This tasty Pineapple Chicken combines crispy fried chicken pieces with juicy pineapple, bell peppers, onions, garlic, and green onions in a sweet and savory ginger pineapple sauce. Serve over white rice, brown rice, or ramen noodles. In a little over 30 minutes, you, too, can have a better-than-takeout meal on the table.
Less Than 30 Minute Pineapple Chicken Recipe
This less than 30-minute pineapple chicken recipe is perfect for a quick and tasty dinner. With just a few simple ingredients, you can whip up this flavorful dish in no time. It is always a huge hit with family and friends. This is one of our favorite chicken dishes, from crisp chicken to fresh pineapple flavor and ease of cooking.
Easy Ingredients – Great Pineapple Chicken
- Pineapple Juice: I buy a six-pack of small cans to use for other recipes, such as sweet and sour pork and pineapple margaritas.
- Soy sauce: preferably low-sodium
- Brown sugar
- Ketchup
- Rice vinegar: you can substitute apple cider vinegar
- Cornstarch: for thickening the sauce
- Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- Vegetable oil or canola oil: for pan-frying
- Vegetables: onions, bell peppers, garlic, and green onions
- Pineapple: preferably fresh, but canned will work in a pinch
- Ginger: freshly grated or ginger paste
How to make Pineapple Chicken
- Whisk the pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, and cornstarch in a medium bowl.
- Combine the cornstarch, salt, and black pepper in a bag. Add the chicken pieces and shake to coat.
- Fry the chicken pieces in a skillet with a bit of oil over medium heat. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Cook the onion, bell peppers, and pineapple in the skillet over medium heat, then transfer them to a plate.
- Cook the garlic and ginger over low heat.
- Add the sauce ingredients and cook until thickened. Add everything back to the pan to warm.
Beth’s Recipe Tips
- Don’t cover the chicken, vegetables, and pineapple after plating them. If not covered, they will stay crispier and warm back up when you add them back to the skillet with the sauce.
- Ginger paste works just as well as fresh ginger, and once opened, it lasts about one month when stored in the fridge.
- For a change of taste add some toasted sesame seeds.
- You can use any colored bell peppers you like. Green, red, orange, and yellow peppers all work well and have great flavor and texture.
Storage and Reheat
If fresh pineapple is used, be aware that it contains the enzyme bromelain, which breaks down protein. This recipe makes an excellent first meal, but it is not great for leftovers unless you plan accordingly and separate the pineapple from the chicken. Or make a half recipe.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, if fresh pineapple is used, it is advised to separate the chicken from the pineapple. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat. I do not recommend freezing this dish.
More Chicken Recipes
Pineapple Chicken
Ingredients
Sauce
- ¾ cup pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Pineapple Chicken
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs cut in bite size pieces
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger or ginger paste
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
Instructions
- Whisk the pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Set it aside for a few minutes.
- Combine the cornstarch, salt, and black pepper in a bag. Add the chicken pieces and shake to coat. Work in batches.
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the chicken pieces from the bag shaking off the excess cornstarch. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until browned on both sides and cooked through. Work in batches moving the chicken to paper towels to drain. Carefully wipe out the skillet or wash it.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes stirring several times. Add the bell peppers and pineapple to the skillet cooking for 2-3 minutes stirring frequently. Plate the vegetables and the pineapple.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in the skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and ginger cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Whisk in the sauce ingredients that you set aside. Cook until it is thickened whisking frequently. Add the chicken, vegetables, and pineapple back to the skillet to warm. Sprinkle with green onions and for best results serve promptly.
Notes
- Don’t cover the chicken, vegetables, and pineapple after plating them. The chicken and vegetables will stay crispier if not covered, and they will warm back up when you add them back to the skillet with the sauce.
- Ginger paste works just as well as fresh ginger, and once opened, it lasts about 1 month stored in the fridge.
- For a change of taste add some toasted sesame seeds.
- Use any colored bell peppers you like. Green peppers, red peppers, orange peppers, and yellow peppers all work well with great flavor and texture.
Nutrition
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Brian
Pineapple chicken sounds good to me. Just don’t put pineapple on pizza!
Kat
I have always loved Pineapple Chicken, but I have never tried to cook it. Now with this very simple recipe I can finally make my own.
Fransic verso
Such a tasty recipe and so much better than my local restaurant. I served it over a little brown rice.
Marysa
Sounds like a fun recipe! I’ve never had this combination, and I can see how this is a good pairing.