Stranger Foods

Pineapple-marinated chicken breasts

Serves 4 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 10 mins

Bromelain, the group of enzymes in fresh pineapple, is excellent at breaking down the connective tissues in thick, fibrous chicken breasts. In this simple marinade, grated pineapple completely alters the texture of the breast meat, resulting in something that’s akin to luscious dark meat. Briefly marinating here is important: Leave it too long and the chicken will fall apart during cooking, becoming shreddy and a little gluey. Fifteen minutes is the sweet spot. The accompanying pineapple salsa is a bright topping for the juicy morsels of aromatic chicken and rice.

Source: cooking.nytimes.com

Ingredients

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3 packed tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for cooking
1 tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
1 tsp garlic powder
¼-½ tsp ground cayenne
½ tsp black pepper
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced (½-inch chunks)
¼ cup finely diced red onion
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp finely grated fresh pineapple, including accumulated juices
1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1½-inch chunks
Cooked white rice, for serving

Instructions

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In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, garlic powder, ground cayenne and black pepper. Transfer 1 tablespoon of this marinade mixture to a separate medium bowl and add the diced pineapple, red onion and cilantro. This is your salsa; toss until well mixed and set aside.
Add the grated pineapple and its juices to the marinade mixture in the large bowl, then add the chicken and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for (and no longer).
Once the chicken is done marinating, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high and add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken pieces, leaving any marinade behind, in a single layer so that they don't touch and let cook until the bottoms are browned, . Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides and no longer pink on the inside, more.
Serve the chicken over rice and top with the reserved pineapple salsa.

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