Easy Hawaiian Chicken Stir-fry Recipe Is a Tropical Vacation On a Plate High Protein Recipes Chicken Recipes Dinner Asian Recipes Fruit Gluten-free

Aloha to summer! It's time to add some tropical feels to dinner. I started to try a recipe tonight for huli huli chicken – huli huli is Hawaiian for “turn turn” – and then realized it was intended for the grill. That wasn’t happening tonight. What to do for dinner? Adapt! I adapted the grilled chicken recipe and added some pineapple and onion for extra flavor, and turned it into a stovetop stir-fry chicken recipe. Yum!

This easy Hawaiian chicken stir fry recipe is made with boneless chicken breasts or thighs, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, cooking wine or sherry, fresh ginger, garlic, pineapple (check out the health benefits of pineapple) and red onion. Flavors of the tropics without leaving your home!

Serve this tropical high-protein chicken over rice, or whatever you like, for dinner. I opted for couscous I had leftover in the refrigerator. If you feel so inclined, maybe a piña colada, too?

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus 4 to 8 hours of marinating
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes (plus marinating)
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless/skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (for a gluten-free dinner, use tamari)
• 1/4 cup cooking wine or cooking sherry
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or ground ginger (or to taste)
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 6 slices pineapple, cut in chunks or 1/2 can pineapple chunks, drained
• 1/2 red onion chopped
• 1 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• chopped green onions, for garnish (optional)

Here’s how to make it:

1. Towel dry the chicken pieces and either pierce with a fork a few times or cut some slits throughout the meat. (You can use boneless chicken breasts or thighs, or a combination. Thighs tend to stay juicer.)
2. Combine the sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, wine, ginger, garlic, pineapple and onion to make the marinade. Pour over chicken in a large bowl. Turn the chicken to coat it well. Cover and chill 4 to 8 hours or overnight. (For some spice add crushed red pepper flakes.)
3. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in large skillet. When hot, use a slotted spoon to drain chicken and pineapple and drop into oil. Discard remaining marinade. (There will likely be extra liquid in the skillet, so just let the chicken mixture cook down until the chicken can brown.) 
4. Flip chicken and brown the other side. Make sure meat is done and tender. Chicken is cooked through at 165 degrees F internal temperature on a food thermometer. Serve rice, noodles or your favorite grain. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave. 

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