Recipe: Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

I’ve made a version of this recipe for Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry for years. As I mentioned in another post this past week… I made all kinds of stir frys while my son was growing up. For the most part the ingredients are all healthy.. you can use up odd amounts of fresh vegetables in the veggie drawer in your fridge… it’s a great budget stretcher.

I had odd amounts of different peppers and really sweet pineapple in the fridge and I wanted to make chicken… dinner was born!

I love to use peppers of different colors… the vibrant colors make a very pleasing looking meal… and the variations in taste make for an interesting dish. I purposely used jarred roasted red pepper strips for their terrific flavor… a terrific contrast to the fresh pepper flavors and sweetness of the pineapple.

You can use commercially made Sweet and Sour Sauce or make it from scratch (recipe below)… it really is very quick and easy to make… consider trying it.

TIPS

You can dredge the chicken chunks in the seasoned bread crumb mixture or just sauté it without the crumbs… make sure you season it first with the garlic and onion powders in the recipe… you definitely want those flavors in your dish.

After dredging the chicken chunks in the bread crumb mixture… I put them on a foil (non-stick foil) lined baking sheet and baked them for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F. This step can be replaced by simply sautéing them in a large skillet with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.

Baking it first … then sautéing it very quickly in the pan with the veggies…. ensures the chicken is cooked through and makes for a very tender chicken… just sautéing it in the pan makes it a bit crispy and not quite as tender…. it’s really a personal preference on which way to do it…. just make sure you cook the chicken thoroughly.

As with any stir fry cooking… make sure you have prepped all the ingredients ahead of time… actual cooking time is very quick.

You can find the pineapple chunks in the produce section of the grocery store. You can substitute canned pineapple but really the fresh have a better taste.

This makes two large servings or 3-4 small servings served with white rice (and assuming with the small servings you serve something else with it… such as egg rolls).

This was very quick and easy… and delicious …..I hope you try it!






PRINT RECIPE

Recipe: Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

All you need:

1 lb. thick boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
About 4 turns on the pepper mill
1 (8 oz.) container Del Monte Fruit Naturals Pineapple Chunks
1 green pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into strips
½ cup jarred roasted red pepper strips
3 green onions, chopped
Sweet and Sour Sauce (homemade or store bought)
White Rice, cooked according to package directions

All you need to do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place bread crumbs, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a large Zip Loc bag. Close bag and shake bag to mix thoroughly.

Drop the chicken chunks into the bag a few at a time… dredging the chunks.

Place the chunks on a foil lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.

Spray the tops of the chicken chunks with olive oil spray.

Bake chicken for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.

Add the chicken chunks and cook for about 3 minutes until the chicken begins to crisp up a bit.

Add the green pepper and yellow pepper… cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the roasted red pepper strips and pineapple (drain the pineapple RESERVE the juice).

Cook for an additional minute… then add the reserved pineapple juice… Continue cooking for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the Sweet and Sour Sauce…. use the entire recipe if making it homemade… if using a commercially made sauce… use your judgment as to quantity… use however much you prefer. Stir well.

Add the chopped green onions just before removing the stir fry from the pan. Stir well to mix the green onions in.

Serve over hot white rice.