Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
A simple summery 30 Minute Pineapple Chicken with Coconut Rice. Quick-cooking chicken tossed in a sweet and salty pineapple soy sauce marinade with pineapple juice, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Chili flakes are added for a slight spicy kick, but the coconut rice balances everything out. Serve this tropical pineapple chicken with plenty of fresh pineapple salsa and creamy avocado. Every bite is spicy-sweet, and the salsa on top adds a juicy, summery bite. It’s delicious, healthy, and so darn easy. Perfect for busy weeknights.
This is one of those recipes where I just love how easily it came together and how fresh it tastes. I know summer is all about stone fruit, berries and tomatoes, but pineapple and mangos often get overlooked. And lets be real, we all know I have a real sweet spot for fresh pineapple.
I love snacking on it and I love using it in savory dishes to create layers of flavor and color within my recipes.
And you know? I love cooking with what I have on hand, which is exactly what I did with this chicken. It started out as more of a Hawaiian style pineapple chicken, but it ended up have a bit of a Jamaican flair to it.
It’s unusual and unique, but so delicious and I’m pretty excited with how this turned out. It’s easy, made in one skillet, and just so flavorful. And then there’s coconut rice too…all the (good) things I love.
The process
First up, the sauce. It’s where all the flavor lies within this recipe. It’s a pineapple and soy sauce base with brown sugar and ketchup for sweetness (very Hawaiian). Plus garlic, shallots, and ginger, for some tang and kick. I also added some chili flakes for a little bit of spicy heat.
Next, toss the chicken with a little of the sauce, then let the chicken marinate for a few minutes. If time allows, you can marinate the chicken overnight for encore flavor…plus more tender pieces of chicken too.
While the chicken marinates, I like to toss together the salsa. This is where the Jamaican flair comes into play. I toss fresh pineapple chunks with lime juice, shallots, jalapeño, and some fresh thyme too.
The thyme might sound odd, but it’s heavily used in Jamaican jerk dishes that often feature fresh pineapple. I love the switch from the usual cilantro to the thyme. Its such a nice light flavor that really pairs so wonderfully with the pineapple and the salty-sweet chicken.
Before you begin with the chicken, I start a quick batch of coconut rice. It’s my absolute favorite side dish with this type of chicken dinner. Creamy with a very subtle sweetness and coconut flavor.
Now, pan-fry the chicken until both sides have cooked through. Then pour in the remaining pineapple soy sauce mix, and let it simmer down and caramelize over the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked. Stir in some fresh cilantro.
Now, put it all together
Serve the chicken over the coconut rice. Then grab that salsa and spoon it over the chicken. Add fresh diced avocado and a squeeze of lime juice.
And you guys…that’s it. This takes 30 minutes to make and it’s not only delicious but fun too!
Looking for other quick summer dinners? Here are some favorites:
Rosemary Peach Chicken in White Wine Pan Sauce
Greek Watermelon Feta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
3 Cheese Zucchini “Ravioli” with Roasted Tomato Basil Sauce
Lastly, if you make this 30 Minute Pineapple Chicken with Coconut Rice, 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!
30 Minute Pineapple Chicken with Coconut Rice
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 361 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
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Pineapple Salsa
Instructions
- 1. In a glass jar, whisk together the soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, shallots, garlic, ginger, and a pinch of chili flakes. Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the chicken and let sit 15 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge. 2. Meanwhile, make the salsa: combine all ingredients in bowl. 3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, cook 5 minutes until cooked through on both sides. Reduce the heat to medium and pour in the remaining soy sauce mix. Cook until the sauce glazes the chicken and begins to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. 4. Serve the chicken over rice and spoon the salsa over the chicken. Sprinkle on the diced avocado and a squeeze of lime.
Notes
Coconut Rice: Combine 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk and 1/2 cup water in a medium pot. Bring to a low boil. Add 1 cup basmati rice and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine, cover, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook 10 minutes on low, then turn the heat off completely and let the rice sit, covered for another 15-20 minutes (don’t take any peeks inside!). Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
This post was originally published on July 22, 2021
Would another type of protein work in this recipe instead of chicken? Steak bites or possibly even tofu?
Hey Kaylin,
Sure, either of those will work just fine for you! Let me know if you give the recipe a try:) xTieghan
Hi! I accidentally marinaded the chicken in all of the sauce. Can I still reduce it down after I cook the chicken?
Hey Megan,
Yes, that should work just fine! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
This was SO good. We threw some sautéed summer squash in with it for some veggies and it was awesome.
Hey Haley,
Awesome! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Have the best week! xTieghan
I made this today, I’ve never made coconut rice and it was a huge hit and turned out perfect! Perfect summer meal so quick and easy to make love this and can’t wait to try more recipes!
Hey Robyn,
Awesome! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Have the best week! xTieghan
I followed the recipe exactly but there was too much liquid and the lovely glaze in your photo never materialized! Still tasty but not sure where things went wrong ?
I had the same issue. Feel like the marinade caused the problem. Wonder if the chicken was sautéed until brown and then the sauce was reduced would be a better method.
Hey Liane,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! It is key not to overcrowd your pan, otherwise you are really just steaming everything. You can always add a little cornstarch to help thicken a sauce as well. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
Delicious!
Thanks so much Natalia!
I made this last night. I made double the sauce so there would be more for the rice. Super easy and my boys loved it!
Hey Perri,
Awesome! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Have the best week! xTieghan
Great dish. We really enjoyed it. Pineapple was through the roof price wise so I used mango instead for salsa. Was a good choice. Chicken didn’t carmelize as much as I would of liked.
Hey there,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I made the rice in a rice cooker and it turned out like pudding — maybe it was the brand of coconut milk I used????
Hey Allison,
Sorry to hear this, but the instructions are for a stove top pan, I’ve never done this in a rice cooker. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
My sauce didn’t end up glazing over. Any suggestions why? Too much juice? Not enough sugar?
Thanks!
Hey Dave,
So sorry to hear this, it is really key not to overcrowd your pan, otherwise you are just steaming everything. You can also add some cornstarch to help thicken the sauce. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
I generally love all the recipes on this site… but this one just didn’t quite hit the mark. It seemed like something was missing from the flavour profile that I couldn’t quite figure out. It’s an ok recipe, I just prefer something with a little more of a robust flavour.
Hey Stella,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
Amazing recipe, we followed it exactly as written. ❤️❤️❤️
Hey Sarah,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I usually rinse and soak Basmati rice before cooking. Do you? I don’t think this recipe can be made in 30 minutes as written because the rice alone calls for over 30 minutes. It looks like an easy and delicious meal I plan to try soon. I always have all those ingredients on hand except fresh pineapple…will pick one up this weekend!
I mean, I think you’re meant to cook everything concurrently. If so, everything would cook within a half hour anyway. The rice would take the longest to cook, but it’s a pretty “hands off” recipe. Mainly just waiting. ?
Hey there,
I never rinse my rice:) The 30 minutes is for the chicken. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
This was so flavorful but i have a question. Was i supposed to drain the chicken from the marinade before putting it in the skillet? There was so much liquid cooking in the chicken that it really never got glazed by the remaining soy sauce mix.
Everyone loved it even though it did not turn out like the pictures.
Hey Julie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! If you have a lot of liquid, feel free to drain it. The key to avoid extra liquid is to make sure you are using a large enough pan as to not overcrowd your chicken. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! I made this yesterday and it was an amazing and delicious treat! The flavors of the coconut rice, chicken marinade and that salsa were spot on!
I added some extra fresh squeezed lime to the rice after cooking, because I got a good deal on fresh limes at the store. ?
For anyone not wanting to use ketchup, if you have a BBQ sauce on hand that you like, that works great too. I like ketchup, but also like to make my own BBQ sauce, and so I used that instead. Such a great dish – will definitely do this one again!
Hey Aline,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
I was worried about cooking the rice on the stovetop because it’s a hit or miss for me, and I usually only use a rice cooker. However, your instructions worked perfectly! The addition of salt definitely helped tame the sweetness, and the time was spot on. Came out perfect, thanks!
Hey Christine,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend! xTieghan