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This is a fast and delicious stir fry that gets a little heat from the chili flakes and a dose of sweetness from the pineapple and mango. There are lots of good for you veggies and brown rice and nuts for another healthy dose of protein and fiber. My pineapple and mango chicken stir fry was a big hit with the family, and I bet it will make your family happy too. It is always a toss up between this dish and my teriyaki salmon bowls when family is visiting. Both are high protein options, that I can make in under 30 minutes.
Tips for making this stir fry fast and easy
- Most of the work in this dish comes from prepping everything before the cook. You can make your sauce and cut your veggies hours and up to a day ahead. The cook time is fast and if you use that great product: 90 second brown rice, this is a piece of cake to pull together. Those 90 second rice packages found in the rice isle are cooked in the microwave in 90 seconds and really help out in the middle of the week. Obviously, feel free to make rice from scratch and if you prefer, use white rice. You won’t hurt my feelings.
- Feel free to use your favorite veggies in this dish and/or use chicken breast if that is your preference. I like to blanch my carrots in boiling water for a couple of minutes to slightly soften them but that is my personal preference. The sprinkle of nuts can be nuts of your choice so have fun with this dish. It is colorful, tasty and good for you.
- Mango and pineapple go perfect in this dish and add a nice sweetness. You could use just one type of fruit or omit fruit completely and use more vegetables. Mushrooms and snow peas would be great additions.
How to make Pineapple and Mango Stir Fry
- To get started on this dish, make your sauce first. Mix the orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, Chinese five spice and red pepper in a small measuring cup. Put to the side.
- Chop up all your veggies so you are ready to go. Make the pieces no bigger than a mouth full when prepping them. Once you start cooking, this goes fast and you want to have everything ready.
- Mix the cornstarch and chicken in a bowl. Toss well so the chicken is coated in the cornstarch. This will help brown the chicken and thicken the sauce.
- Heat a wok or large skillet with the canola oil. When really hot but not smoking, add the meat and cook for about five minutes (stirring constantly).
- Add all the veggies except the dark green onion (save that for garnish) and cook 1-2 minutes. Toss the veggies occasionally so everything is cooking quickly on all sides.
- Add the sauce and cook for a couple of minutes until the cornstarch thickens that sauce and it gets hot and starts to bubble. Stir in the pineapple and mango.
- In shallow bowls, add brown rice and top with the stir fry mixture. Garnish with the sesame seeds, cashews or nuts of your choice, and the dark green part of the only. Dig in. This is a fast, easy and tasty dish that you’ll be making on repeat.
Top FAQs for Pineapple and Mango Chicken Stir Fry
Yes, you can use frozen fruit, but thaw and drain it first to prevent excess moisture from making your stir fry watery. Fresh fruit will give better texture and flavor, but frozen is a convenient alternative. You could also use the canned chunk pineapple but that would be my last choice. It is soft and doesn’t have a lot of texture, so stick with fresh if you can. If you do go the canned route, drain it really well.
Cut chicken into uniform, bite-sized pieces and don’t overcook it. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. Another great option is to use thigh meat which is juicier since it has a higher fat content. It is really hard to overcook thigh meat so that is always a good choice. Did I mention, it also has a lot more flavor? It does!
Cook chicken first, if using chicken breast meat remove it from the pan, then cook harder vegetables, add softer vegetables and fruit last. If using breast meat, return the chicken to combine with the sauce. If you are using thigh meat like I do, you can leave it in the skillet as you add the other ingredients.
You could use just one type of fruit or omit fruit completely and use more vegetables. Other tropical fruits like papaya or even Asian pears work well as substitutes.
Feel free to use whatever vegetables you have on hand like broccoli, mushrooms, different color bell peppers, snap peas, and carrots. Snow peas, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts make great additions. You could add a little heat with a spicy pepper of your choice too…maybe some sliced serrano.
The best chicken stir fries have tender-crisp, still vibrant veggies. They should have a slight crunch and not be soft or mushy. Cook vegetables on high heat for a short time and don’t overcrowd the pan. Stay away from canned veggies at all costs…the texture is all wrong for a stir fry.
You can store leftovers in a plastic container with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or over low heat on the stove. If it is dry and needs a little moisture, add a little chicken stock to revive it. Serve it over a fresh batch of brown rice or if you have left over rice, microwave that separately (covered with plastic wrap).
While stir fry is best served immediately, you can prep ingredients ahead of time. Keep the sauce separate and store cut vegetables and fruit in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
Use oils with high smoke points like vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil. Avoid olive oil for high-heat stir frying as it can smoke and burn.
I’d love to hear if you made this recipe. Leave a comment and rating below.
If you like this recipe, be sure to try some of my other Asian inspired meals that are packed with flavor and color and good for you “stuff”.
Lime, Ginger and Blackberry Salmon Rice Bowl
Pineapple and Mango Chicken Stir Fry
A delicious and healthy stir fry dish using chicken, pineapple, mango and mixed veggies and served with brown rice.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Fresh squeezed orange juice
- 3 Tbsp. Soy sauce
- 4 Small Garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 Tsp. Chinese five spice powder
- 1/4 Tsp. Crushed Calabrian chili flakes
- 1 Lb. Chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
- 2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp. Canola oil
- 1 Cup Broccoli florets
- 1/2 Red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1/2 Cup Water chestnuts, sliced
- 1 Cup Blanched baby carrots
- 3 Green onion, white/light green and dark green separated
- 1 Cup Fresh mango chunks
- 1 Cup Fresh pineapple chunks
- 2 Cups Brown rice, cooked and hot
- 4 Tbsp. Cashews
- 2 Tbsp. Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make your sauce first. Mix the orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, Chinese five spice and red pepper in a small measuring cup. Put to the side.
- Mix the cornstarch and chicken in a bowl.
- Heat a wok or large skillet with the canola oil. When really hot but not smoking, add the meat and cook for about five minutes (stirring constantly). Add all the veggies except the dark green onion (save that for garnish) and cook 1-2 minutes.
- Add the sauce and cook for a couple of minutes until the cornstarch thickens that sauce and it gets hot and starts to bubble. Stir in the pineapple and mango.
- Serve the mix on top of the brown rice and garnish with the sesame seeds, cashews and dark green part of the onion. Enjoy.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
