Thai Sweet & Sour Chicken Stir-Fry with Pineapple and Cucumber

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The Thai take on sweet and sour is a world away from the battered, neon-glazed Chinese-American version: no deep-frying, no gloppy sauce. Thin-sliced chicken is seared hard in a hot pan, then tossed with pineapple, tomato, onion and — the giveaway ingredient — cucumber, which stays crisp and cool against the sauce. The sauce itself is built in the pan from pineapple juice, fish sauce, rice vinegar and just enough palm sugar, thickened only lightly so it clings instead of coating. Dinner in under 30 minutes, and it tastes brighter the faster you cook it.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp white pepper

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice (from the fresh pineapple or canned)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp palm sugar or light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp cornstarch

• 2 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola or peanut
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges and layers separated
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes, cut into 6 wedges each
• 1 medium English cucumber, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/3-inch half-moons
• 3 scallions, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
• 1 red Fresno or jalapeño chile, sliced (optional)

• 4 cups hot jasmine rice
• 1 handful cilantro leaves
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Toss the sliced chicken with 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and the white pepper. Let it sit at room temperature while you prep everything else, at least 10 minutes.
2. Whisk the sauce: pineapple juice, rice vinegar, 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce, palm sugar, ketchup and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Whisk until the sugar and cornstarch dissolve completely and set the bowl next to the stove — stir-frying moves too fast to measure mid-cook.
3. Cut and arrange all vegetables and the pineapple on a tray in the order they go in: garlic, onion and bell pepper together, pineapple, tomato, then cucumber and scallions. Have the rice cooked and hot.
4. Heat a 12-inch skillet or wok over high heat for 2 minutes, until a drop of water skitters and evaporates instantly. Add 1 tablespoon oil, swirl, and spread the chicken in a single layer. Sear undisturbed for 90 seconds, then stir and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, just until the outsides are opaque with browned edges — it will finish in the sauce. Transfer to a plate.
5. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the hot pan along with the garlic. Stir for 15 seconds, only until fragrant and pale gold, then add the onion and bell pepper. Stir-fry over high heat for 90 seconds; they should be blistered in spots but still stiff.
6. Add the pineapple chunks and stir-fry 1 minute, letting them caramelize slightly against the pan.
7. Return the chicken to the pan, pour in the sauce, and toss constantly for 45 to 60 seconds until it bubbles and turns glossy enough to coat the pieces. It should look like a light glaze, not a pool — if it seems thick, splash in 2 tablespoons water.
8. Add the tomato wedges and toss for 30 seconds, just until heated through and starting to soften at the edges. Kill the heat.
9. Off the heat, fold in the cucumber, scallions and chile. The residual heat is all they need — the cucumber should stay crunchy and cool. Taste and adjust: another splash of vinegar for sharpness, a pinch of sugar for roundness, a few drops of fish sauce for depth.
10. Spoon over hot jasmine rice, scatter with cilantro, and serve immediately with lime wedges.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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