Easy Pineapple Chicken
Moist chicken, sweet onions and bell peppers, all shimmering in a sauce that’s made with pineapple juice, hoisin, and soy sauce. Sweet, tangy, sticky, and deliciously addictive.
This dish started with a can of pineapple juice and package of chicken. I wanted to include pineapple juice, and I was craving a dish with an Asian spin. That’s when the soy sauce and hoisin sauce entered the picture, and it’s perfection. The combination of sweet pineapple juice and salty soy sauce and salty/garlicky hoisin sauce was the perfect marriage.
This dish is perfect for a busy weeknight because it’s crazy easy. Here’s the process. Brown chicken in a pan. Add bell peppers and onion and sauté for a few minutes. Add pineapple juice, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Thicken with a little cornstarch and serve!
How should you serve your pineapple chicken? I served our pineapple chicken with brown rice and it was great because the rice soaked up all the extra sauce. You can use any rice variety, or Asian noodles, or your favorite grain. For a virtually carb-free meal, serve the chicken and vegetables in shallow bowls all by itself!
Can you make this pineapple chicken spicy? Certainly! I served sriracha on the side, but you can also add hot sauce to the pan when you add the pineapple juice. Add a little or a lot, as much as desired.
This dish is really healthy too! There’s virtually zero fat in the dish, so it’s almost pure, high-quality protein. And if you want to ramp up the amount of vegetables, add steamed broccoli, snap peas, green beans, or your favorite veggie. Simply add the vegetables to the pan while the chicken is simmering or, if the vegetables are already soft from steaming, fold them in just before serving.
Easy Pineapple Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, tenders or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 bell pepper, any color, seeded and chopped, or 1 cup chopped mini sweet peppers
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 ounces 3/4 cup 100% pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Cooked rice or Asian noodles for serving, I used brown rice
- Chopped green onions for serving, optional
- Fresh cilantro leaves for serving, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Season the chicken and vegetables with salt and black pepper.
- Add the pineapple juice, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water and add the mixture to the pan. Simmer for 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- Serve the chicken and vegetables with rice and top with green onions and cilantro, if using.