• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About Me
    • Work With Me
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Lifestyle
    • Pregnancy
    • Health
  • Blogging
  • Shop My Favorites
  • What I Eat in a Day
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Home / Course / Entree / Spicy Pineapple Chicken – Paleo, Whole30

Spicy Pineapple Chicken – Paleo, Whole30

Chicken, Dairy Free, Entree, Gluten Free, Reader Favorites, Recipes, Whole30 Recipes

46932shares
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This Spicy Pineapple Chicken is a one-pan dish that is loaded with sweet & spicy flavor. Tender chicken, crisp peppers and juicy pineapple are cooked in a perfect asian inspired sauce. Serve over rice (or cauliflower rice) for a delicious healthy meal that packs a punch!

*Originally published 2018; recipe & post updated 12/2020

What You Need:

  • Chicken Thighs
  • Coconut Aminos – this is a Whole30 compliant alternative to soy sauce. If not doing a round, you can use Tamari (gluten free soy sauce) as well
  • Pineapple Juice & Chunks
  • Hot Sauce – use Frank’s for Whole30 or sriracha if not doing a round
  • Lime Juice
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Pepper Flakes
  • Jalapeno
  • Bell Peppers
  • Arrowroot Flour – this is a Whole30 compliant thickener. Can also use cornstarch if not doing a round.

Let’s Cook:

  1. Make the sauce by adding the coconut aminos, pineapple juice, lime juice, hot sauce, garlic, ginger and pepper flakes to a bowl. Whisk to combine.
  2. Use sharp kitchen shears to cube your chicken thighs. Season with some salt and pepper. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Brown the chicken for 4-5 minutes and then set aside.
  3. Reduce heat to medium and add a little more oil. Then add the bell peppers, red onion and jalapeΓ±o. SautΓ© for 3 minutes. Then the chicken gets added back in with the drained pineapple. Cook for 3 minutes.
  4. Pour the sauce into the skillet. Make a slurry of arrowroot starch and water and add to the skillet. Bring sauce to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through.
  5. When done, serve over cauliflower rice (for Whole30) or regular rice (not Whole30) and top with fresh green onions.

Updates to the Recipe:

  • The original recipe uses the sauce as a marinade, but I found using it as a thickened sauce to coat everything gives even more flavor in each bite
  • The chicken is seasoned with salt and pepper and browned in the new recipe. This adds flavor and gives the chicken better texture
  • I added bell peppers to the dish to add texture, color and flavor

You Might Also Like:

Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken

Instant Pot Pad Thai

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Chicken Fajita Skillet

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclaimer. 

Save to Pinterest!
Print Pin
4.87 from 38 votes

Spicy Pineapple Chicken

This Spicy Pineapple Chicken is a one-pan dish that is loaded with sweet & spicy flavor. Tender chicken, crisp peppers and juicy pineapple are cooked in a perfect asian inspired sauce.
Course Main Course
Keyword gluten free, paleo, whole 30
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 414kcal
Author Sara

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Chicken Thighs cubed
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 Tbls Fresh Ginger grated
  • 3/4 cup Coconut Aminos
  • 2 Tbls Hot Sauce
  • 1/2 cup Pineapple Juice
  • 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • 2 Tbls Avocado Oil or olive oil
  • 1/2 Red Onion cut into chunks
  • 2 JalapeΓ±os sliced
  • 1 14.5 Can Pineapple Chunks drained
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 Lime
  • 2 Tbls Green Onion
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper
  • 1 Tbls Arrowroot Starch
  • 1 Tbls Water

Instructions

  • Drain the pineapple reserving 1/2 cup of the juice
    Make the sauce by adding the coconut aminos, pineapple juice, lime juice, hot sauce, garlic, ginger and pepper flakes to a bowl. Whisk to combine.
  • Use sharpΒ kitchen shearsΒ to cube your chicken thighs. Season with some salt and pepper. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Brown the chicken for 4-5 minutes and then set aside.
  • Reduce heat to medium and add a little more oil. Then add the bell peppers, red onion and jalapeΓ±o. SautΓ© for 3 minutes. Then the chicken gets added back in with the drained pineapple. Cook for 3 minutes.
  • Pour the sauce into the skillet. Whisk togetherΒ arrowroot starchΒ and water and add to the skillet. Bring sauce to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through.
  • When done, serve over cauliflower rice (for Whole30) or regular rice (not Whole30) and top with fresh green onions.

Video

https://thebetteredblondie.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/TBB-Spicy-Pineapple-Chicken-Rectangle.mp4

Nutrition

Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 148mg | Sodium: 1318mg | Potassium: 456mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 932IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @thebetteredblondie or tag #tbbrecipes!

March 13, 2021 · 23 Comments

Stay Connected

Previous Post: « What I Eat in a Day – Week One
Next Post: Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Allyson says

    October 27, 2019 at 6:54 pm

    5 stars
    Such a yummy and easy recipe! Very clean and my whole family loved!!!! I will definitely make again soon!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      February 3, 2020 at 11:18 am

      5 stars
      So glad to hear this Allyson!

      Reply
    • Chelsea says

      February 26, 2020 at 10:49 pm

      Hi, is the calorie count per serving or 387 is for the 6 servings?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        June 17, 2020 at 9:20 am

        5 stars
        Hi Chelsea, that is for one serving

        Reply
  2. Jesseca says

    December 16, 2019 at 9:27 pm

    5 stars
    I love this recipe so much! It was super easy to make took me no time at all, tasted amazing! I served mine with cauliflower rice and I feel really good about eating something that tasted good that I know was good for me! Thank you for all your hard work and these amazing recipes that you perfect!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 26, 2019 at 1:30 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing Jesseca, I am so glad that you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  3. Madi W. says

    June 17, 2020 at 8:28 am

    5 stars
    I received feedback that this is one of the best dishes I have EVER made!! And it was easy to make and easy clean up! Thank you! Will definitely be making again!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      June 17, 2020 at 9:18 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing Madi, so happy to hear that πŸ™‚

      Reply
  4. Jen says

    July 5, 2020 at 6:40 pm

    5 stars
    I changed this to an Instant Pot recipe by setting to sautΓ© and adding the onion and chopped jalapeΓ±os. I took the marinated chicken from the fridge and added to the pot. I popped the lid on and pressure cooked for 7 minutes. After releasing the air, I added the pineapple chunks, salt and lime. Cooked on sautΓ© once again for a few minutes before serving over rice with broccoli (I’m not following paleo diet!) Great recipe!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      July 5, 2020 at 7:50 pm

      5 stars
      So glad to hear you enjoyed it Jen and I love that you made it an IP dish!

      Reply
  5. Jessica S says

    August 27, 2020 at 6:00 pm

    5 stars
    Tried this earlier and loved it. Making it again! Delicious!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      August 27, 2020 at 6:52 pm

      5 stars
      I am so glad to hear this Jessica, thank you for sharing!

      Reply
  6. Jamie says

    October 24, 2020 at 9:37 am

    Would this recipe work with chicken breast instead of thighs?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      October 27, 2020 at 5:31 pm

      5 stars
      Yes, you can use cubed breasts instead and it will still be delicious!

      Reply
  7. Amanda says

    December 2, 2020 at 4:40 pm

    5 stars
    This is one of my favorites, I’ve made your recipe many times and I always love it!!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 10, 2020 at 10:08 am

      5 stars
      So glad to hear this Amanda, thank you for sharing!

      Reply
  8. Jessica says

    December 16, 2020 at 10:27 pm

    5 stars
    This is the first recipe that I made. I stumbled across you on Instagram and this just looked delish. IT SO WAS. Totally satisfied my chinese good cravings and hubby…who can pick out all the healthy swaps I do (aka coconut aminos for soy sauce etc) ….. LOVED IT….so double win! Perfectly sweet, a little spice….so nice πŸ™‚

    Reply
  9. Kathryn Podobnik says

    January 10, 2021 at 9:51 pm

    5 stars
    Added carrots and celery to bulk up the veggies and added some chopped peanuts and cilantro on top. But really, the true gem here is the sauce!

    Served for family and everyone loved it. Husband says it’s a must to do again!

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Sara says

      January 11, 2021 at 8:42 pm

      Love that you added in more veggies and so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  10. Amanda says

    January 24, 2021 at 4:14 pm

    Hi there. I loved the original version and was wondering if you have that posted somewhere? I reference it a lot! I should have it memorized by now!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      January 24, 2021 at 7:42 pm

      Hey Amanda, I wrote out how I changed the recipe in the post so that people can still make it the old way. The sauce is the same, just use it as a marinade and leave out the bell peppers. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  11. Mary says

    March 29, 2021 at 8:15 pm

    The ingredients says 1 lime… but the directions call for lime juice. How much lime juice are we supposed to use? Is it 2 tablespoons/an ounce or two?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      March 29, 2021 at 8:17 pm

      Hi Mary, it is the juice of one lime

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

NEVER MISS A POST

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Search by Category

Never miss a recipe

Subscribe for all the latest recipes!

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Disclaimer/Privacy PolicyΒ 

πŸ• GIVEAWAY ALERT πŸ• You guys know how much I πŸ• GIVEAWAY ALERT πŸ•

You guys know how much I love @outeraislegourmet and I’m so excited to partner with them for a giveaway! 

One winner will receive a $50 gift code from @outeraislegourmet.

HOW TO ENTER!
1. LIKE this photo
2. FOLLOW @outeraislegourmet and @thebetteredblondie
3. TAG a friend

One winner will be announced on 4/20

Enter the giveaway and then head to the blog to see how I made this Low Carb Pesto, Tomato and Mozzarella Pizza using their pizza crust 😍 (link in bio)

US and 18 and over only. 
This giveaway is in no way sponsored or endorsed by Instagram. ⁠
#OuterAisleGourmet
As the weather starts warming up, I love to make s As the weather starts warming up, I love to make smoothies for breakfast 🫐
This Low Carb Blueberry Yogurt Smoothie is my current go-to πŸ˜‹
It is low in carbs and sugar but packed with enough protein to keep me full πŸ’ͺ
Get the recipe on the blog (link in bio)
My Spinach, Arugula & Walnut Pesto got an update j My Spinach, Arugula & Walnut Pesto got an update just in time for spring πŸ‹πŸŒ±
This Paleo, Whole30 and Low Carb recipe is delicious on just about anything. 
I love it tossed with hearts of palm noodles, on low carb pizza, slathered over protein and so much more πŸ˜‹
Get the recipe on the blog (link in bio)
Got in smaller jeans today πŸ™Œ Feeling so good an Got in smaller jeans today πŸ™Œ
Feeling so good and ready for more non-scale victories πŸ’•
I just filmed a big grocery haul in stories and no I just filmed a big grocery haul in stories and now I am sitting down to have a snack plate πŸ˜‹
I am down 22.8 lbs as of today and feeling really good πŸ’ͺ
I am prepping for the week today, so that I am setting my family up for success #mealprepmonday 
PS - I have 4 weeks of β€˜What I Eat in a Day’ on the blog to give you Inspo and I’ll be sharing a new one this week as well
I made a fresh batch of my Raspberry Chia Seed Jam I made a fresh batch of my Raspberry Chia Seed Jam for the kids this week ❀️
Abby loves to have it on gluten free toast with ghee or swirled in her oatmeal πŸ˜‹
It is a super simple recipe with only a few ingredients but tastes amazing πŸ™Œ
You can find it on the blog (link in bio)
These Creamy Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese & Chi These Creamy Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese & Chives are so easy to make but taste so rich and decadent πŸ˜‹ 
It is my new favorite way to enjoy eggs, especially with some crispy prosciutto on the side πŸ‘Œ
Get the recipe on the blog (link in bio)

Copyright © 2021 · Thyme Theme by Restored 316