Honey Garlic Pineapple Chicken (Printable version)
Tender chicken pieces in sweet-savory sauce with pineapple chunks, perfect for weeknight meals.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1/2 tsp salt
03 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
04 - 2 tbsp cornstarch
→ Sauce
05 - 1/3 cup honey
06 - 1/4 cup soy sauce
07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
09 - 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
10 - 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
→ Pineapple & Vegetables
11 - 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks or canned, drained
12 - 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
13 - 1 small onion, diced
14 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
15 - 2 green onions, sliced
16 - 1 tbsp sesame seeds
# How to Make It:
01 - Toss chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and cornstarch in a medium bowl until evenly coated.
02 - Whisk together honey, soy sauce, garlic, rice vinegar, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Set aside.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook 5–7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
04 - Add remaining oil to the pan. Sauté onion and bell pepper for 2–3 minutes until slightly softened. Add pineapple chunks and cook for another 2 minutes.
05 - Return chicken to the pan. Pour sauce over the mixture and stir to coat everything. Simmer for 3–5 minutes until sauce thickens and chicken is well glazed.
06 - Remove from heat. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired. Serve hot over steamed rice or noodles.
# Expert tips:
01 -
- The sauce strikes that perfect balance between sweet honey and salty soy, coating every bite
- It comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like it simmered all day
02 -
- Overcrowding the pan steams the chicken instead of searing it, so work in batches if needed
- The sauce continues thickening off the heat, so pull it when it still looks slightly loose
03 -
- Pat the chicken completely dry before coating with cornstarch for better browning
- Grate the ginger on a microplane so it melts into the sauce instead of staying in strings