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Sticky Hawaiian Chicken & Pineapple Rice

This Sticky Hawaiian Chicken & Pineapple Rice Bowl is the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and fresh. Tender, caramelized chicken is coated in a rich pineapple-soy glaze and served over fluffy rice, then topped with a bright pineapple salsa made with avocado, lime, and fresh herbs. It’s an easy, flavor-packed meal that feels fresh and satisfying while still being simple enough for busy weeknights or meal prep.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Sticky Hawaiian Sauce / Marinade
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup soy sauce reduced slightly for balance
  • ½ cup pineapple juice
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp ketchup reduced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
Chicken
  • 2 chicken breasts thinly sliced
Pineapple Salsa Topping
  • ¾ of a 20 oz can pineapple tidbits drained
  • 1 yellow bell pepper diced
  • 3 green onions sliced
  • 1 avocado diced
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp champagne vinegar
  • ½ –1 tsp salt to taste
  • 1 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
Rice
  • 1 cup white rice
  • 2 cups chicken broth
Optional Add-Ons
  • Sriracha drizzle or chili flakes
  • Crispy wonton strips
  • Extra avocado
  • Sesame seeds

Method
 

Make the Sauce
  1. In a bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, rice vinegar, ketchup, garlic, and ginger.
  2. Important: Set aside ½ cup of the sauce for later (this will become your glaze).
Marinate the Chicken
  1. Add sliced chicken to the remaining sauce and marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours).
Cook the Rice
  1. In a saucepan, combine rice and chicken broth.Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover, and cook for 15–18 minutes until fluffy.
Cook the Chicken
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
    Remove chicken from marinade (discard used marinade). Cook chicken for 5–7 minutes, until caramelized and cooked through
Make the Sticky Sauce
  1. Pour your reserved sauce into a small pan and simmer for 5–8 minutes until slightly thickened.
Make the Pineapple Salsa
  1. In a bowl, combine the pineapple, bell pepper, green onion, avocado, lime juice, vinegar, salt, and cilantro. Taste and adjust salt/lime as needed.
Assemble
  1. Base: fluffy rice
    Add: sticky chicken
    Top with: pineapple salsa
    Spoon over: warm glaze