Pineapple Chicken Stir-fry
A sweet family favorite! Pineapple chicken stir-fry is a fresh and healthy quick to fix dinner that appeals to all ages. Stir-fries are one of my favorite meals and really very simple once you learn the technique.
I like to make this with fresh cut pineapple chunks when I can but when I'm looking for time savers or pineapple is out of season I use a can of pineapple chunks. It's still a fantastic dish.
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Do use fresh minced garlic and ginger to give it that super fresh punch of flavor and it will make all the difference.
Isn't the color in this stir-fry amazing? It's so sunny and full of great healthy ingredients you can feel good about serving.
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When doing a stir-fry, it's important to cook the protein in batches so that it fries quickly and has plenty of room to let steam escape. As the juices are released from the chicken in this stir-fry, they will fill the pan and the chicken pieces will steam or even boil in them and the texture will not be as good.
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Here's a look at the process that will keep your chicken tender and tasty.
Once the ingredients for this stir-fry are prepped​, cooking dinner is a snap. You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts if you like but the thighs are more tender, juicy and add a lot more chicken flavor to the stir-fry.
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Looking for a light and tasty summer stir-fry? Try this tonight!
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Cheers!
~Melisa
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Chicken with Malaysian Long Pepper
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Hawaiian Beef Stir-fry
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Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma
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Black Pepper Zucchini Beef
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Lime Butter Skillet Tilapia
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Pineapple Chicken Stir-fry
Ingredients
For the Stir-fry
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, cubed
2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil, divided
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/3 cup carrot slices
1 1/2 cups fresh cubed pineapple or 14 oz pineapple chunks
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For the Sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons Thai chili paste with garlic
Method
Marinade the chicken for about 30 minutes with 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Mix these together thoroughly and allow to sit at room temperature.
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Prepare the green onions, carrot slices, pineapple and sauce while the chicken marinades. To make the sauce, whisk together the soy sauce or tamari, rice wine vinegar, hoisin sauce and Thai chili sauce with garlic.
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Heat a dry wok or skillet until very hot (medium to medium high depending on your stove top) before adding 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. As soon as you add the oil it should be shimmering if your pan is hot enough. Add 1/2 of the chicken to the pan and stir-fry quickly until it's nearly done but still just a little pink. Remove the chicken to another dish and set aside to rest.
Continue by adding another tablespoon of oil to the hot pan and the rest of the chicken. Stir-fry again for about 2 minutes until the chicken is nearly done then remove it to rest with the first batch of chicken.
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Add the rest of the garlic and ginger, the carrots and the pineapple. Stir-fry over medium high heat for 4 - 5 minutes or until the carrots and pineapple have begun to brown a little. Pineapple is juicy so it may take a few minutes for it to start to caramelize.
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Add the chicken back to the pan and stir-fry for 1 - 2 minutes to warm through and finishing cooking.
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Now finish up by adding the Sauce mixture and stirring until it comes to a boil and thickens up. (about 1 minute)
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Stir in the green onion and serve with your favorite rice.