I absolutely love adding sweet flavors when cooking chicken. This Hawaiian-inspired dish will leave you experiencing the perfect amount of sweet yet spicy. I used a cast iron skillet to cook thee tangy chicken bites. The cast iron caramelizes the pineapple juice and barbecue sauce so well, creating a beautiful glaze on the chicken. This pairs perfectly with a simple white rice so that you get the full flavorful experience of this dish. Not feeling the heat? Leave out the freshly sliced jalapenos when cooking the chicken!
Go zero waste, and use the pineapple as a serving dish! The leftover fresh flavor of the pineapple really gives the rice a boost of flavor.
The caramelized sauce used to marinate this chicken is so simple, yet allows you to incorporate some unique flavors together!
Dinner for us tonight was perfect (this got husband-approved)! I went with a simple Hawaiian BBQ Chicken dish that we served over plain Basmati rice. The broiling at the end really enhanced the chicken flavor in the skillet, creating a tasty sauce. This recipe is a wonderful balance of sweet, spicy, and savory all in one dish.
If you are one of the many who simply just can't handle the heat when it comes to food, then you can totally opt out of using jalapeños in this recipe! I live off of spicy foods so it added just the right amount of kick that I need.
You can also go many routes with this easy recipe! Change up the the chicken breast to thighs if you'd like, or even skip the traditional BBQ sauce and go for some additional sweetness with a honey barbecue flavored sauce! Whatever you choose will end up delicious!
Prep Time: 10 minutes Serves: 4 People
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. Paprika
20 oz. can of Pineapple chunks, keep juices
3/4 cup Honey Barbecue Sauce
1/2 Jalapeño, sliced and seeded
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. While the oil is heating up, season the chicken breast with the salt, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper.
Add the chicken breast and cook until the chicken turns into a golden brown all over and is cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, separate the pineapple chunks from the juice and place the juice in a small bowl for the sauce later on.
After the chicken is cooked through, add in the pineapple juice and continue cooking the chicken on medium heat. Once the juice starts to simmer, add in the barbecue sauce and stir the contents.
After about 4-6 minutes of cooking, once the sauce has thickened, add in 1 cup of the pineapple chunks and mix them into the chicken and sauce. Continue to cook the contents and add in the jalapeno slices.
Turn the oven on a low broil and add in the cast iron skillet with the chicken and pineapples. Allow the sauce to caramelize into a glaze for a few minutes.
After the chicken has broiled, remove from skillet and serve with warm white rice .
Enjoy!
Comments