Pineapple Chicken

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.

This less-than-30-minute pineapple chicken recipe is perfect for a quick and tasty dinner. You can whip up this flavorful dish in no time with just a few simple ingredients. It is always a huge hit with family and friends. This is one of our favorite chicken dishes, with crisp chicken, fresh pineapple flavor, and ease of cooking.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

• Pineapple Juice: I buy a six-pack of small cans to use the juice for other recipes, such as sweet and sour pork and pineapple margaritas.
• Soy sauce: Preferably low-sodium
• Rice vinegar: You can substitute apple cider vinegar, champagne vinegar. or sherry vinegar.
• Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• Vegetable oil: You can substitute canola oil
• Bell peppers: You can use any colored bell peppers you like. Green, red, orange, and yellow peppers all work well and have great flavor and texture.
• Pineapple: Preferably fresh, but canned will work in a pinch
• Ginger: Freshly grated or ginger paste. Ginger paste works just as well as fresh ginger, and once opened, it lasts about one month when stored in the fridge.

How to Make Pineapple Chicken

This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.

1. Whisk the pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, and cornstarch in a medium bowl.
2. Combine the cornstarch, salt, and black pepper in a bag. Add the chicken pieces and shake to coat.
3. Fry the chicken pieces in a skillet with a bit of oil over medium heat. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
4. Cook the onion, bell peppers, and pineapple in the skillet over medium heat, then transfer them to a plate.
5. Cook the garlic and ginger over low heat.
6. Add the sauce ingredients and cook until thickened. Add everything back to the pan to warm.

Preparation Tips

• Loosely cover the chicken, vegetables, and pineapple after plating them. They will stay crispier and warm up when you add them back to the skillet with the sauce.
• For a change of taste, add some toasted sesame seeds.
• 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.

Serving Suggestions

I love to serve this over white rice like jasmine or basmati rice. Brown rice and cilantro rice are also delicious with it. Or serve over rice noodles, udon noodles, or ramen noodles. For a low-carb option, try zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice.

More Chicken Recipes

Pineapple Chicken Recipe

A quick and easy pineapple chicken recipe with fresh pineapple, orange and red bell peppers, onions, and garlic all in a lightly sweetened pineapple sauce.

5 from 24 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal chicken

Cuisine: Asian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 457kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

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

• 1½ 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

• 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 854mg | Potassium: 1008mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 1173IU | Vitamin C: 109mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg

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