Pineapple Chicken and Pepper Stir-Fry over Rice
Golden seared chicken thighs and sweet pineapple tossed with peppers in a glossy soy-vinegar glaze, served over rice. A savory, not spicy, one-pan stir-fry.
- Total
- 45 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 25 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Stir-frying
- Savory
- Asian
- Crispy
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Rinse the rice under cold water until it runs clear. Put it in the saucepan with 160 ml water and a pinch of the salt. Bring to a boil, then cover, lower the heat and simmer 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender. Take it off the heat and let it steam, covered, 5 minutes.
~20 min
Rinsing removes surface starch so grains stay separate; covering and steaming finishes cooking gently without scorching.
-
While step 1 cooks
While the rice cooks, cut the chicken thighs into 2 cm pieces and season with the black pepper and a pinch of the salt. Slice the peppers into 1 cm strips and cut the pineapple into 2 cm chunks. Stir the soy sauce and vinegar together in a small bowl.
~8 min
-
Heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook without moving it for 3 minutes, until the underside is golden and crisp. Turn the pieces and cook 2 minutes more, until browned and cooked through to 74°C/165°F. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
~5 min
A single layer and no moving lets the chicken sear for Maillard browning, building a crisp golden crust instead of steaming.
Pat the chicken pieces dry before searing so they brown instead of steaming, and leave them untouched for the first 3 minutes to build a crisp golden crust.
Searing Pat chicken dry and leave untouched for 3 minutes to build a golden crust; moving it too early steams the meat.
-
Add the peppers to the hot skillet and stir-fry 3 minutes, until they blister at the edges and soften slightly. Add the pineapple and cook 2 minutes, until the edges caramelize and turn golden.
~5 min
High heat blisters peppers and caramelizes pineapple, concentrating sweetness and adding savory depth.
Stir-frying Keep the pan hot and stir-fry quickly so peppers blister without steaming; overcooking makes them limp.
-
Return the chicken to the skillet with the soy sauce and vinegar mixture. Toss over high heat 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats everything in a glossy glaze.
~2 min
Boiling the soy-vinegar mixture briefly reduces it so it thickens into a glossy glaze that clings to the food.
Add the soy-vinegar mixture only after the chicken returns to the pan; boiling it down for just 2 minutes keeps the glaze glossy rather than salty.
-
Spoon the rice into a bowl and top with the chicken, peppers and pineapple. Pour over any glaze left in the pan and serve hot.
~2 min