Description
A delicious and easy Sticky Pineapple Chicken recipe featuring tender chicken breast chunks coated in cornflour, stir-fried with sweet pineapple, colorful bell peppers, and a tangy soy-based sauce that caramelizes beautifully. Perfect served over boiled rice with fresh coriander and a touch of sriracha for heat.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 3 chicken breasts (approx 525 g / 1.1 lbs), chopped into bite-size chunks
- 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in USA)
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Stir-fry Sauce
- 435 g (15 oz) can of chopped pineapple in juice
- 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato puree (tomato paste for US)
Vegetables and Flavorings
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped into wedges
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped into chunks
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 tsp minced ginger
To Serve
- Coriander (cilantro), for garnish
- Boiled rice
- Sriracha, optional to add a little heat
Instructions
- Coat the chicken: Place the chicken breast chunks in a bowl. Sprinkle on the cornflour, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until the chicken is evenly coated in the cornflour mixture.
- Heat the oil: Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat until hot.
- Cook the chicken: Add the coated chicken chunks to the hot oil. Fry over high heat, occasionally stirring and moving the chicken with a spatula, until golden on all sides, about 5-6 minutes.
- Make the stir-fry sauce: While the chicken cooks, combine the pineapple juice from the can, brown sugar, dark soy sauce, and tomato puree in a bowl. Stir to mix and set aside.
- Add vegetables: Add the chopped onion and red bell pepper to the wok. Stir-fry together with the chicken for 2 minutes.
- Add pineapple chunks: Add the drained pineapple pieces from the can into the wok. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add garlic and ginger: Stir in the minced garlic and ginger, cooking for an additional minute to release their flavors.
- Add the sauce: Pour the prepared stir-fry sauce into the wok with the chicken and vegetables.
- Reduce the sauce: Continue cooking on medium-high heat. Let the sauce bubble and reduce, stirring occasionally until it thickens and caramelizes slightly, about 5-6 minutes. This will darken the chicken and coat it in a sticky glaze.
- Serve: Turn off the heat and serve the sticky pineapple chicken hot over boiled rice. Garnish with fresh coriander and add sriracha for a kick, if desired.
Notes
- Make ahead: Best eaten freshly cooked, but can be made ahead, cooled, and refrigerated in a sealed container for up to one day. To reheat, warm a tablespoon of oil in a wok over medium heat, add the chicken, stirring frequently until heated through (about 10 minutes). Add a splash of water if the sauce thickens too much while reheating.
- Freezing: Not recommended as peppers and onions can become soggy after freezing and thawing.
- Scaling the recipe: You can easily double or halve the ingredients. If doubling, increase the cooking time by approximately 5-7 minutes to ensure chicken and vegetables are fully cooked and the sauce reduces properly.
Keywords: Sticky Pineapple Chicken, Sweet and Tangy Chicken, Stir-fry Chicken Recipe, Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry, Easy Chicken Dinner, Asian Chicken Recipe