If you’re looking for a fast, no fuss weeknight meal look no further!  I bet you even have everything you need in your pantry and fridge right now.

My mom used to make a sweet and sour chicken that was very close to this recipe.  I’m not sure how close I got but it sure brought back a lot of memories when I took the first bite!

This whole meal comes together in the time it takes my rice cooker to do it’s thing.  How great is that? This would also be great to meal prep for lunch!

Pineapple Chicken
Serves 4, Prep & cooking time: 30 minutes

1 lb. chicken breast, diced
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 large red bell pepper, seeds removed, diced into 1-inch chunks
1 small red onion, diced into 1-inch chunks
1 cup pineapple, diced into 1-inch chunks (fresh or canned)
1 clove garlic
½ cup pineapple juice
½ cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tsp honey
1 tsp sriracha
1 tsp corn starch + 1 Tablespoon water mixed to make a slurry
Salt & pepper
Olive oil
To serve: rice, diced green onions, chopped cilantro

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season diced chicken with salt & pepper and sesame oil. Cook chicken 5-6 minutes or until browned on all sides. It doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through, we’ll finish in the sauce at the end. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the pan, add bell peppers and onions and cook for 2-3 minutes or until edges start to brown. Add pineapple and garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients (pineapple juice through sriracha). Add sauce and reserved chicken (and any juices that collected) to pan, stir to coat. Bring sauce to a boil. Stir in corn starch slurry and simmer until sauce is thick and chicken is cooked through, about another 3-4 minutes. Season with salt & pepper if needed.

Serve over rice and top with a sprinkle of chopped green onions and cilantro.

Source: Ruth’s Table, 2020.