Pineapple Coconut Chicken

By : DishinandDishes | 2 Comments | On : July 5, 2010 | Category : Meats and Main Dishes

I am a big coconut and pineapple fan.  It reminds me of the beach, the tropics and the time I visited the Bahamas and the young native kids would shimmy up a tree, pick us a coconut, smash it on the ground and give it to us to taste.

Anything involving pineapple and coconut is a must-try in my book.  This dish uses both so let me show it to you.

You’ll need two skillets for this one.  One to cook your meat in, and one for your sauce and veggies.   So, let’s start with Skillet #1.

In a medium to large skillet, heat up one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Cut up 4-5 chicken thighs into bite-size pieces.  Sprinkle one tablespoon of curry powder over top of the chicken and then, using your hands, just massage it right into the chicken.  Add your chicken to the now-hot skillet and stir fry it around about 7 or 8 minutes until it’s browned and done.  If you’re not a curry fan, leave it out and the dish would still be fantastic.  You can also substitute red curry paste for this as well.

Now for Skillet #2 – Slice up one red bell pepper into thin strips.  Then cut the strips into thirds.

In another large skillet, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil and add in your red peppers.  Then, cut up one entire pineapple into large chunks.  If you need a detailed tutorial on how to do this, click here.

Add your pineapple into the skillet with your red pepper and cook for about 5-7 minutes until the pineapple begins to brown and carmelize.

I can’t tell you how much I adore grilled or carmelized pineapple.

Chop up one entire jalepeno.  Don’t let this scare you.  You’re going to remove the seeds and ribs and chop it very finely, so it won’t be too hot! I promise!  Add it into the skillet

Stir fry all of this around another minute or two.

Now open up one can of light coconut milk.  I always use light because of the fat and cholesterol content in regular, but if it’s all you can find, use it.  Dump your coconut milk right into the skillet.

And then add in one tablespoon of brown sugar, one tablespoon of fish sauce, and another teaspoon of curry powder.  Don’t worry if you can’t find fish sauce, just sprinkle in 1/4 t. of salt.

Stir all of this up really well and let it simmer a minute.

Then remember Skillet #1?  Now is the time to dump the entire thing into Skillet #2.

Again, mix all this together and let simmer another minute or two.

And because my herb garden is overflowing in abundance, I added some chopped chives and Thai basil into the mix. Regular basil would be good as well.

Then take a plate and spoon on some rice.  I used brown because I love the nutty flavor of it.

Ladle some of your Pineapple Coconut Chicken over top of it.

The flavors of the pineapple juice and coconut milk mixed together with the curry is wonderful and you get just a hint of heat from the jalepenos.

And the warmed carmelized pineapples? I could just eat those by themselves for a meal.  They’re delicious.

Katie’s Printable Recipe – Pineapple Coconut Chicken