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crispy pineapple chicken bites

Crispy golden chicken bites doused in a sticky sweet and spicy homemade pineapple jalapeno sauce
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Additional Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Mains
Servings: 4
Author: the communal feast

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
  • 1 pineapple peeled and cored
  • 1 jalapeƱos cut into thin rounds
  • buttermilk
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 TBS baking powder
  • pinch salt and pepper
  • vegetable oil for frying used here is canola
  • sesame seeds for garnish
  • Sauce:
  • 2 TBS honey
  • 1 TBS brown sugar
  • 2 TBS soy sauce
  • 2 TBS apple cider vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup pineapple juice we blended half the fresh pineapple listed above into a smooth consistency
  • 4 jalapeƱos rounds
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • water

Instructions

  • Place cubed chicken in ziplock or container, cover with buttermilk and refrigerate for a minimum 30 minutes. Longer if possible.
  • Line two bowls for dredging: 1 combine eggs with a splash of water and beat with fork. Second bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined.
  • Remove the buttermilk from the chicken. Coat chicken pieces in the egg, then into the flour mixture ensuring the entire surface is covered. Place to the side and repeat until all chicken has been coated.
  • Heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet or wok. We filled the pot only 1/3 of the way, just enough to shallow fry each piece of chicken on one side. It is not necessary to fill oil enough to cover entirely. Allow to reach 350 degrees F. Fry chicken in batches until golden on both sides. About 5 minutes per side. The edges should appear to turn golden underneath. Once you spot that, flip the chicken and cook until the other side is nice and golden. If you are unsure, simply remove 1 piece and cut in half to check the doneness of the chicken. Repeat until all the chicken has been fried.
  • While the chicken is frying, make the sauce. Use a medium sized sauce pan and set it to low. Add the honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic. Mix to combine. Add the fresh pineapple juice and a few jalapeno rounds and let that simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Make a slurry with the tsp of cornstarch and a splash of water. Add that to the sauce to help thicken it. Continue to simmer and stir until thickened. Add a bit of water if too thick.
  • Transfer chicken to a large shallow bowl, cover in sauce and toss to coat.
  • Serve with pineapple pieces, and top with sesame seeds. Serve with rice or noodles as a more filling meal.

Notes

Oil: new oil will fry chicken lighter and depending on the brand canola vs. peanut the colour will vary. Keep this in mind when cooking.