Need a quick Dinner idea recipe? A simple breaded chicken breast is baked to juicy perfection with a simple sweet and sour sauce then topped off with grilled pineapple. Don’t have a fresh pineapple? Canned pineapple works too!
I asked a friend the other day what I should make for dinner and she recommended simple candied chicken.
What? I’d never had the stuff, but I’m always willing to try new things, obviously. That’s kind of why this whole food blogging thing works for me.
It was so yummy!
I love that it was delicious, but easy. I mean, who has time these days to be slaving over a stove when the kids are biting at your ankles that they want a snack?
And I do see you. I see you standing there all stressed out that Ellie has been asked three times to practice piano and Bobby won’t stop trying to sneak a snack because you know he won’t eat if he has a snack and oh my gosh, when will your spouse walk in the door??!
I got you covered. Let’s get through this one together.
Haunting Hour
There’s nothing worse than haunting hour. We’ve all been there whether we have kids or not.
It’s an hour before dinner, you’re suddenly so hungry you could eat an entire box of cereal in one grabby hands standing but you’re also trying really hard to do this whole dinner thing. So what do you do?
One of my very best tips is to start the night before. I know, you don’t want to, but honestly if you can get in the habit now you’ll be so much less stressed and less snacky.
How to Make Dinner without Meal Planning
Meal planning doesn’t really work for me. I don’t love being held to a schedule, while that makes other so happy. For me I want to go with what I’m in the mood for so here’s how you do it.
- Keep your house stocked on the basics.
Now, this doesn’t mean you have every little thing at all times, but go through the basics you cook with and keep those items on a grocery list at all times. Here’s what our list looks like for the basics. Feel free to copy these down on your own and see how it goes.
- Flour
- Sugar
- Oil/Olive Oil
- Butter
- Cheeses
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Ground Beef or Turkey
- Roast or Steak
- Pasta or other grain like quinoa
- Tomato sauce-Spaghetti-Marinara Sauce
- Broths
- Fruits and Veggies
- Beans
- Frozen corn and or broccoli
- Vinegars
- Condiments
If you always have those ingredients there’s always something you can throw together. For example, this recipe uses everything you can keep in your house at all times. You can even buy canned pineapple.
2. Plan it out!
The night before, when you’re getting the kids ready for bed and haven’t yet sat down to catch a little Netflix just grab some meat out and put it in the fridge to defrost. Deciding the night before will save your life. Really.
Think about how hectic it is right before dinner and you get so caught up in the day that if there isn’t a plan in place you’re suddenly trying to figure out if you can defrost chicken in the microwave or if it’s everyone fend for themselves night. And please, don’t defrost chicken in the microwave. It will take you 5 minutes to think up dinner the night before.
3. Prep it and freeze it.
You can make this sauce and store it in ziplocs in the fridge.
Do not prep the chicken ahead and freeze it. But you can keep the breadcrumbs all seasoned in an OXO container or ziplock. I personally own 4 sets of these OXO Pop tops.
How Long Will Chicken Keep?
- Uncooked chicken is safe in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
- You can freeze chicken for up to nine months.
- Cooked chicken is only good for another day or two properly stored in the fridge.
Is Chicken A Good Source of Protein?
Chicken offers a lower calorie source of protein.
Chicken is also a good source for iron, which aids in growth and the development of red blood cells.
It is also a source of Phosphorous, which helps build strong bones and teeth, supports the kidney and liver, and assists with the function of the central nervous system.
This is why so many nutrition plans tell you to add lean protein such as chicken to your diet.
Can You Reheat Chicken?
It is only safe to reheat chicken once, anything over that can cause you some tummy issues.
Chicken can be reheated in a microwave, a frying pan, in the oven, on the barbecue, or even in a slow cooker.
But, remember, it should only be reheated once!
If You Don’t Have Fresh Pineapple
If you don’t have fresh pineapple go ahead and use canned. It can go on the grill or be eaten straight out of the can. Either way will work just fine. Grilling just adds another layer of flavor but it’s totally enough on its own.
What to Serve with Candied Chicken
This candied chicken is a 30 minute recipe so we don’t want anything too time consuming. White rice goes perfect with a sweet and sour chicken and it’s ready in 30!
What Vegetables to Serve with Sweet and Sour Chicken
Because this candied chicken tastes a bit like sweet and sour sauce we tend to make a salad or sauteed (grilled works too) vegetables. It keeps everything on the same flavor profile.
You could do our Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cheese recipe for Example.
Candied Chicken
Candied Chicken
Description
Ingredients
Recipe from Allrecipes.com
For the Chicken Breading
- 5 chicken breasts, boneless skinless, butterflied
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon oregano, dried
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
For the Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup prepared mustard
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 Cup sweet red chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 cup onion, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup water
- 10 pineapple rings, grilled (see note)
Instructions
- Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry.
- In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, flour, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat; dredge chicken in bread crumb mixture and brown in skillet, about 3 to 4 minutes each side.
- Place chicken in 2 lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dishes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In a large saucepan over low heat, combine the brown sugar, mustard, ketchup, sweet chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, onion, salt and water.
- Bring to a boil, and pour 1/3 of the sauce over chicken.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Use the remaining sauce to top the chicken.
- Top each piece with a pineapple ring, and serve over rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
Julie newman
Someone needs to re-read this recipe. The ingredients call for sweet chili sauce, but yet it’s not mentioned in the instructions. It also says to pour 1/3 of the mixture over the chicken…….never a mention what to do with the remaining 2/3’s 🤷♀️
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much Julie! I’ll take a look at it and clarify!
Merut
When you first said “candied” I was worried it would be sweet – and the sauce sort of looked sweet. But reading the recipe I am pleasantly surprised. Will definitely be trying this.
Jane
This looks so yummy, thanks for sharing. I have this on my list to try.
Leslie
I get soo bored with chicken. This looks like a great new recipe!