Crispy Pineapple Chicken

This Pineapple Chicken is made with crispy pineapple chicken covered in a sweet and tangy pineapple sauce. This Chinese Pineapple Chicken is a crowd pleaser!

One of my most requested dinners for my family is my Chinese Orange Chicken Recipe. Everyone goes crazy for it and it consistently receives 5-star reviews from all of you. So I wanted to tweak that recipe just a bit and make a Chinese Pineapple Chicken version with fresh pineapple. It blew us away!

It is crispy coated chicken tossed in a sweet pineapple sauce and topped with fresh pineapple, snow peas, and green onions.

Ingredients:

This pineapple chicken is tossed in a homemade pineapple sauce that is both sweet and tangy.

Chicken Breast — I suggest using boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces. Pat dry with a paper towel and then generously sprinkle with salt and toss to coat.
Eggs — this acts as a binder to allow the flour and cornstarch mixture to stick to the chicken.
Cornstarch and Flour — I prefer to mix cornstarch and flour for the perfect coating.
Salt — the chicken needs to be seasoned so you don’t just rely on the sauce for the flavor.
Oil — this needs to be heated in a pot or skillet to cook the chicken in.

Pineapple Sauce:

This fresh pineapple sauce can be made ahead of time so you can focus solely on cooking the chicken.

Pineapple Juice — I suggest using 100% pure pineapple juice with no extra sugar added. Pineapple is sweet enough on its own so I suggest using no-sugar added pineapple juice.
Sugar — this helps to make that perfect sweet and sour sauce. If you prefer sauces less sweet, you can reduce the sugar to 1/3 cup.
Rice Vinegar — this helps to balance out the sauce and add some acidity to it.
Soy Sauce — this adds umami flavor to the sauce and is an important component.
Ginger — this recipe calls for ground ginger since that is what is usually readily available but feel free to use fresh ginger. I would suggest using 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger.
Garlic — use fresh minced garlic if at all possible. If you need to use garlic powder, use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon.
Red Chili Flakes — this adds a touch of spice and heat to the sauce. If you like spicy sauces, add more red chili flakes.
Cornstarch — this helps to thicken the sauce to help it to coat the chicken.

Garnish:

Fresh Pineapple — generously garnish that crispy pineapple chicken with fresh pineapple. For extra pineapple flavor, cut up some pineapple into small pieces and stir into the pineapple sauce.
Green Onions — to add some freshness to the pineapple chicken, sprinkle with some sliced green onions.
Snow Peas — add any of your favorite vegetables like snow peas or peppers.

Top Tip:

Make the pineapple sauce ahead of time to make the dinner prep so much quicker and easier.

How to make Crispy Pineapple Chicken:

Cut boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Dredge the chicken in whisked eggs and cornstarch and flour mixture until very coated. Place on a plate.
To make your homemade pineapple sauce, place pineapple juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and red chili flakes in a small pot and cook over medium-high heat. Add cornstarch and water and cook until thickened. Stir in fresh pineapple pieces. If using snow peas, add them to the sauce.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When frying foods, it is so helpful to use a thermometer. Let the oil heat up to 350 degrees. Once the oil is ready, in batches, cook chicken for about 2 minutes until light golden brown. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Toss crispy chicken with the sweet pineapple sauce. Top with fresh pineapple pieces and green onions. Serve immediately.

Substitutions and Variations:

If you don’t have rice vinegar on hand, you can use plain white vinegar instead.

If you want to make this Crispy Pineapple Chicken gluten-free, you can use all cornstarch for the chicken andsubstitute tamari for the soy sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What type of oil should I use?

I suggest a neutral oil such as canola, vegetable, or corn oil for cooking the chicken.

Can I add other vegetables?

Absolutely! I suggest adding snowpeas, red, yellow, or orange peppers, mushrooms, green onions, and any of your favorite vegetables.

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Crispy Pineapple Chicken

By: Modern Honey® – www.modernhoney.com This Pineapple Chicken is made with crispy pineapple chicken covered in a sweet and tangy pineapple sauce. This Chinese Pineapple Chicken is a crowd pleaser! Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Chicken:

4 Chicken Breasts
3 large Eggs
1/3 cup Cornstarch
1/2 cup Flour
Salt
Oil (for frying)

Pineapple Sauce:

1 cup Pineapple Juice
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1/4 teaspoon Ginger
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
1/2 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

Garnish:

2 cups Fresh Pineapple (cut into small pieces)
Snow Peas
Green Onions (sliced)

Instructions

Cut boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Place flour and cornstarch in a shallow dish or pie plate. Add a generous pinch of salt. Stir. Whisk eggs in shallow dish. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture and then flour mixture. Place on plate.
In a medium pot, add pineapple juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and red chili flakes. Heat for 3 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 Tablespoon of water to form a paste. Add to pineapple sauce and whisk together. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Once the sauce is thickened, remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of pineapple (if desired). If using snow peas, add them to the sauce.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When frying foods, it is so helpful to use a thermometer. Let the oil heat up to 350 degrees. Once the oil is ready, in batches, cook chicken for about 2-3 minutes, turning often, until light golden brown. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Toss crispy chicken with the sweet pineapple sauce. Top with fresh pineapple pieces and green onions. Serve immediately.

Notes

Substitutions and Variations:If you don’t have rice vinegar on hand, you can use plain white vinegar instead. If you want to make this Crispy Pineapple Chicken gluten-free, you can use all cornstarch for the chicken and substitute tamari for the soy sauce.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.