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Pineapple Firecracker Chicken with Quinoa! This sweet and savory dish makes tender and moist chicken. Easy to make in a skillet and family approved!
I’ve partnered with Dole Packaged Foods to bring you this post. All opinions expressed are my own.
How about a filling dinner today? Even better, this one you can meal prep or make in under 30 minutes! I’ve partnered with Dole Sunshine to bring you this incredible pineapple firecracker chicken recipe and I hope you’re as thankful as I am for their amazingly simple, yet nourishing products.
What do you do on a busy weeknight when you want a protein-packed meal, but don’t know what to make? Head over to Skinny Fitalicious and make this recipe of course!
Pineapple Firecracker Chicken with Quinoa
All the ingredients you need for this recipe are pantry (and refrigerator) staples. Chicken, canned pineapple and quinoa. Simple ingredients you should have lurking in your kitchen and if you don’t, now that it’s 2019 it’s time to make it a habit.
Okay, let’s bring it back to the recipe! This one is a goodie. Simple and family approved, but better for you than takeout. The chicken is lightly breaded in arrowroot powder (or corn starch may be subbed) then cooked with spicy ingredients for a slight kick. Tossed with sweet pineapple tidbits to balance out the spiciness and served with quinoa.
A hearty, high protein meal with the right balance of flavor and textures. This is one you’ll want to make over and over again friends!
What You Need
- Chicken Breasts
- Pineapple Tidbits
- Quinoa
- Avocado Oil
- Coconut Aminos
- Hot Sauce
- Arrowroot Powder (or Corn Starch)
- Ground Ginger, Red Pepper Flakes, Salt, Pepper
- Sesame Seeds
- Green Onions
Helpful Tips
Prep the chicken in step 1 of the recipe instructions ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook it. It’s not a huge time saver but hey, it still saves you time! You can also cook the quinoa ahead of time so it’s one less thing to make. Paleo? Swap the quinoa for cauliflower rice. The rest of the dish is Paleo friendly so it’s an easy substitution to make it lower carb.
Nerdy nutrition fact…the Vitamin C from the pineapple helps break down the protein from the chicken and quinoa into amino acids and carry them to the blood stream. Plus the pineapple makes it’s so flavorful!
Phew! Enough talking. Let’s eat friends!
Pineapple Firecracker Chicken With Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 3/4 cup pineapple tidbits
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons hot sauce, or buffalo sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos, or low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder, or cornstarch
- 1/2 tablespoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 green onion, sliced, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds, optional
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to package instructions.
- While the quinoa cooks, slice the chicken into 1 inch pieces and place in a plastic bag. Add the arrowroot powder, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Shake the bags several times to coat the chicken. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, hot sauce, ginger and coconut aminos to make the sauce.
- Place the sauce in a skillet and bring to a simmer. Whisk as the sauce simmers to full break down the ginger.
- Remove the sauce from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the avocado oil to the skillet and bring to a medium-low heat. Add the chicken pieces from the bag. If using a smaller skillet, add half the chicken at a time. Do not over crowd the skillet.
- Cook the chicken 5-7 minutes until it is cooked through, flipping once.
- Add the sauce and pineapple to the skillet. Toss to combine. Remove from the heat. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
Video
Notes
- My Amazon shop has more products similar to those used for this recipe and that I recommend to my nutrition clients.
- Make it Paleo by subbing the quinoa with cauliflower rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The actual recipe details do not have the quinoa listed as an ingredient and also is missing the cooking steps for it. Looks delicious, hope to try it this weekend!
It’s been updated – thanks for the catch!
Hi Megan, Thank you for this much healthier and flavor punch chicken recipe! This is the third time making it and I sub the hot sauce for Calabrian Chili paste and my hubby loves it, even when I thrown in some red bell peppers. This is a major hit!