Pineapple Chicken Rice Bowl (Printable version)
Sweet pineapple and tender chicken stir-fried with vegetables in a tangy sauce, served over jasmine rice.
# What you need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
03 - 1 tbsp cornstarch
04 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
→ Rice
05 - 1 ¼ cups jasmine or basmati rice
06 - 2 cups water
07 - ½ tsp salt
→ Vegetables & Pineapple
08 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
09 - 1 cup sugar snap peas or snow peas
10 - 1 small red onion, sliced
11 - 2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
12 - 2 spring onions, sliced
13 - 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
→ Sauce
14 - 4 tbsp soy sauce
15 - 2 tbsp honey or brown sugar
16 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
17 - 1 tbsp sriracha (optional)
18 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
19 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
20 - 2 tbsp pineapple juice
# How To:
01 - Rinse rice under cold water until it runs clear. Combine rice, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam covered for 10 minutes.
02 - Toss chicken pieces with 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp cornstarch in a mixing bowl. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
03 - Whisk together soy sauce, honey or brown sugar, rice vinegar, sriracha, grated ginger, minced garlic, and pineapple juice in a small bowl until smooth.
04 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken pieces and cook for 5-6 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
05 - In the same pan, add a splash of oil if needed. Stir-fry red onion and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and pineapple chunks, cooking for another 2 minutes until heated through but still crisp.
06 - Return chicken to the pan. Pour the sauce over everything and toss well to coat evenly. Cook for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and clings to the chicken and vegetables.
07 - Divide rice among bowls. Top with the chicken, pineapple, and vegetable mixture. Garnish with sliced spring onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce thickens into a glossy glaze that coats every single piece of chicken and pineapple like candy.
- It transforms basic weeknight ingredients into something that tastes like you ordered takeout from a restaurant you cannot afford.
- Cleanup is one pan and one pot, which means you are not still washing dishes at ten oclock.
02 -
- Do not crowd the pan when searing chicken because steam builds up and you get boiled gray meat instead of golden crusty pieces.
- Letting the rice steam off the heat for ten minutes after cooking is what separates clumpy mush from perfectly separate grains.
- Fresh pineapple contains an enzyme that tenderizes meat, so if you marinate the chicken in pineapple juice too long it will turn mushy and unpleasant.
03 -
- Prep every single ingredient before you turn on the stove because once the cooking starts it moves fast and you will not have time to chop onion while chicken burns.
- A squeeze of fresh lime juice over the finished bowl right before eating brightens every flavor and makes the dish taste like it came from a professional kitchen.