Description
This Pineapple Chicken and Rice is a quick and flavorful one-pan dinner made with tender chicken, juicy pineapple, and a sweet-savory soy glaze. Perfect for busy weeknights when you want easy Chinese-inspired comfort food without takeout.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 500g), cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oil
For the Sauce:
- ½ cup pineapple juice (from the can)
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Additional:
- 1 can (15 oz / 425g) pineapple chunks in juice (do not drain)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 cups cooked white rice
Instructions
- Prep Chicken: Toss chicken with garlic powder and cornstarch until evenly coated.
- Cook Chicken: Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 6–8 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- Make Sauce: Whisk pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, ginger, and garlic powder.
- Simmer Sauce: Add oil to the same skillet, pour in sauce, and cook 2–3 minutes until thickened.
- Combine: Return chicken to the skillet, add pineapple chunks with juice, and stir to coat.
- Finish: Simmer 3–5 minutes until glossy and heated through.
- Serve: Serve hot over cooked white rice.
Notes
- Fresh pineapple: Can be used, but add extra juice or water to balance the sauce.
- Low-sodium tip: Use low-sodium soy sauce to control salt.
- Spicy version: Add sriracha or red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Low-carb option: Serve over cauliflower rice or steamed veggies.
- Storage: Keeps well for meal prep and reheats beautifully.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
Keywords: Pineapple Chicken and Rice, easy Chinese recipes, pineapple chicken recipe, sweet and savory chicken, weeknight chicken dinner