This chicken is easy to make and tastes delicious with steamed rice and roasted vegetables.  If you are not a fan of the heat, you can easily eliminate the jalapeño and/or chili garlic sauce.  Some recipes call for chicken thighs, but I find the chicken tenders to be much better and less fatty.  If you do all the chopping and sauce prep before you start, this meal comes together in just a few minutes and makes the cooking process super simple.  I love to serve with steamed sushi sauce to absorb all the extra sauce.

serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 lb pound chicken tenders, cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 1 red bell pepper seeded, cored and diced
  • 1 small jalapeño, finely diced
  • 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 inch fresh ginger root minced (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/4 cup  soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 3 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch, plus more for dusting
  • 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
  • 4  sliced scallions
  • salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

In a large measuring cup whisk together the ingredients for the sauce : stock, soy sauce, hoisin pineapple juice, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce and set aside.  In a separate cup, mix a tablespoon of the corn starch with 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir until smooth, creating a slurry.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken chunks with salt and pepper to taste and lightly dust with a bit of cornstarch (about a tablespoon). Add the chicken to the pan and sear for about 4 minutes and then turning to cook the other side for an additional 4 minutes until just cooked through.  Transfer the chicken to a bowl and set aside.  Add the red bell pepper, jalapeño and pineapple to the pan and sauté for approximately  4-5 minutes or until tender. Next add the ginger and garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Place chicken back in the pan along with any accumulated juices and combine with pepper mixture.  Pour in reserved brown sugar mixture and bring to a simmer. Finally,  stir in cornstarch slurry and bring to a boil, stirring gently for another minute or so just until sauce has thickened.

To serve, sprinkle chicken with sesame seeds and green onions, then serve immediately alongside steamed rice and favorite roasted vegetables.  Enjoy!