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Colorful pantry staples come together to make this aromatic and flavorful pineapple chicken that has the perfect balance of sweet and sour to brighten your day! Serve it with steamed rice to make a nutritious one-bowl meal. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

Pineapple Chicken

4.77 from 21 votes
Colorful pantry staples come together to make this aromatic and flavorful pineapple chicken that has the perfect balance of sweet and sour to brighten your day! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}
To make this dish gluten-free, use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine. Use tamari to replace light soy sauce.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: takeout
Servings: 2 to 4 servings
Author: Maggie Zhu

Ingredients

Chicken:

  • 1 lb (450 g) chicken thighs (or breast) , cut into 1” (2.5 cm) pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 4 tablespoons peanut oil

Sauce:

  • 3/4 cup pineapple juice (*Footnote 1)
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Stir Fry:

  • 1 cup (about half a 20 oz/565 g can) pineapple slices , cut into 1” (2.5 cm) chunks
  • 1 bell pepper , cut into 1” (2.5 cm) pieces
  • 1 tablespoon ginger , minced

Instructions

  • Add the chicken, salt, and Shaoxing cooking wine in a medium-size bowl, mix well. Let marinate while preparing other ingredients.
  • Combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and set aside.
  • When you’re ready to cook, add the cornstarch to the marinated chicken and toss it to coat it completely.
  • Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick (or carbon steel) skillet until hot. Shake the excess cornstarch off the chicken and spread the pieces into the pan without overlapping. Cook without touching until the bottom is browned, 2 minutes or so. Flip to cook the other side until browned, another 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a big plate to let it cool.
  • Use a few layers of paper towel held in a pair of tongs to wipe the extra oil from the pan and leave only 1 tablespoon in it. If your pan doesn’t have enough oil, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Heat the skillet over high heat and add the pineapples and peppers. Add the ginger on top of the veggies. Allow them to cook undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes, until the pineapples caramelize and the peppers begin to blister. Stir a few times.
  • Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely, and pour it into the pan. Cook until the sauce is fully thickened.
  • Take the pan off the heat and add the chicken. Toss to coat the chicken with sauce.
  • Serve hot as a main with steamed rice.

Notes

  1. This is how much juice you get from 1 (20 oz/565 g) can of sliced pineapple.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 399kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 34.2g, Fat: 15.4g, Saturated Fat: 3.5g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 779mg, Potassium: 476mg, Fiber: 1.4g, Sugar: 13.6g, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 2mg