Hawaiian Chicken

This family favorite is one from my grandmother's kitchen and the original recipe screams of the 1950s. The tastes of the islands, America’s newest acquisitions, were in vogue. When I was younger I was always excited when my mom made Hawaiian chicken because it used favors that we rarely ate as a family otherwise. Pineapple juice and ginger are what make this dish taste so unique, and an interesting cooking method yields a sticky sweet tangy sauce and moist flavorful chicken. My adaptation adds a few ingredients to round out the depth of flavor in the chicken and further intensify the sauce that the chicken cooks in.

Wicked Good Hawaiian Chicken

I pack boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 bunch green onions, whites and greens chopped finely

1-2 inch piece of ginger root, peeled, grated

2 cloves of garlic, smashed or grated

4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon honey

Flour to coat chicken

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

2 6 oz cans pineapple juice plus 1 can pineapple slices in juice

Freshly ground black pepper

Combine soy sauce, ginger, garlic, half the green onions, honey, pepper, and sesame oil in large bowl. Add chicken and marinate 30 minutes to overnight.

Preheat pven to 350 degrees. Heat skillet and olive oil over medium high heat until just shimmering.

Remove chicken from marinade. Reserve marinade for later.

coat each piece lightly with flour and quickly brown both sides in skillet. About a minute a side (depending on thickness of breast) Do not cook the chicken through as it will finish in the oven.

Place chicken in an oven safe casserole or Pyrex. Cover with slices of pineapple.

In skillet, add reserved marinade and pineapple juice to deglaze the pan. Cook 1-2 minutes or until sauce bubbles.

Pour skillet “sauce” over chicken and pineapple in casserole.

Top with remaining green onions and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until done.

Serve with rice.