Pineapple Ginger Chicken
A wonderfully competitive addition to the Zentz family Asian recipes, this pineapple ginger chicken meal knocks the socks off so many others. The pineapple and dates give it a rich sweetness, while the soy sauce (or coconut aminos -which I didn't have) add the savory part of the dish for a well-balanced crowd pleaser.
Admittedly, I used canned pineapples. It's December in Indiana and sometimes we just don't get the best tropical produce we'd like. The ginger and dates, however, were fresh. I know with fresh pineapple, this recipe would stand tall amongst its peers.
The changes I would make next time would be to use fresh pineapple (you probably guessed that) and add broccoli, green beans, or some other vegetable to the mix. I could see serving it on steamed Bok Choy, bamboo shoots, or linguine.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 1 tablespoons dried parsley
- salt and black pepper
Pineapple Ginger Sauce
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
- 5 medjool dates, pitted
- 1 to 1¼ inch knob of ginger
To Finish
- 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
- fresh parsley for topping, chopped
Directions
Chicken
- Add olive oil to saute pan or cast iron skillet. Heat pan to medium high heat.
- Add chicken to hot pan. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and dried parsley on top of each breast. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Flip. Cook other side until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over so your herbed side is facing up. Turn off heat.
Pineapple Ginger Sauce
- Peel your ginger knob. (You don't need to dice it as it will blend just fine once peeled.) It should be between 1 and 1 1/4 inches in length.
- Add all sauce ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth.
To Finish
- Pour blended sauce into the pan with your chicken. Add cup of chopped pineapple around chicken. Reduce heat to medium low or low. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Sauce will reduce a bit.
- Top with fresh chopped parsley and serve!