Go Back Email Link
Print Recipe Add to Collection
1 from 1 vote

Pineapple Chicken USDA Recipe for Child Care Centers

Full of sweet pineapple and succulent bites of chicken. The dish is similar in flavor to sweet and sour pork.
CACFP CREDITING INFORMATION
⅔ cup (No. 6 scoop) pineapple chicken and ¼ cup (No. 16 scoop) cooked rice provides 1½ oz equivalent meat, ⅛ cup vegetable, ¼ cup fruit, and ½ oz equivalent grains.
SOURCE
Team Nutrition CACFP Multicultural Recipe Project.
https://teamnutrition.usda.gov
Prep Time1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Keyword: Child Care Centers, CACFP
Age Group: Ages 3-5
Serving Size: 25-50
Program Type: CACFP
Program Meal Type: Lunch, Supper
Conventional Meal Category: Main Dish (Entrée), Whole Grain-Rich
Program Meal Component: Grains, Meats, Vegetables, Whole Grain-Rich, Fruits
Vegetable Subgroup: Other Vegetables
Meal Service Temperature: Hot
Cooking Method: Boil, Sauté
Season: Summer, Fall, Spring, Winter
25 Servings
Calories: 204

Ingredients

25 Servings

    Weight

    • - - Water
    • - - Salt, table
    • - - Black pepper, ground
    • - - Soy sauce, low-sodium
    • 2 lb 6½ oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, fresh or frozen, ½" chopped
    • 12½ oz Brown rice, long grain, regular, uncooked
    • - - Canola oil
    • 12½ oz *Green onions with tops, fresh, thinly sliced
    • 1 lb 2¾ oz *Celery, fresh, ¼" diced
    • 4 lb 11 oz Pineapple with juice, canned, crushed, packed in juice or light syrup
    • - - Sugar
    • - - Cornstarch

    Measure

    • 1 qt 2½ cups Water
    • 1 tsp Salt, table
    • 1 tsp Black pepper, ground
    • ½ cup Soy sauce, low-sodium
    • - - Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, fresh or frozen, ½" chopped
    • 2 cups Brown rice, long grain, regular, uncooked
    • ½ cup Canola oil
    • 2 qt ⅓ cup *Green onions with tops, fresh, thinly sliced
    • 1 qt *Celery, fresh, ¼" diced
    • 2 qt ⅓ cup (¾ No. 10 can) Pineapple with juice, canned, crushed, packed in juice or light syrup
    • ⅓ cup Sugar
    • ⅓ cup Cornstarch

    50 Servings

      Weight

      • - - Water
      • - - Salt, table
      • - - Black pepper, ground
      • - - Soy sauce, low-sodium
      • 4 lb 13 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, fresh or frozen, ½" chopped
      • 1 lb 9 oz Brown rice, long grain, regular, uncooked
      • - - Canola oil
      • 1 lb 9 oz *Green onions with tops, fresh, thinly sliced
      • 2 lb 5½ oz *Celery, fresh, ¼" diced
      • 9 lb 6 oz Pineapple with juice, canned, crushed, packed in juice or light syrup
      • - - Sugar
      • - - Cornstarch

      Measure

      • 3 qt 1 cup Water
      • 2 tsp Salt, table
      • 2 tsp Black pepper, ground
      • 1 cup Soy sauce, low-sodium
      • - - Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, fresh or frozen, ½" chopped
      • 1 qt Brown rice, long grain, regular, uncooked
      • 1 cup Canola oil
      • 1 gal ⅔ cup *Green onions with tops, fresh, thinly sliced
      • 2 qt *Celery, fresh, ¼" diced
      • 1 gal ⅔ cup (1½ No. 10 can) Pineapple with juice, canned, crushed, packed in juice or light syrup
      • ⅔ cup Sugar
      • ⅔ cup Cornstarch

      -

      25 Servings

        Weight

        • - - Water
        • - - Salt, table
        • - - Black pepper, ground
        • - - Soy sauce, low-sodium
        • 2 lb 6½ oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, fresh or frozen, ½" chopped
        • 12½ oz Brown rice, long grain, regular, uncooked
        • - - Canola oil
        • 12½ oz *Green onions with tops, fresh, thinly sliced
        • 1 lb 2¾ oz *Celery, fresh, ¼" diced
        • 4 lb 11 oz Pineapple with juice, canned, crushed, packed in juice or light syrup
        • - - Sugar
        • - - Cornstarch

        Measure

        • 1 qt 2½ cups Water
        • 1 tsp Salt, table
        • 1 tsp Black pepper, ground
        • ½ cup Soy sauce, low-sodium
        • - - Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, fresh or frozen, ½" chopped
        • 2 cups Brown rice, long grain, regular, uncooked
        • ½ cup Canola oil
        • 2 qt ⅓ cup *Green onions with tops, fresh, thinly sliced
        • 1 qt *Celery, fresh, ¼" diced
        • 2 qt ⅓ cup (¾ No. 10 can) Pineapple with juice, canned, crushed, packed in juice or light syrup
        • ⅓ cup Sugar
        • ⅓ cup Cornstarch

        50 Servings

          Weight

          • - - Water
          • - - Salt, table
          • - - Black pepper, ground
          • - - Soy sauce, low-sodium
          • 4 lb 13 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, fresh or frozen, ½" chopped
          • 1 lb 9 oz Brown rice, long grain, regular, uncooked
          • - - Canola oil
          • 1 lb 9 oz *Green onions with tops, fresh, thinly sliced
          • 2 lb 5½ oz *Celery, fresh, ¼" diced
          • 9 lb 6 oz Pineapple with juice, canned, crushed, packed in juice or light syrup
          • - - Sugar
          • - - Cornstarch

          Measure

          • 3 qt 1 cup Water
          • 2 tsp Salt, table
          • 2 tsp Black pepper, ground
          • 1 cup Soy sauce, low-sodium
          • - - Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, fresh or frozen, ½" chopped
          • 1 qt Brown rice, long grain, regular, uncooked
          • 1 cup Canola oil
          • 1 gal ⅔ cup *Green onions with tops, fresh, thinly sliced
          • 2 qt *Celery, fresh, ¼" diced
          • 1 gal ⅔ cup (1½ No. 10 can) Pineapple with juice, canned, crushed, packed in juice or light syrup
          • ⅔ cup Sugar
          • ⅔ cup Cornstarch

          Instructions

          • Make marinade: In a plastic bag or large bowl stir together water, salt, pepper, and soy sauce.
            Amount of water to use:
            For 25 servings, use ½ cups.
            For 50 servings, use 1 cup.
          • Place chicken in marinade and allow it to sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
          • Combine brown rice and water in a large stockpot. Reserve remaining water for step 9.
            For 25 servings, add 1 qt water.
            For 50 servings, add 2 qt water.
            Heat on medium–high heat to a rolling boil.
          • Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook until water is absorbed, about 30–40 minutes. Fluff the rice gently with a large spoon.
          • Heat half of the oil in a tilt kettle or large stockpot. Reserve remaining oil.
            For 25 servings, use ¼ cup oil.
            For 50 servings, use ½ cup oil.
          • Sauté green onions and celery for 5–7 minutes or until celery begins to cook, but stays crunchy. Stir frequently
          • Remove vegetables and set aside.
          • Add remaining oil to the pot. Add chicken and marinade and pineapple with juice to pot. Continue cooking on medium–high heat and bring to a boil, 7–10 minutes. Stir frequently.
            Critical Control Point: Heat to 165 °F or higher for 15 seconds.
          • Make cornstarch mixture: In a small bowl whisk remaining water together with sugar and cornstarch until smooth. Amount of remaining water to use:
            For 25 servings, use 2 cups.
            For 50 servings, use 1 qt.
          • Stir cornstarch mixture into the chicken and pineapple. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes, or until sauce is nectar thick. Stir frequently. Add more water if too thick.
          • Stir celery and green onions into pineapple chicken mixture and cook for 5 minutes.
          • Serving size ⅔ cup (No. 6 scoop) pineapple chicken over ¼ cup cooked rice.
            Critical Control Point: Hold at 140 °F or higher.

          Notes

          *See Marketing Guide for purchasing information on foods that will change during the preparation or when a variation of the ingredients is available.
          Variation
          If chicken is frozen, defrost in the refrigerator for 1 day per 1–5 pounds. Hold raw
          chicken at 40 °F or lower.

          Nutrition

          Serving: 0⅔ cup (No. 6 scoop) pineapple chicken over ¼ cup (No. 16 scoop) cooked rice. | Calories: 204 | Total Carbohydrate: 19g | Protein: 14g | Total Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 354mg | Dietary Fiber: 1g | Total Sugars: 5g | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg