Spicy Pineapple Chicken
This might seem strange, but the inspiration for this meal came from the menu of the Cool Runnings Pub inside the Montego Bay airport. We knew we’d be coming home to an empty fridge so we checked out their menu. A few items were prepared in a pineapple and guava hot sauce. The sauce sounded so good that I ordered the chicken sandwich and my hubby got the wings — both of which were slathered in the sauce. Of course with our expectations so high, we were a little let down. My bun was so big I could barely taste the sauce. From what I could tell, it was very sweet and not spicy.
While buying some groceries to restock our fridge, I saw a beautiful pineapple — perfect for cooking our own spicy pineapple chicken in the slow cooker. I picked out some chicken thighs, and added a couple of jalapenos and limes to our cart as my plan started to take shape.
For such a haphazard beginning, this slow cooker pineapple chicken turned out really good. Rather than overpowering the sweetness of the pineapple, the spicy sauce complemented it. The consistency was just right too, (which is the hardest thing for me to get right in the slow cooker). Since the sauce clings to the chicken so nicely, you can serve it with a fresh salad instead of rice and reduce your carbs too. The only change I’d suggest is to cut your pineapple pieces smaller than I did, (down to the size of an almond), to spread the flavour across more bites.
What’s your favourite summer meal?
Which fruits do you like including in savoury dishes?
Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken
Prep:
15 minutes
Cook:
6 hours (low) or 3 hours (high)
Yield: 6-8 servings (prepared in a 6.5 quart slow cooker)
- 4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tsp salt
- 6 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup minced onion
- 2 minced jalapeno peppers
- 1 1⁄2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1⁄4 cup minced cilantro (plus a little for garnish)
- 2 limes
- 3 cups peeled, cored and diced pineapple
- 1⁄4 cup soy sauce
- 4 tbsp lime juice
- 1⁄4 cup corn starch
Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and place into the bottom of the crockery.
Combine the garlic, onion, jalapenos, red pepper flakes, cilantro and rind from one lime in a small bowl. Stir into the chicken. (A food processor or chopper is handy for mincing all these ingredients together.)
Place the diced pineapple on top.
Cook on low for 6 hours (or high for 3).
In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, soy sauce and cornstarch. Stir until the clumps are gone, then stir it into the chicken.
Heat on high for about 15 minutes (or low for 30 minutes), until the sauce starts to thicken.
