Pineapple Chicken and Rice Recipe

This bright Pineapple Chicken and Rice recipe hits all the tropical notes. Sweet chicken, juicy chunks of pineapple, and fluffy rice make this easy dinner recipe totally unforgettable.

The combination of sweet pineapple with savory chicken makes this recipe a summer hit.

What Makes Pineapple Chicken and Rice Great

Looking for a meal for your next island getaway? This tropical style pineapple chicken teleports eaters to island shores.

A symphony of sweetness and spice, this food has the power to transform a hungry diner to sun-kissed shores, with a symphony of flavors.

Tossed in a sweet Caribbean sauce, this pineapple bowl with chicken on top will have your mouth watering just from the smell.

Imagine the faint aromas of succulent chicken in a marinade of sweet pineapple meshing together in a beautiful pastel-pink sauce.

It’s both sweet and tangy, the perfect balance of both. 

The freshness present in each grain of rice is accompanied by a hint of memory.

Think of summer days filled with laughter, and evenings spent under warm breezes along swaying palm trees.

Not only does pineapple chicken and rice taste good, it also provides a harmony of flavors that is nothing short of magic.

This dish can be your entrée of choice at a dinner party or your way of providing comfort on a cold weeknight.

Soft rich juicy pineapple from one bite counterpoints the other bites of roughly chewy rice grains and the juicy chicken.

The flavors complement each other and become a perfect feast for all the taste buds in your mouth.

This recipe presents the right opportunity for a culinary dilettante to learn the art of mixing savory and sweet.

Make it Your Own

In cooking this dish, you can twirl and play with seasonings and cooking techniques while making it your own.

You can add color and nutrition with more veg, or you can add a little bite by adding some spice.

Every bit of it feeds your spirit, not just your stomach: chopping, peeling and blanching, simmering meat and veggies in a surprisingly robust sauce, then placing the dish in the gently plush rice.

You’ll love this recipe and it’s inviting warmth. This is one recipe that has to be made with love.

You don’t need years of kitchen experience to create this delicious tropical masterpiece.

Our step-by-step recipe will guide you to prepare your very own easy weeknight meal of pineapple chicken and rice.

Pineapple Chicken and Rice Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breast, cubed: Choose high-quality, juicy chicken that will enhance this dish’s protein richness and provide a satisfying contrast to the dish’s sweet and tangy flavors.
• 1 cup pineapple, cubed: You’ll want thick pineapple chunks that are the same size as your chicken pieces. You can always use canned pineapple.
• 1 tablespoon olive oil: You will heat the oil in a large skillet for a more flavorful chicken dinner experience.
• 1 onion, chopped: Onion will really bring together those sweet and savory flavors.
• 2 cloves garlic, minced: Garlic works with the onion and cooks down for an even more delicious base for your meal.
• 1 red bell pepper, diced: This chicken recipe calls for a red bell pepper that will add the smallest amount of spice to your pineapple fried rice.
  1 cup jasmine rice: Add a side of rice or lay your chicken and pineapple right on top of a bed of rice.
• 2 cups chicken broth: The rice is cooked in chicken broth for an easy-to-make, mighty-flavourful sauce.
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce: Create a marinade by mixing the ginger, garlic, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce together right before coating the chicken, pineapple, and rice mix.
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated: Bring to a boil all of your vegetables and sauces for a high flavor profile.
• Salt and pepper to taste: The cooked rice will need salt and pepper to really bring out its tasty jasmine notes.
• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced: These are used as a garnish once you have followed to recipe to complete the pineapple chicken rice bowl.
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds: Sesame seeds as a garnish complement the soy sauce and garlic and ginger notes.

How to Make Pineapple Chicken and Rice

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium fire and brown the chicken for about 10 minutes, until golden brown all over and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
2. Toss in the onion and garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes in the same pan with the leftover oil, then add the red bell pepper and allow that to soften as well, until everything begins to caramelize.
3. Add the pineapple and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
4. Stir the jasmine rice into the bottom. Pour in the chicken broth, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper. Bring to boil on high heat.
5. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 18-20 minutes, or until the rice is done.
6. Return the chicken to the skillet, mix well, and heat through.
7. Serve garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.

Tips and Substitutions

This easy-to-prepare pineapple chicken with rice is perfect for busy weeknights, and tastes great when reheated.

This recipe calls for chicken breast, but you can easily substitute chicken thighs as many people think they are leaner. 

Make sure it is cut into bite side pieces before you add the chicken to your skillet.

You can add cornstarch to your sauce to thicken it, whisking it all together until it forms more of a roux.

Even add brown sugar to go with the sweetness of the pineapple. 

Oh and, talking of pineapple, keep some of the pineapple juice aside to use it later on to make your own rainbow paradise cocktail.

You could also use coconut rice or Thai fried rice instead of jasmine rice. It works the same either way.

My favorite: add teriyaki sauce or cook the chicken in a teriyaki chicken recipe.

Just marinate in teriyaki in a bowl before putting in the skillet.

It’s time for the apron and the skillet. Here’s our recipe for pineapple teriyaki chicken with rice – the best you’ve had.

Get the scoop on more like this:

• Rainbow Paradise Cocktail
• Mini Tortilla Guacamole Cups Recipe
• Greek Tzatziki Chicken Salad Recipe
• Spinach Garlic Meatballs Stuffed With Mozzarella