Ok, it’s February, now. I don’t know what it’s like where you live, but it’s cold, here, and we have feet of snow. Yeah, feet. And it’s just the time of year when it gets old. So I wanted a little pick me up. Something with a little tropical flair? Maybe something with pineapple! How about Pineapple Chicken?
Pineapple Chicken – Chunks of Chicken, bell pepper, onion & pineapple stir-fried in a spicy/sweet sauce
This Pineapple Chicken filled the bill. I made this once, then again, then again a few days later. It’s that good. Pineapple Chicken’s a little spicy/sweet and that pineapple gives it just a little tartness. Then there’s the chicken, all succulent and juicy.
That Pineapple Chicken is super easy and fast doesn’t hurt anything at all! It will be done in about the time the rice is finished. All the veggies are in nice, big chunks so that takes hardly any time and that sauce is so simple.
Pineapple Chicken – Chunks of Chicken, bell pepper, onion & pineapple stir-fried in a spicy/sweet sauce
Right now is the best time to buy pineapple; for some reason, there’s a huge drop in price in Jan/Feb. This recipe only uses a third of a medium-ish sized pineapple, so it’s nice to have a couple other recipes on hand for the rest. How about chunked & caramelized pineapple served with vanilla ice-cream for dessert?
As for the rest of the ingredients? Make sure to shop for your chicken well – watch for it at the lowest prices and stock up until the next big sale. And if you’re on a budget, check and see if plain old green bell peppers aren’t less than the red ones. The red peppers could very well cost more than the chicken this time of year if you’re not careful.
Pineapple Chicken – Chunks of Chicken, bell pepper, onion & pineapple stir-fried in a spicy/sweet sauce
Pineapple Chicken
Sauce:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons honey (or to taste)
- 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons garlic chili paste (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger)
The rest of the team:
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 boneless chicken breasts (or about 20 ounces)
- 2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 onion, large dice
- 1 red bell pepper, large dice
- 2 teaspoons garlic
- 1 to 1 1/4 cups pineapple, bite-sized chunks (about 1/3 medium-sized pineapple)
- 1 small can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed
- sesame seeds & thinly sliced green onion for garnish
Mix together sauce ingredients and set aside.
Toss chicken with cornstarch. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook the chicken several minutes, stirring, until is white around the edge.
Add the onion and bell peppers and continue to cook several minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are crisp/tender. Add the garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant.
Add sauce, stirring for several minutes, until the sauce thickens. Add water chestnuts & pineapple and toss until heated through.
Garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds, if desired. Serve over rice.
Note: if your pineapple is very juicy, you may need to add a little additional sauce. Mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and stir in. The sauce should thicken almost immediately.
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I’ll be linking up this week at Fiesta Friday #209, hosted this week by Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes and Laurena @ Life Diet Health.
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