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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
This was so good per usual! Loved the flavor combo and ease to make. Now I just need a yummy pina on the rocks recipe from you to pair this with 🙏🏼
Yum!! Lol thanks so much for making this recipe Dana!! So glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
Made it. Loved it! So good! Thx for posting:)
Hey Robin,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xx
Made this two nights ago with chick peas and black beans instead of chicken. It was really good. My husband who never has seconds got himself an ample second helping. Had what was left of it today, and it was next level delicious. Seriously just keeps getting better!
Hey Dana,
Awesome!! Love the swaps that you used for the chicken and so glad to hear that the dish turned out well for you! xT
This was so delicious!! I used chicken breast sliced up thinly and it turned out great! And the leftovers heated up the next day were just as good so I will definitely be making this one again!
Hi Jennifer,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xx
Made this for supper tonight. It was easy to pull together and tastes so fresh with the fresh pineapple, Thai basil, cilantro and green onions. It got thumbs up from everyone at the dinner table and unanimous that it’s a make again recipe. Can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for another great recipe.
Thanks so much Tracy!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you! Happy Monday! xT
Haven’t made this yet but just wanted to see if green curry paste will work as the stores in the area are experiencing a red shortage…
Hi Leila,
The green curry paste is going to give a different flavor and color, I’m not sure it would be the best in this recipe! Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
Went to three stores to find the red curry paste and it did not disappoint! Delicious dinner and so glad I did the fresh pineapple and herbs. Wasn’t sure it was necessary but loved the contrast of the spicy with the cold sweet fruit! Family favorite for sure!
Wow, that’s commitment!! Also, I can’t believe so many stores didn’t carry it! On any hand, thanks so much for making this recipe:) So glad it was a hit! xT
So good! Even my husband likes it!
Hi Katrin,
Happy Monday!!😎 I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Made this tonight and my husband and I couldn’t get enough. The only thing I struggle with on some of these is getting my chicken crispy enough, but I think that’s a me problem. The flavors all worked so well together – always a fan of spicy and sweet. So so delicious (and easy!!).
Hi Lindsay,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it and your review!! 🍓🫐🍉
Ginger pineapple Chix was not very good, truly disappointing. This is the first we have found a recipe very disappointing. Couldn’t even be eaten.
Too much stuff into one dish made it impossible to enjoy.
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xT
Super easy! Delicious!!
Love to hear this Polly!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback! Have a wonderful weekend!🌈🌤️ xT
Can’t wait to make this! With the peanuts or cashews, do I buy raw?
Hi Megan,
Yes, you’ll want to use raw nuts for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
I made this last night and my husband said it was the best thing I’ve ever made lol. Thanks Tieghan!
Lol thanks so much Haley!! Love to hear that this dish was a hit and I appreciate you making it! xT
My first comment ever with anything. I try to make Tieghan’s recipes at least twice a week. I want to cook more than just the basic meal I grew up with. And my husband LOVES food as well. This recipe was delicious . Easy and flavorful. Will definitely make again!
Hi Marc,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xx
Just a question….I’m not sure if I can find red curry paste at our small town grocery store, is there something you’d recommend to use as a substitute?
Thanks!
Hi Leah,
Are you able to order it online? If not, you could do some curry powder! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Made this for dinner tonight using ground turkey and it was another HBH hit for me and my husband! We both went back for seconds. I also added a little pickled ginger in step 2 like Tieghan did in her IG stories video.
I suggest prepping things ahead of time (chopping green onions and herbs and slicing the peppers) for quicker assembly.
Tieghan, there is an error in step 1 instructions. You say to add the chili paste. It’s CURRY paste. But you forgot to say add chili flakes. I think your brain meshed the two and you ended up with chili paste. 😉
Hi Melanie,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you!! I’ll fix those instructions, thanks for pointing that out:) xx
This was such an easy dish to make & it resulted in a dish that is full of flavours. I substituted frozen pineapple for the fresh & a mix of tamarind paste and rice vinegar for the tamari (time to go grocery shopping). I made jasmine rice to go with this. As usual, Tieghan’s recipes don’t disappoint.
Thanks so much for your kind message Alli!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you making it! xT
So good! My whole family loved it! Will definitely make it again!
Hi Anitra,
Happy Friday!!🍪🍦 Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT