Pineapple Chicken

Easy pineapple chicken thighs recipe that comes out sweet and really tender. Served with rice, it’s one of our favorite family friendly meals with just a few ingredients. Like our Instant Pot Hawaiian chicken but baked in the oven instead.

Pineapple Chicken Recipe

Doesn’t this just look amazing?? I will say it was probably the most tender chicken I’ve ever cooked and it was so easy to throw together (my style of cooking). You could use chicken breasts but boneless skinless chicken thighs are totally overlooked, inexpensive to buy. These probably have the most flavor on the whole bird if you ask me, so that is what was used here.

with Frozen Chicken

Really want to make this but only have meat in the freezer? Baking Frozen Chicken Thighs is possible too!! You can follow those directions and then pour the sauce over the top halfway thru. You could also just add a few minutes as is just as long as the pieces are separated from one another.

Ingredients

1. Chicken thighs boneless skinless are the best choices, medium sized
2. Pineapple chunks – or tidbits would work as well, just small bits for texture and flavor
3. Pineapple juice you can use what is left in the can
4. Brown sugar for a bit of sweetness, sugar-free option would be a substitute
5. Soy sauce to add a hint of savory flavor, umami of sorts
6. Honey, we like organic, you could use agave instead but it isn’t as thick
7. Cornstarch – to thicken the sauce a bit but for gluten free you could use arrowroot instead

Variations

If you use white meat with breasts, choose medium sized without bones or skin so the timing is about the same. To add a Chinese spicy kick to it, add 1 tbsp of Sriracha into the sauce mixture. You could make this a sort of stir fry cooking red bell peppers and onions separate served over brown rice.

with fresh pineapple

If you wanted to use fresh fruit you would need to get a small can of juice at the grocery store because you need both.

What does pineapple do to chicken?

This juice has a natural enzyme that breaks down proteins in meat which can help tenderize it when marinated (for 30 minutes to 2 hours max) or cooked in it. It can in fact help to break down muscle fibers, making the meat more tender and juicy. And of course it adds a nice sweet flavor too!

Can you bake frozen chicken in pineapple juice?

I would not do that directly. You could use the same mixture in the dish but would follow our Frozen Chicken Thighs in Oven half of the time and then add it at that time. That way it is slightly defrosted and can soak in the flavors.

So let’s go with cooking chicken thighs shall we…… I think the reason this easy pineapple chicken comes out so tender is not only is the meat itself tender, but it cooks/boils in pineapple juice which breaks down the tissue a bit and creates a melt in your mouth piece of meat.

When we focused on eating together more often I wanted to create more unique dishes because it would give us something to talk about, have my kids try new flavors, and well. I like to cook so it gave me a great excuse to cook something new more often. 😉

How to Make Pineapple Chicken in Oven

Step 1 – I would highly suggest using boneless skinless breasts or thighs so the meat can really absorb the sauce, flavor, and get as tender as possible. At least remove the skin and prepare meat at this stage. Prep pan with non stick spray and set aside.

Step 2 – Lay chicken in the dish without overlapping, in a single layer. If you add too many it will be thicker and the center pieces won’t cook as evenly as the others.

Step 3 – In a bowl whisk together ingredients for sauce leaving the cornstarch to add last. Then whisk this in until smooth and pour on to your meat.

Step 4 – Cover with foil and bake in the oven for the majority of the cook time, removing near the end so you can brown the top a bit. If you let it cool for about 10 minutes the sauce will be able to thicken up a bit more before serving.

on the stove

You would follow the same instructions below except use a large skillet over medium high heat. Use a lid to cover, once bubbling reduce to medium heat. The amount of time needed for this would be a little less but always depends on thickness of meat and heat level. Always check with meat thermometer to ensure they reach 165 degrees before serving pineapple chicken.

in slow cooker

You could use this same sauce with the timing and directions from our Crock pot Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs recipe here. With bone-in it may add 30 more minutes with this cooking method but in general it doesn’t alter it a lot.

If you have kids this definitely intrigues them, as mine love anything with fruit! You can thicken the sauce more after you take it out of the oven with a bit more cornstarch. AND served with Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Yellow Cake Mix  is a great duo for a meal.

The amount I added at the beginning was enough for us and it did thicken a bit the longer it sat. If you’re looking for a great chicken thigh recipe this is it…let us know what you think when you try it paired with our Pineapple Casserole Recipe.