Pineapple Sriracha Chicken over Wild Rice with Spinach

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Pineapple Sriracha Chicken over Wild Rice with Spinach

If you haven’t had it before, you’ll soon swoon over the whole grain, wild rice. While pineapple chunks and Sriracha-glazed chicken pieces are spooned over the wild rice in this recipe, consider also serving the rice mixed in with brown rice to liven it up as a side. For spice mavens, increase the Sriracha to 4 tablespoons in the chicken.

Ingredients

Servings  4  

For the Sriracha Chicken:

  • 1/2 cup pineapple juice
  • 1 cup canned pineapple chunks (in light syrup or own juice, divided)
  • 2 tablespooons Sriracha hot sauce or another Asian hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced with white parts and green parts separated
  • 1 1/4 pound skinless, boneless, thinly sliced chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch strips)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 1 can sliced water chestnuts (drained)

For the wild rice:

  • 3 teaspoons canola oil (divided)
  • 2 5-ounce containers fresh baby spinach
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup wild rice (rinsed)
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Tip: Click on step to mark as complete.

For the Sriracha Chicken:

  1. In a small bowl, combine ½ cup pineapple juice, Sriracha, and honey. Stir to combine and reserve. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white parts from the green parts. Reserve.
  2. Slice the chicken breasts into 1-inch strips and place into a large Ziploc bag or a large bowl. Add cornstarch and pepper, stirring or shaking to distribute onto the chicken.
  3. Warm oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until chicken is golden on the outside and fully cooked on the inside, about 7 to 10 minutes depending on thickness.
  4. Stir in 1 cup pineapple chunks, scallion whites, and water chestnuts. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  5. Pour in Sriracha mixture and increase heat to high. Let mixture boil and thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir again. Serve chicken over the wild rice. Garnish with the scallion greens.

For the wild rice:

  1. In a medium heavy-duty pot, warm 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add half of 1 container of spinach into the pot, stirring until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining spinach until all of it is wilted.
  2. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Stir in garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add wild rice, stirring constantly until rice is coated in oil, about 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Pour in water and add salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce heat so rice is at a high simmer, around medium-low heat. Cook until all the water is evaporated and some of the rice has “popped” open, about 45 to 60 minutes.
  4. Fluff the rice to serve.

Cooking Tip: Wild rice can be finicky to cook, which is why the cook time ranges from 45 to 60 minutes, unlike the exactness of other rices. If after 60 minutes there is still too much liquid, increase the heat to high and boil uncovered until remaining water has evaporated.

Keep it Healthy: Any vegetables or greens can be stirred into a rice pilaf—it’s a great way not only use any leftover odds and ends in the fridge while also making various versions of pilaf.

Tip: Coating meat in a light dusting of cornstarch serves two purposes—helping provide a more golden “crust” while sautéing and also aiding to thicken any added liquid into a sauce.

Nutrition Facts

Pineapple Sriracha Chicken over Wild Rice with Spinach
CaloriesCalories
455 Per Serving
ProteinProtein
35.5g Per Serving
FiberFiber
6.3g Per Serving

Nutrition Facts

Calories 455
Total Fat 10.1 g
Saturated Fat 1.3 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.8 g
Cholesterol 90.7 mg
Sodium 466 mg
Total Carbohydrate 55.2 g
Dietary Fiber 6.3 g
Sugars 28.8 g
Protein 35.5 g

Dietary Exchanges
1 starch, 1 1/2 fruit, 2 vegetable, 1/2 other carbohydrate, 4 lean meat

 
If you haven’t had it before, you’ll soon swoon over the whole grain, wild rice. While pineapple chunks and Sriracha-glazed chicken pieces are spooned over the wild rice in this recipe, consider also serving the rice mixed in with brown rice to liven it up as a side. For spice mavens, increase the Sriracha to 4 tablespoons in the chicken.

Nutrition Facts

Pineapple Sriracha Chicken over Wild Rice with Spinach
CaloriesCalories
455 Per Serving
ProteinProtein
35.5g Per Serving
FiberFiber
6.3g Per Serving
×
Calories 455
Total Fat 10.1 g
Saturated Fat 1.3 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.8 g
Cholesterol 90.7 mg
Sodium 466 mg
Total Carbohydrate 55.2 g
Dietary Fiber 6.3 g
Sugars 28.8 g
Protein 35.5 g

Dietary Exchanges
1 starch, 1 1/2 fruit, 2 vegetable, 1/2 other carbohydrate, 4 lean meat

Ingredients

Servings  4  

For the Sriracha Chicken:

  • 1/2 cup pineapple juice
  • 1 cup canned pineapple chunks (in light syrup or own juice, divided)
  • 2 tablespooons Sriracha hot sauce or another Asian hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced with white parts and green parts separated
  • 1 1/4 pound skinless, boneless, thinly sliced chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch strips)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 1 can sliced water chestnuts (drained)

For the wild rice:

  • 3 teaspoons canola oil (divided)
  • 2 5-ounce containers fresh baby spinach
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup wild rice (rinsed)
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Tip: Click on step to mark as complete.

For the Sriracha Chicken:

  1. In a small bowl, combine ½ cup pineapple juice, Sriracha, and honey. Stir to combine and reserve. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white parts from the green parts. Reserve.
  2. Slice the chicken breasts into 1-inch strips and place into a large Ziploc bag or a large bowl. Add cornstarch and pepper, stirring or shaking to distribute onto the chicken.
  3. Warm oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until chicken is golden on the outside and fully cooked on the inside, about 7 to 10 minutes depending on thickness.
  4. Stir in 1 cup pineapple chunks, scallion whites, and water chestnuts. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  5. Pour in Sriracha mixture and increase heat to high. Let mixture boil and thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir again. Serve chicken over the wild rice. Garnish with the scallion greens.

For the wild rice:

  1. In a medium heavy-duty pot, warm 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add half of 1 container of spinach into the pot, stirring until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining spinach until all of it is wilted.
  2. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Stir in garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add wild rice, stirring constantly until rice is coated in oil, about 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Pour in water and add salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce heat so rice is at a high simmer, around medium-low heat. Cook until all the water is evaporated and some of the rice has “popped” open, about 45 to 60 minutes.
  4. Fluff the rice to serve.

Cooking Tip: Wild rice can be finicky to cook, which is why the cook time ranges from 45 to 60 minutes, unlike the exactness of other rices. If after 60 minutes there is still too much liquid, increase the heat to high and boil uncovered until remaining water has evaporated.

Keep it Healthy: Any vegetables or greens can be stirred into a rice pilaf—it’s a great way not only use any leftover odds and ends in the fridge while also making various versions of pilaf.

Tip: Coating meat in a light dusting of cornstarch serves two purposes—helping provide a more golden “crust” while sautéing and also aiding to thicken any added liquid into a sauce.

 

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