Crispy golden chicken bites doused in a sticky sweet and spicy homemade pineapple jalapeno sauce
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Additional Time30 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Course: Mains
Servings: 4
Author: the communal feast
Ingredients
4bonelessskinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
1pineapplepeeled and cored
1jalapeƱoscut into thin rounds
buttermilk
1cupcornstarch
1/2cupall-purpose flour
2eggs
1TBSbaking powder
pinchsalt and pepper
vegetable oil for fryingused here is canola
sesame seeds for garnish
Sauce:
2TBShoney
1TBSbrown sugar
2TBSsoy sauce
2TBSapple cider vinegar
3clovesgarlicminced
1cuppineapple juicewe blended half the fresh pineapple listed above into a smooth consistency
4jalapeƱos rounds
1tspcornstarch
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.