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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! We added extra peppers, used pineapple from plastic fruit cups, slightly less ground chicken, and used the whole amount of sauce. Because all we had were very salty cashews, we subbed unsalted butter. Absolutely fantastic, and I loved all of the flavors and textures in this dish. A keeper!
Hi Heather,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it:) xT
We really enjoyed this! I would say though for us the sweet Thai chili sauce shouldn’t be optional. It brought it over the top!
Hi there,
Happy Monday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great week! xT
Loved this recipe! Instead of cashews I used Thai chili almonds. 😋
Thanks so much Allison!! Love to hear that this dish turned out well for you! Happy Monday! xT
Delicious!!
Hi Kristy,
Happy Sunday!!🍋🍊 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thank you so much for making it! xT
Excellent!
Hi Mallory,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:)
So, so good. Added a few extra veggies & had to skip the green onion since I forgot to pick it up at the market. This was such an easy dish & will be excellent for leftovers. I like spice so I added a dash of red pepper flakes as well. Thanks Tieghan!
Thanks so much Jessica!! I love to hear that you enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it! xT
Easy and delicious. Thanks!
Thanks so much Ashvini!! So glad to hear you enjoyed this dish! Happy Friday! xT
Great recipe, but VERY spicy. I used half a tablespoon of the thai curry paste and it was still crazy spicy for 1 pound of ground chicken. I might leave it out completely next time.
Hi Luisa,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it and sharing your review!🍓🍑 xT
SOOO good. A new favorite. I used ground turkey since I already had some and it tasted great too. Thanks for making more quick recipes recently!
Hi Mads,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, love to hear that it was tasty! xT
So delicious. Thanks so much!! This is one of my favorites now!
Hi Heather,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, love to hear that it was tasty! xT
Excellent. Only change I would make is to use the cashews as a garnish, adding them as you serve so they stay crunchy.
Hi Tracy,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad to hear this dish was enjoyed! xT
Made this for dinner tonight. Loved the crunch of the cashews and the ginger, garlic, basil, fruit and veggies made it so refreshing. Will definitely make again!
Hey Kayla,
Happy Wednesday!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you making it! xT
I used 2 T. of a chili sauce I have on hand and only 1 lb of ground chicken…..very good. Next time, I’ll use low-sodium soy sauce (used regular this time) and 1 1/2 lbs of gr chicken. Served over brown rice.
Shout out to the delicious Dole pineapple – accept no substitutions.
Hi Colleen,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear that it turned out well for you!🍒🥭
I’d def go with chicken breast pieces, rather than ground chicken. I made it tonight. It was very tasty. I think chunks of breast meat and maybe some green beans added in would be a nice touch. Thanks for this idea.
Hi Ginny,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear that it turned out well for you!🍒🥭
Made this today and it’s fantastic! Everyone loved it and I followed the recipe exactly.
Thanks Tieghan!! 🥰👍
Hi Cheryl,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xT