SERVES 4
TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes
There is plenty of extra sauce and room in the baking dish to accommodate up to two additional chicken breasts in this recipe. Be sure to buy pineapple chunks packed in juice, not syrup, or the sauce will be too sweet. See the photo that follows the recipe.
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1 |
(20-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained with ½ cup juice reserved |
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¼ |
cup honey |
|
1 |
tablespoon cider vinegar |
|
1 |
tablespoon soy sauce |
|
2 |
teaspoons curry powder |
|
1 |
teaspoon hot sauce |
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4 |
(6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded if necessary |
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Salt and pepper |
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|
1 |
tablespoon water |
|
1 |
teaspoon cornstarch |
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⅓ |
cup sliced almonds |
1. Adjust oven rack to top position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
2. Whisk reserved pineapple juice, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, curry powder, and hot sauce together in medium saucepan. Simmer, whisking often, until mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Lay chicken in prepared baking dish.
4. Whisk water and cornstarch together in bowl, then whisk into pineapple juice mixture. Stir in pineapple chunks. Pour pineapple mixture over chicken and sprinkle with almonds. Bake until chicken registers 160 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve.
VARIATIONS
CRANBERRY-ORANGE CHICKEN BAKE
Omit pineapple. Add 1 (16-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce and ½ cup orange juice to saucepan with remaining sauce ingredients in step 2.
APRICOT-ORANGE CHICKEN BAKE
Omit pineapple. Add ⅔ cup apricot preserves, ½ cup chopped dried apricots, and ½ cup orange juice to saucepan with remaining sauce ingredients in step 2.