Hawaiian Chicken Skillet Recipe
This one pan Hawaiian chicken skillet is filled with juicy thighs, bell pepper, and pineapple, in a sweet and savory sauce. Ready in 30 minutes!
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 447kcal
Ingredients
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs *
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil divided
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 red onion cut in chunks
- 1 red bell pepper cut in chunks
- 20 ounces pineapple chunks 1 can; reserve and separate juice**
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch ***
- ⅓ cup soy sauce ****
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. In a large bowl, toss chicken thighs with flour to coat. Brown chicken thighs in the skillet for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 2 tablespoons cooking oil, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- Add ½ tablespoon oil to the same skillet, then add red onion and red pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.1 red onion, 1 red bell pepper, 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the juice from the canned pineapple, soy sauce, minced garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper.20 ounces pineapple chunks, ¾ cup brown sugar, 1½ tablespoons cornstarch, 3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ⅓ cup soy sauce
- Add the sauce to the skillet with veggies, and heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 2 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
- Return chicken to the skillet, add the pineapple chunks, and stir to coat with sauce. Cover skillet and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.20 ounces pineapple chunks
- Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds and serve with rice.2 green onions, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Video
Notes
*I prefer to make this recipe with boneless chicken thighs for maximum flavor and juiciness. If you prefer to use boneless breasts, reduce the cooking time by a few minutes.
**Be sure to use a can of pineapple chunks in juice. Separate the chunks from the juice; then stir the juice into the sauce and add the chunks to the skillet as instructed.
***Cornstarch helps to thicken the sauce and give it a sticker texture that clings to the other ingredients.
****Use a low-sodium soy sauce to reduce sodium levels.
Tips:
- Use a large non-stick skillet with a well-fitted lid.
- For best results and even cooking, let the chicken thighs come to room temperature before beginning.
- Brown the chicken in Step 1 to help retain a crisper texture, but do not cook it all the way through yet.
- If you prefer, you can cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes for this dish. This will reduce the total cook time slightly, so be sure to check for doneness.
- Throughly whisk sauce ingredients together--do not leave any dry clumps of cornstarch.
- Cook chicken with a lid in the final step to help retain moisture. Uncovered, too much liquid may evaporate, leaving you with an overly-sticky and dry sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1060mg | Potassium: 661mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 746IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 3mg