Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Tasty Tuesday: Sweet and Spicy Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

I'll admit that I usually rely on bottled sauces when I make stir fry at home. It's obviously much easier to use a bottled sauce than to make my own, but I also feel like I haven't quite mastered Asian style cooking ... So I think I just assume my homemade sauces won't be as good as what's in the bottle.

But this homemade sauce? So so good.

To be completely honest, I just made this stir fry to use up a red bell pepper and some diced pineapple we had in the fridge. I came across a recipe on Pinterest (the link can be found below) and then decided to make a few changes. I thought it would probably be decent, but I didn't even know if it would be worthy of a blog post.

I don't know why I had such low expectations ... This was delicious! The flavors really popped, and, as the name suggests, there's a perfect blend of sweet and spicy. (Though you could certainly alter the amount of Sriracha if you're not a fan of spicy food). It's also pretty healthy since there's no breading/coating on the chicken, which is always a plus!

 photo SweetandSpicyPineappleChickenStirFry_zpshz0dfion.jpg

As written, this recipe made two generous dinner portions and a small lunch portion. If you're cooking for more than two people, you can always double the recipe.

Sweet and Spicy Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

Adapted from a recipe on Carlsbad Cravings.

Ingredient List (Stir Fry):
  • 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large red bell pepper, cut into long strips and then halved
  • 1 cup onion, cut into long strips and then halved (I used a sweet onion, but anything except red onion would work well for this recipe.)
  • 1-1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
  • 2 tbsp pineapple juice
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp ground ginger

Instructions (Stir Fry):

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

2.  Add the chicken, garlic salt, black pepper, coriander, and ginger to the skillet. Cook until the chicken is completely cooked through and no pink remains.

3.  Once the chicken is cooked, pour in the pineapple juice. Give everything a good stir and allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes.

4.  Add the red bell pepper and onion to the skillet. Cook until just softened (about 5 minutes), then add the diced pineapple and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

5.  Toss the stir fry mixture with the sauce (directions below).


Ingredient List (Sauce):

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic (or, if you're lazy like me, the equivalent of jarred, pre-minced garlic)
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1-2 tsp Sriracha (I used 2 tsp initially and then added more Sriracha after tasting my sauce, but I didn't measure out the additional amount. I'd suggest starting with 1-2 tsp and then adding more if it's not spicy enough. If you like milder flavors, you'll probably want to stick with 1 tsp.)
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions (Sauce):

1.  Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.  

3.  Mix the pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha, and honey with the garlic and ginger. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

3.  In a small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch. 

4.  Pour the cornstarch slurry into the saucepan with the rest of the sauce ingredients. Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally. (The sauce will become very thick and glossy, and it will look a little gelatinous. Don't freak out if this happens! It will mix in with the stir fry ingredients just fine.)

5.  Add the sauce to the stir fry ingredients in the skillet, and toss several times to coat thoroughly. Serve over rice.

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