Tropical Chicken Dinner Delight (Printable Version)
Juicy chicken and fresh pineapple in a creamy coconut-lime sauce, served over jasmine rice.
# What You Need:
→ Proteins
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb 5 oz), cubed
→ Produce
02 - 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
08 - 1 lime (zest and juice)
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
→ Sauces and Spices
10 - 1 can (13.5 fl oz) coconut milk
11 - 1 tablespoon tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
12 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
13 - 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
14 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
15 - Salt and black pepper to taste
→ Oils
16 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
→ To Serve
17 - 1 cup jasmine rice (uncooked)
# How To Make It:
01 - Cook jasmine rice according to package instructions. Set aside and keep warm.
02 - In a large skillet or wok, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the cubed chicken pieces and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned on all sides. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add the minced garlic, grated ginger, sliced red onion, and both bell peppers. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
04 - Stir in the diced pineapple and cook for another 2 minutes, allowing the fruit to lightly caramelize.
05 - Return the seared chicken to the skillet. Pour in the coconut milk, tamari, honey, ground turmeric, and chili flakes. Stir well to combine all ingredients evenly.
06 - Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
07 - Stir in the lime juice and zest. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Spoon the tropical chicken and coconut-lime sauce over a bed of warm jasmine rice. Garnish generously with fresh chopped cilantro.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The coconut lime sauce comes together in one pan and tastes like you spent three times as long making it.
- It is genuinely easy enough for a weeknight but pretty enough to serve when friends come over and you want to impress without stressing.
02 -
- Do not rush the simmer step, because the sauce needs that time to reduce and transform from watery coconut milk into something thick and glossy that actually clings to the chicken.
- If you crowd the pan when browning the chicken it will steam instead of sear, so cook it in two batches if your skillet is on the smaller side.
03 -
- Pre cut your pineapple a day ahead and store it in the fridge, because the rest of the recipe moves quickly and you do not want to be wrestling with a whole pineapple while garlic burns in the pan.
- A squeeze of Sriracha at the very end, right over the top, adds a slow building heat that takes this from lovely to absolutely unforgettable.