! I followed the directions plus added mushrooms and green pepper. Absolutely YUM!!!
      For those wondering how hard it is to find…I found the Hoisin sauce at the regular grocery store and it isn’t expensive.

      Thank you!!

      Reply
    12. John V says

      July 24, 2019 at 2:19 pm

      5 stars
      Made this once and now I find myself craving it! Delicious recipe and thank you for sharing it! I admit to not being a complete purist, in that I have stopped adding the brown sugar (Diabetic, Type 2), but that doesnt stop this from being an incredible meal! Even my finicky “I HATE ONIONS!” teens loved it. Thank you again! 8)

      Reply
      • Michelle says

        January 16, 2020 at 4:32 pm

        Made with coconut rice, was very good. Next time I might add cashews for a nice crunch.

        Reply
    13. Margaret Dignard says

      July 20, 2019 at 6:34 pm

      I am not familiar with hoisin sauce.

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 20, 2019 at 6:41 pm

        It’s an Asian condiment found in the ethnic foods aisle of most grocery stores!

        Reply
        • Shirley says

          August 6, 2019 at 9:19 pm

          Will it be OK to leave out the Hosin sauce ?

          Reply
          • Sara says

            August 6, 2019 at 10:56 pm

            Yes that’s fine!

            Reply
    14. Beatrice says

      June 23, 2019 at 11:18 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is great! My family really enjoyed it! I also served it for a dinner party and added roasted cashews!

      Reply
    15. Lyn Strathdee says

      May 13, 2019 at 4:17 pm

      5 stars
      This was a hit with my entire family; children are 12, and 10 they loved it. I omitted the sesame seeds (not my favourite) otherwise followed recipe exactly. Next time I’ll use two red peppers for extra veggies. Delicious can’t wait to make it again!

      Reply
    16. Russell says

      April 29, 2019 at 7:29 am

      5 stars
      Really good recipe, was a hit with the family and is now my go-to Chinese-type dish… I only made a couple slight changes; I only used half a red bell pepper, and added in ~1/2 cup of edamame. Omitted the green onion garnish. Canned pineapple worked fine, but if you buy it as “chunks” I suggest cutting them up smaller.
      I think next time I can probably omit the sugar from the sauce, the pineapple contributes enough sweetness, and will reduce the calories a little.
      Thanks for posting this!

      Reply
    17. Danielle says

      April 8, 2019 at 6:58 pm

      5 stars
      So delicious!! I used chicken breast tenderloins that I cut into 1 inch cubes and omitted the sesame seeds, otherwise stuck with the recipe exactly. The chicken was tender, juicy and full of flavor! Thank you for sharing this! It’s going to be added to my go-to recipes. Terrific over brown rice, but might try it with riced cauliflower or zoodles next time.

      Reply
    18. Ali says

      February 25, 2019 at 7:31 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing!!!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        February 26, 2019 at 11:32 am

        So glad to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!

        Reply
    19. Melissa says

      February 24, 2019 at 3:01 pm

      5 stars
      This was SO good. I added and onion just because I like onions with peppers! But otherwise used the recipe! Does the nutritional content include the rice? The carbs seem so high for the chicken and veggies!!!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        February 24, 2019 at 9:23 pm

        So glad you liked it! The carbs come from the pineapple, pineapple juice and brown sugar.

        Reply
    20. Evelyne says

      February 24, 2019 at 6:20 am

      What are the carb and sugar values for a serving?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        February 24, 2019 at 9:01 am

        The nutrition information is listed on the recipe card!

        Reply
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