Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Skillet Recipe
User Reviews
5
Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Skillet Recipe
Description
The Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Skillet starts by preparing a sauce from pineapple juice, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, giving a sweet and tangy glaze with mild heat. Chicken breast is diced and pan-seared until cooked through and golden browned, then set aside. Bell peppers are sautéed until crisp-tender in the same skillet to retain flavor.
After sautéing, the sauce is whisked and added to the skillet with the vegetables, simmering until thickened. Pineapple chunks from the canned pineapple are stirred in to warm through, balancing the savory with sweetness. The chicken is returned to the pan, coating the pieces evenly with sauce. The dish is optionally garnished with green onions and sesame seeds for an appealing finish.
This one-pan meal is suitable for serving on its own, over rice, or alongside noodles to soak up extra sauce. The recipe stores well refrigerated and can be frozen, though softer texture of peppers and pineapple may be expected after thawing. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stove.
Stir occasionally during cooking for even caramelization and to prevent sticking. Use pineapple packed in juice (not syrup) for appropriate sweetness and flavor.
Ingredients
Sauce
- ½ cup pineapple juice reserve the chunks for later (make sure to select pineapple packed in juice, NOT in syrup, from a 15-ounce can; canned pineapple chunks
- ½ cup pineapple reserve the chunks for later (make sure to select pineapple packed in juice, NOT in syrup, from a 15-ounce can; canned pineapple chunks
- ¼ cup chicken broth I use reduced sodium
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce reduced sodium
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger (or use freshly grated)
- 1 to 2 garlic finely minced (or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder, to taste, cloves
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
Chicken and Veggies
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 to 1 ¼ pounds chicken breast diced into bite-sized pieces, boneless skinless
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste if desired
- 1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste, freshly ground
- 3 cups bell pepper seeded and diced into small pieces (I used 1 cup each of red, orange, and yellow peppers, mix-and-match as desired
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- pineapple chunks that were reserved (from the 15-ounce can)
- green onions optional for garnishing and to taste
- sesame seeds optional for garnishing and to taste
Instructions
- Sauce - To a medium bowl, add all the sauce ingredients, and whisk to combine, set aside. Set the pineapple chunks aside from the can of canned pineapple to be used later.
- Chicken - To a large skillet, add the olive oil, chicken, evenly season with salt and pepper, and saute over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is done and cooked through. Stir and flip intermittently to ensure even cooking. When chicken is done, remove it using a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate.
- Peppers - To the same skillet (don't wipe it out), add the peppers, add a bit more olive oil if needed, and saute over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until as crisp-tender as desired. Stir and flip intermittently to ensure even cooking.
- Add the Sauce - Whisk the sauce for a couple seconds again to redistribute the honey which may have settled, and then add it to the skillet with the peppers, noting it will bubble up and steam when you add it. Allow it to simmer for about 2 minutes; stir very frequently to encourage it to thicken.
- Add the Chicken + Pineapple - Add the chicken back in, add the reserved pineapple chunks, and stir to combine, tossing and flipping the ingredients to ensure that everything is coated in sauce. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, just until the chicken and pineapple are warm. Taste and if desired, add additional salt, pepper, sprinkle more ground ginger, red pepper flakes, etc., to taste. Flavor Tips - If the dish tastes at all boring or flat, it likely needs additional salt, so don't be afraid to add it. The same is true for pepper, but it's less critical usually than salt.
- Serve immediately. I recommend serving it with rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa, etc. or some sort of grain to soak up the sauce.
Notes
- Store leftovers airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Expect texture changes in bell peppers and pineapple after freezing and thawing.
- Reheat gently in the microwave for about 30 seconds or on the stove until warmed through.
- Use canned pineapple packed in juice (not syrup) for best taste and balanced sweetness.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 339 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 339kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 28g | 9% |
| Protein | 33g | 66% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Trans Fat | 0.02g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 91mg | 30% |
| Sodium | 1243mg | 52% |
| Potassium | 877mg | 19% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 21g | 42% |
| Vitamin A | 3634IU | 73% |
| Vitamin C | 148mg | 164% |
| Calcium | 35mg | 4% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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