It’s always a good time to share easy, delicious 30-minute meals and this incredible pineapple chicken stir fry is one of those meals. As you know, I always aim to bring you plenty of nourishing, veggie and protein-packed meals that you and the whole family can feel good about.
This pineapple broccoli chicken stir fry comes together super quickly and is packed with a rainbow of veggies. Pineapple adds a burst of sweetness in every bite paired with savory chicken and crisp vegetables like broccoli and bell pepper.
Plus, you’re going to go crazy for the flavorful sauce that reminds me of the sweet and sour chicken we used to get for takeout growing up. It’s slightly tangy with hints of sweetness from honey and a little brown sugar. You’re going to LOVE it.
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Skip your weekly takeout and give this stir fry recipe a try. Pair it with your favorite grains (might I suggest my coconut rice?!) You’ll seriously make it again and again!
Ingredients in this pineapple chicken stir fry
This incredible pineapple broccoli chicken stir fry is packed with rainbow veggies, plenty of protein and an addicting sauce that will remind you of sweet and sour chicken. Here’s everything you’ll need to make it:
- For the sauce: to get those wonderful sweet and tangy flavors you’ll need low sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar (or coconut sugar), honey, garlic, ginger and some arrowroot or cornstarch. Feel free to whisk in some sesame seeds if you’d like!
- For the stir fry: we’re cooking up chicken, red bell pepper, red onion, broccoli and fresh pineapple (no canned pineapple chunks here!)
- To serve: I recommend serving this stir fry with rice (my coconut rice would be perfect), quinoa or even cauliflower rice for a full meal. I also like to garnish it with green onion!
Don’t forget these pineapple tips
If you’re using fresh pineapple, be sure to check out our best tips & tricks for cutting a pineapple here! You’ll want nice, even chunks of pineapple in the stir fry. Feel free to use frozen pineapple as well.
Make this stir fry your own
Looking to customize this sweet and sour chicken stir fry? Here’s what I can recommend:
- Choose your produce: I think green beans, zucchini, or snap peas would also be delicious. Out of pineapple? Try mango!
- Try a new protein: I used boneless skinless chicken breast but you could also use chicken thighs, ground chicken, or even shrimp or salmon!
- Make it vegetarian: simply swap the chicken for tofu or chickpeas.
- Add a kick of heat: try adding a little cayenne pepper to the sauce or top your bowl with some red pepper flakes.
Sweet and sour chicken stir fry in 30 minutes
That’s right, this incredible stir fry recipe comes together in just a half-hour and makes the best meal prep dinner!
- Make the sauce. Start by whisking together all of the ingredients for the sauce until it’s well combined.
- Cook the chicken. Add some toasted sesame oil to a large skillet and cook the cubed chicken completely. Then set it aside.
- Cook the veggies. Next, add all of the veggies to your pan and cook them until the broccoli is slightly tender but still crisp.
- Stir fry it together. Add the chicken back to the pan with the pineapple, then pour in the sauce and simmer everything together for a few minutes. Serve it up with your fav grains!
Store it for later
Store any leftover stir fry in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Simply reheat in a microwave safe dish.
The perfect meal prep dinner
Easily meal prep this pineapple broccoli chicken stir fry for the week by adding 1/4 of the stir fry (chicken + veggies in the sauce) with about 1 cup of your favorite grain to a glass meal prep containers. This recipe will make 4 servings, which is perfect for weekday lunches! Simply reheat in the microwave before enjoying.
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I hope you love this sweet and sour pineapple broccoli chicken stir fry! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Sweet and Sour Pineapple Broccoli Chicken Stir Fry
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Wonderful pineapple broccoli chicken stir fry with a flavorful sweet and sour sauce. This easy pineapple chicken stir fry recipe takes just 30 minutes to make for the best, protein-packed weeknight dinner! Serve with rice or quinoa for an amazing meal.
Ingredients
- For the sauce:
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or sub coconut sugar)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- ½ tablespoon arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
- For the stir fry:
- 1 tablespoon toasted or regular sesame oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into ½ inch chunks
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped into large chunks
- 1 small red onion, chopped into large chunks
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets (about 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple chunks
- For serving:
- Cooked brown or coconut rice, for serving
- Chopped fresh scallions, for topping
Instructions
-
First make your stir fry sauce: in a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, water, rice wine vinegar, honey, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and arrowroot starch (or cornstarch). Set aside.
-
Add 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil to a deep skillet and place over medium heat. Add diced chicken breast and cook until no longer pink, about 5-8 minutes. Once cooked, transfer meat to a bowl and set aside. Keep the heat in the pan.
-
In the same pan, add the remaining ½ tablespoon sesame oil. Add in bell pepper chunks, onion chunks and broccoli. Cook, stirring frequently for 5-8 minutes until broccoli is slightly tender but still has a bite. Stir in pineapple and cooked chicken breast. Pour sauce over and bring to a slight simmer then reduce heat to low and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes until sauce begins to thicken.
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Serve with brown rice, coconut rice or quinoa for a healthy dinner. Garnish with scallions. Serves 4.
Recipe Notes
This recipe would be excellent with my coconut rice.
If you want to make vegetarian, I suggest using tofu or chickpeas instead of chicken.
Nutrition
Servings: 4 servings
Serving size: 1 serving (based on 4, excluding rice)
Calories: 286kcal
Fat: 6.7g
Saturated fat: 1.2g
Carbohydrates: 28.2g
Fiber: 2.5g
Sugar: 20.6g
Protein: 28.9g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on September 13th, 2021, and republished on April 19th, 2023.