Pineapple-Marinated Chicken Breasts
Published June 8, 2021
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
3 packed tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking
1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cayenne
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup diced fresh pineapple (½-inch chunks)
¼ cup finely diced red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh pineapple, including accumulated juices
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 ½-inch chunks
Cooked white rice, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
24 grams carbs; 124 milligrams cholesterol; 370 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 11 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 654 milligrams sodium; 40 grams protein; 12 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, garlic powder, ground cayenne and black pepper. Transfer 1 tablespoon of this marinade mixture to a separate medium bowl and add the diced pineapple, red onion and cilantro. This is your salsa; toss until well mixed and set aside.
- Step 2
Add the grated pineapple and its juices to the marinade mixture in the large bowl, then add the chicken and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes (and no longer).
- Step 3
Once the chicken is done marinating, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high and add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken pieces, leaving any marinade behind, in a single layer so that they don’t touch and let cook until the bottoms are browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides and no longer pink on the inside, 4 to 5 minutes more.
- Step 4
Serve the chicken over rice and top with the reserved pineapple salsa.
Private Notes
Comments
Step 1 is hard to parse. Rewritten below by me (a professional writer of technical instructions): Step 1a: Marinade base In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, garlic powder, ground cayenne and black pepper. Step 1b: Salsa Transfer 1 tablespoon of the marinade base to a medium bowl and add the diced pineapple, red onion and cilantro. Toss until well mixed and set aside.
The large bowl with the GRATED pineapple is the marinade. The medium bowl with 1 Tbsp, DICED pineapple, red onion, and cilantro is the salsa.
The first part of the second bowl is the second part of the first bowl which is party to the second pineapple omitting the second party of the party of the first pineapple in the second part of the first bowl. You're welcome.
Love the salsa, but the marinade made the chicken tough. In 15 minutes it didn't have enough time for the flavors to penetrate the meat, either, so it was without much flavor. I will definitely make the salsa again, but not the chicken.
I didn’t find the recipe confusing at all, but I also didn’t find that it tasted very good. I felt like it was missing something. Will not make again.
My chicken never ends up with a caramelized brown color, but it is so delicious. The pineapple is refreshing, and the red onion adds complexity. I'm sure it'd be more delicious if we ever had cilantro on hand.