Description
This Sheet Pan Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken is a vibrant, sweet, and tangy dish featuring tender chicken chunks roasted with colorful bell peppers, red onion, and pineapple. Tossed in a homemade sticky pineapple sauce, this easy and flavorful recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner and pairs beautifully with white rice.
Ingredients
Chicken and Vegetables
- 3 chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained (reserve juice)
- 1 red onion, chopped into 1-2 inch chunks
- 2 green bell peppers, chopped into 1-2 inch chunks
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1-2 inch chunks
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped into 1-2 inch chunks
- 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
- Garlic salt, to taste
- Lemon pepper, to taste
Sauce
- 1 cup pineapple juice (reserved from the can; add water if needed to reach 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 420 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for roasting the chicken and vegetables.
- Reserve Pineapple Juice: Open the 20-ounce can of pineapple chunks, pour the chunks into a bowl, and strain the juice into a large glass measuring cup. Set aside about 1 cup of pineapple juice for the sauce, adding water if necessary to reach the full cup.
- Prepare Vegetables: Chop 1 red onion, 2 green bell peppers, 1 red bell pepper, and 1 yellow bell pepper into large 1-2 inch chunks ensuring uniform size for even cooking.
- Cut Chicken: Cut 3 chicken breasts into 1-inch chunks for even roasting.
- Combine Ingredients: Place the chicken chunks, chopped vegetables, and pineapple chunks into a large bowl.
- Coat with Oil and Season: Drizzle 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil over the mix and toss to coat everything evenly. Sprinkle garlic salt and lemon pepper to taste and stir well to combine the flavors.
- Prepare Baking Sheets: Line two large baking sheets with tin foil for easy cleanup, then spread the chicken and vegetable mixture evenly over the sheets.
- Bake Initial Roasting: Bake the chicken and veggies for 20 minutes at 420°F or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are crisp-tender.
- Make the Sauce: While baking, whisk together the reserved pineapple juice, water, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, chicken bouillon granules, sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, garlic powder, ground ginger, and lemon pepper in a bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved completely.
- Cook the Sauce: Pour the sauce mixture into a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Let it boil for 2 minutes until thick and glossy.
- Add Sauce to Chicken: Once the chicken and vegetables are done, pour about one-third of the sauce over each baking pan and stir gently to coat the chicken and veggies completely.
- Final Baking: Return the pans to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and becomes sticky.
- Serve: Serve the Hawaiian pineapple chicken hot in individual bowls with white rice. Drizzle remaining sauce over each serving for extra flavor.
Notes
- Ensure even chopping of vegetables for uniform cooking.
- Adjust seasoning with garlic salt and lemon pepper to suit your taste.
- If you prefer a sweeter sauce, increase the brown sugar slightly.
- Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F for safe consumption.
- This dish pairs excellently with steamed white rice or jasmine rice.
- Leftover sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Hawaiian