Pineapple Chicken Rice Skillet (Printable Version)

Tender chicken, pineapple, bell peppers, and rice combine in a flavorful, colorful one-pan dish with sweet-savory sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

→ Rice

02 - 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed

→ Vegetables and Fruit

03 - 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
04 - 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
05 - 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
06 - 1 small yellow onion, diced
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 green onions, sliced for garnish

→ Sauce

09 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
10 - 1/4 cup pineapple juice
11 - 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
13 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Other

15 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for sautéing
16 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
17 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water, optional for thickening

# Directions:

01 - Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook until browned on all sides, approximately 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
02 - Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add bell peppers and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly softened.
03 - Stir in rice and toast for 1 minute. Return cooked chicken to the pan.
04 - In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, pineapple juice, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and black pepper. Pour mixture over chicken and vegetables.
05 - Add chicken broth and pineapple chunks. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
06 - If preferred sauce consistency is thicker, stir in cornstarch slurry and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until thickened.
07 - Remove from heat. Fluff rice gently, garnish with sliced green onions, and serve hot.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • Everything happens in one skillet, which means fewer dishes and more time to actually enjoy your meal.
  • The sweet-savory sauce tastes like it took hours, but your chicken and rice are done in under 45 minutes.
  • It's naturally dairy-free and packed with vegetables, so you don't have to feel guilty about seconds.
02 -
  • Don't skip the browning step on the chicken—that golden color is flavor, and it makes the entire dish taste less flat and more intentional.
  • If your rice is still crunchy when the liquid is absorbed, add a splash more broth, cover again, and give it another few minutes instead of cranking up the heat.
  • Pineapple juice is your secret ingredient here; it sounds strange in a savory dish until you taste how it rounds out the soy sauce and makes the whole thing sing.
03 -
  • Don't crowd the skillet when you're browning the chicken—if it's too packed, it steams instead of searing, and you lose that golden color and depth of flavor.
  • Taste the sauce before you pour it in; if it seems too sweet, add another half tablespoon of vinegar to bring balance, because you can't undo it once it's in the pan.
Return