Description
A vibrant and flavorful 30-minute Pineapple Chicken recipe served with creamy coconut rice and a fresh pineapple salsa, perfect for a quick yet tropical-inspired meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Sauce
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Pineapple Salsa
- 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
- 1/2 small shallot, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 avocado, diced
Coconut Rice
- 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Marinate Chicken: In a glass jar, whisk together soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, shallots, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Pour one-third of the sauce over the chicken pieces and let it sit for 15 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
- Prepare Salsa: Combine fresh pineapple chunks, finely chopped shallot, seeded jalapeño, lime juice, and fresh thyme leaves in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Cook Chicken: Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 5 minutes, turning to cook through on both sides. Reduce heat to medium, pour in the remaining sauce, and cook until the sauce thickens, glazes, and caramelizes the chicken, about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cilantro.
- Make Coconut Rice: In a medium pot, combine coconut milk and water and bring to a low boil. Add basmati rice and salt, stir, cover, and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Cook on low for 10 minutes without uncovering. Then turn off the heat and let the rice sit covered for 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
- Serve: Plate the coconut rice topped with the glazed pineapple chicken. Spoon pineapple salsa over the chicken, then sprinkle diced avocado and add a squeeze of lime to finish.
Notes
- For a spicier salsa, do not seed the jalapeño.
- Marinate the chicken longer (up to overnight) for deeper flavor.
- Use jasmine rice if preferred, adjusting cooking time accordingly.
- To make this dish gluten-free, substitute tamari for soy sauce.
- Cilantro can be swapped with parsley if preferred.
- Use fresh pineapple for best flavor; canned pineapple juice works if fresh is unavailable.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 560 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
