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This colorful 20 Minute Ginger Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry is inspired by my dad’s speedy summertime stir fry. Just a bit healthier, quicker, and with a few little tweaks that make it unique and maybe even more delicious! The ground chicken (or pork) is cooked in a golden buttery spicy chili garlic sauce before adding fresh chunks of bell peppers and sweet pineapple. Serve this simply with steamed rice and fresh herbs. The addition of Thai red curry paste and that sweet pineapple are the secrets here. It’s saucy, salty, tangy-sweet, and has just the right amount of spice!
After spending a couple of days in LA last week, I am absolutely in full-time summer mode. The weather ended up being pretty nice for most of my stay. The roses, jasmine, and fresh lilacs were all blooming and the homes around Beverly Hills all smelled incredible. It definitely felt like summer.
Upon returning I knew I needed to find a way to make it feel like summer here too. I decided to make my own version of my Dad’s summer stir-fry. In the summer, Dad was a big stir-fry guy. He’d toss chicken in a pan, add veggies, and then his special sauce. He kept it simple, but we always enjoyed those fast summer dinners of his!
The stir fry I’m sharing today isn’t a lot like Dad’s, but the idea was taken from his quick, in-a-pinch, dinner.
Here are some details
Step 1: cook the chicken
I like to use ground chicken for my stir fry. This saves me the step of cutting yucky raw chicken! It’s my little trick for super fast chicken dishes. Brown the chicken in olive oil and black pepper (or feel free to use ground beef or pork). Then, add a few pats of butter, a couple tablespoons of Thai red curry paste, fresh chopped garlic, and ginger.
Allow the butter to brown around the chicken and the garlic to turn a light golden shade. At this point, the dish should already be smelling wonderful.
Step 2: add the pineapple
When the butter browns and the dish is smelling fragrant and yummy, mix in the bell peppers, chunks of fresh pineapple, and either cashews or peanuts. Whatever you love most, or do a mix!!
At this point, you can also add in a few spoonfuls of pickled sushi-style ginger, which is a favorite ingredient of mine. This is optional, but delicious of course!
Be sure to save half of the chopped pineapples for serving.
Step 3: the sauce
Just before everything is finished cooking, mix in the tamari (or soy sauce) and honey. Let the sauce thicken around the chicken.
Meanwhile, you can toss the remaining pineapple chunks with fresh chopped cilantro and I love to use some fresh Thai Basil here too! Super good!
When the stir fry is looking perfect, remove the whole skillet from the heat.
Step 4: serve the stir fry
I serve my stir fry over bowls of steamed rice with fresh pineapple on top. I also add green onions plus a small drizzle of sweet Thai chili sauce. It just adds a little something special to each bowl!
This is a dinner the whole family really will enjoy!
Looking for other quick weeknight dinners? Here are some favorites:
20 Minute Garlic Butter Cashew Chicken
Sweet and Sticky Vegetable Stir Fry
20 Minute Thai Basil Beef Rolls
Chili Crisp Chicken Mango Cucumber Rice Bowl
30 Minute Sticky Thai Meatballs with Sesame Noodles
Better Than Takeout Sweet Thai Basil Chicken
Thai Basil Beef and Lemongrass Rice Bowls
Lastly, if you make this 20 Minute Ginger Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
20 Minute Ginger Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 491 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil or olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (or ground pork)
- black pepper and chili flakes
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1-3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
- 2 bell peppers, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
- 1 cup cashews or peanuts
- 1/2 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons honey (or real maple syrup)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped Thai basil or basil
- sweet Thai chili sauce and sesame seeds for topping (optional)
Instructions
- 1. In a large skillet, combine the oil, chicken, and black pepper. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chili paste, butter, garlic, and ginger. Cook 2 minutes, until the butter browns and the chicken gets crispy.2. Mix in the peppers, 3/4 cup pineapple, and cashews. Cook another 2-5 minutes. Pour over the tamari and honey. Cook until the sauce coats the chicken, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat.3. In a bowl, toss 3/4 cup pineapple with the cilantro and basil. 4. Serve the chicken, peppers, and sweet chili sauce over bowls of rice. Top with the pineapple/cilantro/basil. Add the chopped green onions, and if desired, serve with sweet Thai chili sauce and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on June 5, 2023
More of a question as I wish wish to make this tomorrow. If I can’t find a ripe enough pineapple, can I substitute with canned?
Hi there,
Yes, that will be just fine for you to use! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
I made it with the canned pineapple (I used the Dole no sugar added in 100% pineapple juice) and it was delicious. My boyfriend who claimed he would wait until dinner to eat a bowl tasted one spoon of mine then stole the bowl so I had to go prepare myself another, so I would call that a success! Also used cashews without salt which I’m happy I did as the tamari and salted butter add enough and I did a mixture of 2 parts ground chicken to one part ground pork.
So glad to hear this Latoya!! Thanks so much for making this recipe:) xx
Loved it!
Hi Erika,
Wonderful!! I’m so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
I saw this recipe for the first time yesterday afternoon. Luckily I had everything I needed to make it for dinner last night, except for the pineapple. Thankfully our local market had some, as it totally makes this wonderful dish! As always, my family and I loved it. Many thanks for yet one more fantastic recipe, Tieghan!
Hi Lynn,
Thanks so much for your kind message! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
Could you share the brand name of the sushi type jar of pickled ginger you use as well as where you can buy it? Amazon, Whole Foods, etc? Want to make tomorrow!
Hi Amy,
This recipe actually calls for fresh ginger:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hmmm the ingredient list notes fresh ginger but do see pickled referenced in the narrative:
“At this point, you can also add in a few spoonfuls of pickled sushi-style ginger, which is a favorite ingredient of mine. This is optional, but delicious of course!”
I typically find my pickled ginger at Whole Foods, but you could also order online:) The brand “The Ginger People” is a fave of mine! xx
Even if the recipe calls for fresh, you use pickled ginger in so many other recipes. Answering the question would be helpful 🙂
The Ginger People is a great brand to use:)
That confused me too at first. When rewatching the video, I realized the recipe includes fresh ginger but she only mentions the optional pickled ginger in her narrative.
So delicious and full of fresh flavors! I used ground turkey because I didn’t have chicken. I also added a can of full fat coconut milk to my rice cooker, it was amazing! Next time I think I’ll add a squeeze of lime to top off the bowl.
Thanks so much Jen!! I love to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
4.5 stars. I made this for dinner tonight and my boyfriend and I both had seconds! This recipe has a blend of great flavors…sweet and salty and textures…with the cashews adding a nice crunch. I love the freshness the herbs and green onions add. I opted to use tamari AND thai soy sauce. I also used a bit of sesame oil to drizzle on the rice at the end and topped the dish with some thin slices of jalapeno peppers- YUM. I think I could’ve gone with adding much less pineapple, I was less of a fan of the overly sweet flavors in this dish (I also omitted the honey). I will definitely be making this again, though. This dish is delicious, all the while taking such little time to make!
Hey there,
Fantastic!!🥗🌮 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
This looks super yummy. Would it work with frozen pineapple if I defrosted and drained it first? Thanks for your recipe inspo
Hi Lucinda,
Totally, that would be just fine for you to use! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Made this tonight, it was fantastic! Had all the ingredients on hand including fresh Thai Basil. I did cut up a chicken breast as I didn’t have mince. Definitely a keeper, thank you!
Hey Sheri,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! xT
Everyone loved it, including the picky teenagers!
Lol love to hear this Debra!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! xT
Perfect timing! Just made it for dinner tonight. Great flavors. LOVING the pineapple and peanuts. SO GOOD.
Hi David,
Fantastic!!🥗🌮 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
I’m making this tonight- need clarification on the 4 green onions, is it only the green part? Is it about 1/2 to 3/4 cup? It might be easier to add the amount for the recipe? Thanks!
I think I figured it out as the green onion is more personal taste, I’ll just add as much as we want! 😊
Hi Patti,
Yes, 4 green onions, I use the whole thing:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
What could I substitute the cashews/peanuts with? I have a little one with a nut allergy and this sounds delicious!
Hi Emery,
I would just skip the nuts here, you could add a veggie in place of them if you wanted! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
This looks amazing, but can you please clarify that the “chili” paste in step 1, is actually supposed to be “red curry” paste? I think that is it, but you also have sweet chili sauce in here and want to make sure I’m clear.
Thank you and can’t wait to try this!!!
Yes, the chili paste goes in the beginning. Note that the last direction tells you what to do with the sweet chili sauce.
Could you please update/correct the recipe to say curry paste instead of chili paste in step 1 then? Since they aren’t the same thing and it’s a bit confusing?
Hi Marta,
Yes, that is correct, I just like to use the sweet chili sauce as a topping:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Once again, you’ve outdone yourself. And I want to be you.
Thanks so much Heather!! I hope you love this recipe!
Sounds great! What would you think about using cubes chicken breast instead of ground?
Thanks Marcie!! Sure, cubed chicken breast would also work well for you here! Please let me know if you give this dish a try! xT