The first thing you notice with Sticky Pineapple Chicken is the sauce. This lick-your-fingers, lick-your-plate-clean sauce is tangy and sweet, with wonderfully tropical notes of pineapple throughout. Once it coats the juicy, savory chicken, you have a match made in heaven, especially when served over a cloud of rice. Since it only takes 30 minutes to make, Sticky Pineapple Chicken completely upends the weeknight dinner routine in the most delicious way! This is one recipe you’ll want to stick by!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1 cup pineapple, diced
- 1/2 cup cashews, optional, roasted, and salted
- rice, optional, cooked, to taste, for serving
Directions
Step 1 –In a medium saucepan, whisk together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, chicken stock, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and cornstarch.
Step 2 –Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
Step 3 –Cook the mixture until it has reduced to about 1 cup and has a thick, syrup-like consistency, about 5-7 minutes. Set the sauce aside.
Step 4 –Add the olive oil to a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 5 –Once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken.
Step 6 –Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Step 7 –Cook the chicken, stirring constantly until it is no longer pink and is cooked through, for about 5 minutes. If you are using a meat thermometer, the temperature should read 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest section of the meat.
Step 8 –Drain off any liquids from the skillet.
Step 9 –Add the sauce to the pan and stir to combine.
Step 10 –Add the pineapple and cashews and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Step 11 –Serve atop the rice.
