Description
Bringing tropical flavors to your dinner table, Pineapple Chicken and Rice delivers a sweet and savory combo that’ll have your family asking for seconds. Tender chicken pieces nestled with juicy pineapple chunks make this simple one-pan meal a weeknight winner.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 ½ cups cubed pineapple
- 4 cups cooked brown or white rice, chilled
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- ½ yellow onion
- ½ green bell pepper
- ½ red bell pepper
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger
- ¾ cup frozen peas
Seasonings and Liquids:
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 small lime, juiced
- Green onions
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt over chicken pieces and allow them to absorb seasoning for 12 minutes at room temperature. Thoroughly pat chicken dry with paper towels to ensure crisp exterior.
- Heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a 12-inch skillet at medium-high temperature (375°F). Carefully place chicken pieces into hot oil and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Transfer cooked chicken to a clean plate. Without washing skillet, add remaining 1 tablespoon coconut oil and reduce heat to medium (350°F).
- Toss ½ chopped yellow onion into skillet and sauté for 3 minutes until translucent. Add ½ cup chopped green and red bell peppers, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1 teaspoon grated ginger.
- Pour 2 tablespoons soy sauce into skillet, scraping browned chicken bits from bottom of pan to enhance flavor profile.
- Incorporate 4 cups cold rice, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1½ cups pineapple chunks. Stir gently and reduce heat to low (250°F) for 4 minutes.
- Mix in ¾ cup frozen peas and return chicken to skillet. Cook for additional 2 minutes until everything is evenly heated.
- Remove from heat and squeeze juice from 1 small lime over entire dish. Scatter chopped green onions and sprinkle sesame seeds as final garnish.
Notes
- Seasoning the chicken with salt ahead of time helps tenderize the meat and enhances flavor, so don’t skip this important step.
- Pat the chicken dry completely before cooking to ensure a nice golden sear that locks in moisture and creates delicious caramelization.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos to keep the same savory depth.
- Fresh pineapple works best in this recipe, but in a pinch, canned chunks will still deliver great tropical sweetness.
- Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-21 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg