Firecracker Pineapple Chicken
This yummy firecracker chicken recipe served over rice is a great dinner option when you're craving Asian-style food but don't want to pay for take-out. Plus, it's healthier because it's not deep fried and it contains no added sugar!
Equipment
- 1 Nonstick frying pan - 10"-12"
- 1 Stainless steel or other non-coated frying pan (Optional - better for crisping the chicken)
- Pressure cooker (i.e., Instant Pot) (Optional - for quick and easy rice)
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 1½ tbsp avocado oil (canola oil will also work)
- 1½ tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice, all natural (or 1 can from a small 6-pack of juice)
- 1 tbsp Frank's Red Hot sauce
- ½ tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
- 1 tsp corn starch (or tapioca starch)
For the chicken:
- 3 tbsp corn starch (or tapioca starch)
- salt & pepper (a few dashes of each)
- 8 oz. fresh chicken breast, cubed
- 2 tbsp avocado oil (or canola oil)
- ¼ cup pineapple tidbits in their own juice
- cooked Basmati (or other white) rice, or cauliflower rice (See easy Instant Pot rice recipe below)
- sliced green onions with tops
- sesame seeds (either white or black will work)
Instructions
For the sauce:
- Heat avocado oil on medium heat in nonstick frying pan. Add fresh ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add pineapple juice (reserving a couple tablespoons), hot sauce and soy sauce or coconut aminos. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Stir 1 tsp of corn starch into reserved pineapple juice, then add to the sauce mixture, whisking until combined.
- Boil, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens slightly, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium/low and cook additional 1-2 minutes, until sauce begins to appear shiny. Transfer to medium bowl and cover to keep warm while preparing the chicken (or leave sauce in the non-stick pan if using two pans like I do).
For the chicken:
- Place corn starch, salt & pepper in a large Ziploc bag and shake to combine. Add chicken and shake again until chicken is evenly coated.
- Heat oil on medium high heat in large frying pan. Add cubed chicken (you may need to do batches depending on the size of your frying pan). Cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. If using a non-coated skillet, the chicken will release when it's ready to turn. Don't force it. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown. Transfer to paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil.
- Return cooked chicken to frying pan on low heat. Add pineapple tidbits. Pour sauce over and stir to coat evenly. Cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes.
- Serve over rice. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
Easy Instant Pot White Rice (set this to cook while prepping the chicken):
- Add 1 cup of rinsed white rice to instant pot along with 1 cup of cold water. Select pressure cook function (high pressure) and set timer for 3 minutes. Once cooking is finished, turn off instant pot and do a 10-minute natural release. Release any pressure that remains, remove lid, and fluff the rice. Let sit uncovered for 1-2 minutes to allow excess moisture to evaporate.
Notes
This recipe may look difficult but it's really not...and it's so good! Also, I purchased a non-stick insert from Amazon for my Instant Pot which makes cleanup super easy. I use it once or twice a week to cook rice.
Also, the calorie estimate is per serving, NOT including the rice. If you serve over 1 cup of Basmati rice, assume 210 additional calories. If serving over cauliflower rice, the additional calories will be much lower.