Chinese Pineapple Chicken is better than any takeout you’ll find. Perfectly crispy chicken coated in a sweet & tangy pineapple sauce that is phenomenal! Dig in!
I don’t know about you, but I can’t seem to get enough Chinese food. Growing up in So Cal we not only had Chinese food restaurants on practically every corner, but they delivered.
Every single one was over-the-top amazing. One of my all-time favorites to order is Chinese Pineapple Chicken.
Don’t miss my Classic Chinese Orange Chicken and try my Instant Pot White Rice to pair with this too!
Being up here in North Idaho, we have far fewer options when it comes to great Chinese take-out. Plus the ones we do have are either SUPER expensive or just don’t compare when it comes to flavor.
Easy Pineapple Chicken
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So we have spent the last few years working on perfecting our own versions of our favorites instead. Mine being this Chinese Pineapple Chicken.
I know that Orange Chicken is far more popular & common, but a few of us in this house are allergic to citrus. So it’s a no-go when it comes to orange or lemon anything.
It’s a big fat bummer because it IS so good. But we have learned to find alternatives that are just as good – like pineapple chicken.
It is every bit as good as the restaurant & I can enjoy it in my jammies. I often have all the ingredients on hand whenever I’m craving it & it’s super easy to make too.
Chinese Pineapple Chicken
Here are some commonly asked questions
Can I use fresh pineapple?
Yes, absolutely, that will work just fine. Just be sure to also use pineapple juice equivalent to what you would get in the can of crushed pineapple.
Can I use a sugar substitute for the brown sugar?
I have not personally tried it, so I can’t say how that would turn out. But if you would like to try it, I suggest a product that offers a 1:1 swap. Please let me know how it turns out.
How many can this serve?
This recipe makes 6 servings. Keep in mind that I’m feeding 5 adult appetites in my house. So this may go a lot farther if you have little ones you are cooking for.
pineapple chicken chinese
Can this recipe be doubled?
You can, and we do it often. It will just take a bit longer to fry all of the pieces. But if you are serving a crowd, doubling is the way to go because this one is SO GOOD.
I love this recipe because it gives that perfect crispy outside for the chicken bites & then that sauce……mmmmmm it is SO GOOD!
Look at that glaze – this really is better than anything I have ever ordered while dining out or picking up take-out! Delish!
HOW DO YOU MAKE Chinese Pineapple Chicken?
- Combine crushed pineapple + juice, chicken stock, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, minced garlic, red chili flakes, cornstarch & water in a medium bowl, whisk – set aside.
- Toss chicken chunks with oil in a large bowl.
- Sprinkle with salt & pepper, and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Place cornstarch for the chicken in a zip-top bag & set aside.
- Heat oil to 350 degrees in a wok or large skillet.
- Add the chicken to the bag with the cornstarch, close & shake to coat.
- Carefully drop several pieces of chicken into the hot oil, working in batches to not overcrowd the chicken.
- Fry until golden. Scoop out the chicken & drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
- Continue frying & draining the remaining chicken.
- Carefully transfer the hot oil into a Pyrex measuring cup.
- Add the garlic & pineapple sauce to a medium saucepan & bring to a simmer.
- Cook mixture, stirring constantly until it starts to thicken.
- Add the chicken, toss to combine.
- Serve with fried or steamed rice.
What is the best way to store leftover pineapple chicken?
Place any remaining pineapple chicken in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a splash of water to the container, place the lid back on loosely and microwave for several minutes or until hot.
Can this be made with low-sodium soy sauce?
Absolutely. If you are watching your sodium intake, that is a great way to cut it back just a bit with a simple adjustment like that to this recipe.
To make Chinese Pineapple Chicken you will need…
- crushed pineapple + juice
- chicken stock
- apple cider vinegar
- soy sauce
- brown sugar
- ginger
- minced garlic
- red chili flakes
- cornstarch
- water
- boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small chunks
- peanut oil
- sea salt
- pepper
- cornstarch for coating
- peanut oil for frying
Pineapple Chicken recipe
What to serve with pineapple chicken
There are so many recipes that we love to pair with this copycat chicken recipe. Here are just a few of our favorites.
Products I love when making Chinese Pineapple Chicken…
This Chinese Pineapple Chicken recipe is SUPER EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you maybe already have some of these items on hand
OR maybe you have never made homemade a take-out style dinner before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love it.
I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this dinner recipe.
If you love this Easy Chinese Pineapple Chicken recipe, you’re going to love these other Asian-inspired recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Slow Cooker Beef Teriyake Lo Mein
Homemade Fortune Cookies & Free Printable
Pineapple Chicken
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Chinese Pineapple Chicken
Ingredients
Pineapple Sauce
- 28 ounces crushed pineapple + juice
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp brown sugar packed
- ½ tsp ginger
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp red chili flakes opt
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
Chicken
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small chunks
- 1 tsp peanut oil
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 cup cornstarch for coating
- 1½ cups peanut oil for frying
Instructions
- Combine crushed pineapple + juice, chicken stock, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, minced garlic, red chili flakes, cornstarch & water in a medium bowl, whisk – set aside.
- Toss chicken chunks with oil in a large bowl.
- Sprinkle with salt & pepper, and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Place cornstarch for the chicken in a zip-top bag, add the chicken to the bag & close. Shake to coat & then set aside.
- Heat oil to 350 degrees in a wok or large skillet.
- Carefully drop several pieces of chicken into the hot oil, working in batches to not overcrowd the chicken.
- Fry until golden. Scoop out the chicken & drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
- Continue frying & draining the remaining chicken.
- Carefully transfer the hot oil into a Pyrex measuring cup so it can cool.
- Add the garlic & pineapple sauce to a medium saucepan & bring to a simmer.
- Cook mixture, stirring constantly until it starts to thicken.
- Add the chicken, toss to combine.
- Serve with fried or steamed rice.
Notes
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
** Recipe adapted from Cooking with Curls- Chinese Orange Chicken
Tamar Strauss-Benjamin says
Now I am hungry for take out!
Logansver Iline says
ohh…this is such a mouth watery dish..I will definitely try ths..
thank yous o much for sharing this here.I will be here to check more posts like this.
Jess says
YUM! This sounds amazing!! 🙂
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Miz Helen says
Your Chinese Pineapple Chicken looks amazing! Hope you had a wonderful weekend and thanks so much for sharing your special post with us at Full Plate Thursday! Have a great week and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Kristen Duff says
I can’t wait to try this recipe! My husband is also allergic to citrus and I was looking for a good alternative to sweet and sour chicken! Thank you !
Kristen
Jill Creswell says
Wonderful! We used less red pepper an smaller and of pineapple chunks. Add some sauted veggies ( carrots, red pepper,onion) plenty of sauce, winner! And GF
Deb U says
Why no nutritional info?
Gina Kleinworth says
Because each one varies in results. I have had people get very upset that my counter wasn’t giving the same info as their counter- and then they blame me for their count being off for the day. So it just makes it easier if each user can choose the counter of their choice & plug in the info themselves. That way each user is responsible for their own nutritional choices.
karen blahey says
why not skip the guessing and waiting comments…….i went right to it and doubled the recipe and will never have to buy takeout again!!! recipe is absolutely the best and easy in all ways. I froze another batch of it on a bed of brown organic rice in individual container. soooo good thks, skip that procrastinating.
Janet says
This is great!!! Made tonight, eating as I type. Family approved and I have picky kids!! Thanks for the recipe!!!!!
Amber says
To make it vegetarian I used air fried tofu and vegetable broth, but that pineapple sauce is the star of the dish anyway! So good, thank you
Susie says
Step 1 say to combine the constarch with the rest of the ingrdients listed in step 1, the in step 4 we are supposed to put thec ornstarch in the bag. We can’t. It is used up in step 1.
Gina Kleinworth says
Note – cornstarch is listed in the sauce ingredients AND in the coating ingredients for the chicken. So you will add 3 tablespoons of it to the sauce and mix it together and then add it again (1 cup) to the bag to coat the chicken.
Boop says
Super easy and delicious! Just the right amount of sweet and heat with the crushed red pepper flakes. This will be my go
to on Chinese night.
Jen says
Do I use fresh ginger or ground ginger?
Gina Kleinworth says
I used ground ginger because I like it to be a bit milder – but you can use fresh if you want it a bit stronger.
D Smith says
Made this tonight with fresh pineapple and it got rave reviews from my family. Terrific recipe!
Helen Dobson says
Can I use alternative vinegar rather than apple cider vinegar
Gina Kleinworth says
Yes -it will alter the flavor composition, though.
Cathy says
Can you fry chicken ahead of time then add to sauce before serving?
Gina Kleinworth says
I suppose that would work. I have never personally done it that way.