Sheet Pan Chicken and Pineapple

Growing up my dad was in charge of dinner a few nights a week because my mom was a nurse who worked swing shift (3pm-11pm). He made a fair amount of hot dogs and Mac and cheese for us kids but he also had a few yummy recipes up his sleeve that he kept on rotation most of my childhood.

One of those dinners was a recipe quite similar to this one, although his was a bit more complicated. If memory serves, there was dredging of chicken in flour and sautéing green bell peppers, pineapple and chicken in a big pan. I remember you needed the juice from the can of a pineapple and a big scoop of brown sugar to make the sauce and we always at it over rice. I would call home from college, asking him to walk me through the recipe so I could make it for my roommates.

This recipe is a little bit Hawaiian chicken and pineapple and a little bit barbecue chicken pizza. Stay with me. I want the sweet and savory combination of Hawaiian chicken and pineapple (with a side of nostalgia from my childhood) but I also wanted a little bigger flavor profile and the addition of red onion, garnish of fresh herbs and drizzle of barbecue sauce does just that.

Most importantly though, I wanted an easy weeknight recipe perfect for these back-to-school nights when dinner needs to be fast and family-friendly. In the time it takes to cook a pot of rice, you can rinse and chop your veggies, pineapple and chicken and have it in the oven. This is a big recipe because we’ve got big eaters at my house, so don’t hesitate to halve the recipe for a smaller portion or make the recipe as called for and have a tasty lunch prepped for the rest of the week.

Sheet pan chicken and pineapple bowls are the savory, sweet and packed-with-flavor dinner recipe you need in your rotation. The soy sauce and honey combine with a few spices you likely have in your pantry right now to make a delicious teriyaki-like sauce. Everything cooks together on the baking sheet and in less than an hour dinner is done and on the table.

Sheet Pan Chicken and Pineapple

• 3 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces

• 1 large red onion, chopped

• 2 large bell peppers, red and orange, diced into 1/2 inch pieces

• 1 pineapple, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

• 1/3 cup honey

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

• 2 green onions, minced

• Cooked rice

• Barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Start by cutting your pineapple. Slice off the ends, trim off the skin and remove the tough core. Cut the fruit into bite-size chunks (roughly 1/2 inch cubes). Transfer the pineapple to a large bowl. Next, rinse and cut up the red onion and bell peppers, transfer them to the bowl.

Cut the chicken into the same size pieces as your pineapple. This doesn’t need to be perfect, but shoot for all the ingredients being roughly the same size. Trim away any excess fat from the chicken before cutting it up and then add it to the bowl.

Give the ingredients a good mix to combine and then add the extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, onion and garlic powder, smoked paprika, soy sauce and honey to the bowl. Finally, liberally salt and pepper the chicken mixture, giving the whole thing a good mix. Transfer to the two prepared baking sheets, making sure each tray has one even layer of ingredients. You don’t want to overcrowd your baking sheet!

Bake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (a meat thermometer inserted into the meat will read 165 degrees), the pineapple is golden brown and the veggies are tender. Make sure to stir the chicken on the pan at least once, about halfway through the cooking process.

While the chicken cooks, cook your rice according to package instructions. Once the chicken is done, remove the trays from the oven. To serve, scoop rice into a shallow pasta bowl. Top with the chicken, pineapple and vegetable mixture. Garnish with cilantro, minced green onion and a little drizzle of your favorite barbecue sauce.