Recipe: My mum’s pollo con piña (pineapple chicken)

Mum is a great cook. Pollo con piña (pineapple chicken) was one of her go-to meals, possibly the one she made the most often. We had it for dinner on regular weekdays and also on special occasions, such as my dad’s birthday.

I have to confess that at some stage of my life I got tired of eating this dish. However, I’ve been away from home long enough for me to miss it. Last time I visited my family I asked mum for the recipe. Of course, she gave me general directions with no quantities nor times. I’m still amazed that the dish tasted the same every single time. I decided to give it a shot given that it’s dad’s birthday month and I like to do something every year to remember him.

Notes on ingredients: mum uses regular soy sauce and ketchup (tomato sauce), potato starch and pineapple in syrup. I used tamari, sugar-free tomato sauce from Richard’s Country Kitchen, tapioca starch and pineapple in juice. From memory, my version is pretty close to the original and a little healthier.

My mum’s pollo con piña

Pollo con piña (pineapple chicken) was one of mum's go-to meals, possibly the one she made the most often. 

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Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cantonese, Fusion, Peruvian

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 4 chicken thighs or drumsticks
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp + 2 tbsp tamari
• 1/2 tsp + 1 tsp tapioca starch
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 pineapple in juice slices + 2 tbsp of the juice
• 250 g snow peas
• 1 red capsicum
• 6 green onions white and light green part only

To serve

• cooked rice or cauliflower rice

Instructions

 

• Marinate chicken with garlic, 1/2 tsp tamari and 1/2 tsp potato starch.
• Wash vegetables, pull off stems of snow peas, slice capsicum and cut green onions in pieces 6-8cm long.
• Brown chicken on all sides.
• Lower heat, add remaining tamari, tomato sauce and pineapple juice, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add capsicum, snow peas, green onion and pineapple and remaining 1 tsp tapioca starch dissolved in 2 cold water.
• Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Serve with rice or cauliflower rice.

Keyword capsicum, cauliflower rice, chicken, chicken drumsticks, chicken thighs, dairy free, gluten free, ketchup, paleo, Peruvian cuisine, Peruvian food, pineapple, tomato sauce

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