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This colorful 20 Minute Ginger Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry is inspired by my dad’s speedy summertime stir fry. Just a bit healthier, quicker, and with a few little tweaks that make it unique and maybe even more delicious! The ground chicken (or pork) is cooked in a golden buttery spicy chili garlic sauce before adding fresh chunks of bell peppers and sweet pineapple. Serve this simply with steamed rice and fresh herbs. The addition of Thai red curry paste and that sweet pineapple are the secrets here. It’s saucy, salty, tangy-sweet, and has just the right amount of spice!
After spending a couple of days in LA last week, I am absolutely in full-time summer mode. The weather ended up being pretty nice for most of my stay. The roses, jasmine, and fresh lilacs were all blooming and the homes around Beverly Hills all smelled incredible. It definitely felt like summer.
Upon returning I knew I needed to find a way to make it feel like summer here too. I decided to make my own version of my Dad’s summer stir-fry. In the summer, Dad was a big stir-fry guy. He’d toss chicken in a pan, add veggies, and then his special sauce. He kept it simple, but we always enjoyed those fast summer dinners of his!
The stir fry I’m sharing today isn’t a lot like Dad’s, but the idea was taken from his quick, in-a-pinch, dinner.
Here are some details
Step 1: cook the chicken
I like to use ground chicken for my stir fry. This saves me the step of cutting yucky raw chicken! It’s my little trick for super fast chicken dishes. Brown the chicken in olive oil and black pepper (or feel free to use ground beef or pork). Then, add a few pats of butter, a couple tablespoons of Thai red curry paste, fresh chopped garlic, and ginger.
Allow the butter to brown around the chicken and the garlic to turn a light golden shade. At this point, the dish should already be smelling wonderful.
Step 2: add the pineapple
When the butter browns and the dish is smelling fragrant and yummy, mix in the bell peppers, chunks of fresh pineapple, and either cashews or peanuts. Whatever you love most, or do a mix!!
At this point, you can also add in a few spoonfuls of pickled sushi-style ginger, which is a favorite ingredient of mine. This is optional, but delicious of course!
Be sure to save half of the chopped pineapples for serving.
Step 3: the sauce
Just before everything is finished cooking, mix in the tamari (or soy sauce) and honey. Let the sauce thicken around the chicken.
Meanwhile, you can toss the remaining pineapple chunks with fresh chopped cilantro and I love to use some fresh Thai Basil here too! Super good!
When the stir fry is looking perfect, remove the whole skillet from the heat.
Step 4: serve the stir fry
I serve my stir fry over bowls of steamed rice with fresh pineapple on top. I also add green onions plus a small drizzle of sweet Thai chili sauce. It just adds a little something special to each bowl!
This is a dinner the whole family really will enjoy!
Looking for other quick weeknight dinners? Here are some favorites:
20 Minute Garlic Butter Cashew Chicken
20 Minute Thai Basil Beef Rolls
Chili Crisp Chicken Mango Cucumber Rice Bowl
30 Minute Sticky Thai Meatballs with Sesame Noodles
Better Than Takeout Sweet Thai Basil Chicken
Thai Basil Beef and Lemongrass Rice Bowls
Lastly, if you make this 20 Minute Ginger Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
20 Minute Ginger Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 491 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil or olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (or ground pork)
- black pepper and chili flakes
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1-3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
- 2 bell peppers, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
- 1 cup cashews or peanuts
- 1/2 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons honey (or real maple syrup)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped Thai basil or basil
- sweet Thai chili sauce and sesame seeds for topping (optional)
Instructions
- 1. In a large skillet, combine the oil, chicken, and black pepper. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chili paste, butter, garlic, and ginger. Cook 2 minutes, until the butter browns and the chicken gets crispy.2. Mix in the peppers, 3/4 cup pineapple, and cashews. Cook another 2-5 minutes. Pour over the tamari and honey. Cook until the sauce coats the chicken, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat.3. In a bowl, toss 3/4 cup pineapple with the cilantro and basil. 4. Serve the chicken, peppers, and sweet chili sauce over bowls of rice. Top with the pineapple/cilantro/basil. Add the chopped green onions, and if desired, serve with sweet Thai chili sauce and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
So the wife and I are on day 14 of Whole30 and I was looking for something fun to cook. This fit the bill. Replaced the soy sauce with Coconut Aminos and omitted the honey. DE-LICIOUS, different and fun. We put it over riced cauliflower.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed this stir fry! xT
Love how easy and nutritious this one is!!!
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! So happy to hear it was enjoyed! Have an awesome week! xT
Hey! i’m not a huge fan of cilantro what else can I use? Parsley? Or just leave the cilantro out? Excited to try this!!
Hi Natalie,
You can skip the cilantro or use parsley, either one:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Tieghan, thank you again for tantalizing my taste buds with this totally tasty treat!
Hey Heather,
Happy Sunday!!🍋☀️ I appreciate you trying this recipe out and your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner! xT
Delicious! the whole family enjoyed
Hi Sarah,
Fantastic!!🍒🍉 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner! xx
Sooo good! Served it with rice the first night, and then made lettuce wraps with the leftovers for lunch the next day. So fresh and healthy!
Hey Susan,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and sharing your feedback! Thanks for making it:) xx
Made this for dinner and it was great! One question – how do you crisp the meat? I couldn’t get mine crispy, but it was still delicious.
Hi Leah,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try! I find I get the best crisp using my cast iron skillet! I hope this helps for next time! xT
This recipe is definitely a keeper! I was slightly skeptical of adding more pineapple at the end, but I tried it and loved it. It turned out great with ground turkey and canned pineapple (in it’s own juice). I love how much easier it is using a ground meat rather than whole pieces of chicken.
Hi Toby,
Happy Friday!!🍉🥭 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it and sharing your comment! xT
The pineapple and flavors together are unbeatable! Such a great recipe especially for the summer!
Thanks so much Katie!! I love to hear that this dish turned out well for you and appreciate you making it! xT
Made this tonight! It was delish! Thanks Summer for the almond sub suggestion. It’s what I had in the pantry and was a great crunchy element. It’s a keeper recipe for sure!
Hi Sandi,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear that it turned out well for you:) xT
This looks really yummy! Can you use canned pineapple? I know it won’t be as tasty, but I have some family members who react to fresh pineapple.
Hi Mary,
Totally, that would be just fine for you to use! Let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope it’s a hit! xT
I made this last night and it was fantastic! I used 3 tablespoons of the Thai red curry paste and it was pretty spicy (which I like)… if you are not a lover of spicy food, I would recommend adding less. Also, it helped to cook the chicken at medium high instead of medium as it helped to cook down the liquid from the chicken and get it on the crispier side. I also added the nuts (slivered almonds – because that is all I had) at the very end to keep the nuts crunchy. I pan crisped the rice to add even more texture. Thank you for the great recipe!
Thanks so much for trying this recipe Summer!! I love to hear that it was a winner and appreciate you making it! Thanks for sharing your notes! xx
Hi! Could I use cubed chicken breast for this recipe? Cant wait to try it! Thanks!!
Hi Mary,
Sure, that would also work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it’s delish! xT
This is excellent. Another great recipe – thank you! Husband loved it.
Hi Lesley,
Wonderful!! I’m so glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, I appreciate you making it and your comment! xx
Hi there – the ingredients list “curry paste” but the instructions refer to chili paste. Can you confirm which one to use?
Excited to try this soon!
I used the curry paste, I think that is what is meant
Hi Jill,
You are going to use thai red curry paste:) I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT