Paleo Tropical Stir Fry {Veggie Loaded}

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Paleo, Whole30 Option

This healthy stir fry is a savory and slightly spicy dish coated with a decadent sweet sauce. The tender, savory chicken thighs, bright sweet bell peppers, tangy pineapple and spicy jalapeños combine to create a crowd pleasing bite!

Why I Love This Recipe

This Paleo Tropical Stir Fry is one of my quick and easy, 'oh crap I don't have leftovers' go to weeknight meal. With less than 25 minutes from prepping to eating, this is sure to be in your family's go to quick meal rotation too! It's a quick, recipe that is easily prepped and can be doubled or tripled for lunches or weeknight leftovers

Plus, I love the hearty helping of vegetables in this dish! It is packed with bell peppers and bonus veggies from the cauliflower rice. While I prefer serving this meal with cauliflower rice, you can definitely opt for more traditional brown or white rice. The heat is easily customizable too. I typically make it more spicy when it's just adults eating, and milder when I'm planning to feed it to my boys.

Cooking Tips

Tropical Stir Fry's spiciness level is easily customizable. Do you want a milder, kid friendly stir fry? Remove the jalapeno's seeds and membranes. They will still provide good flavor minus the heat. Do you want to up the spiciness level? Add 2 jalapenos using seeds and membranes.

This recipe is great for meal prep:

• Dice the chicken and place raw in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Or brown the diced chicken and place in an airtight container in a refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• Then place diced bell peppers and jalapenos in separate airtight containers and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
• Next, onions can be diced, placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for over a week.
• Finally, pineapple juice, coconut aminos, and honey can be mixed and placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for over a week.
• When you're ready to bring your meal together make sure to mix the arrowroot powder in the sauce before pouring it on the dish!

Want to make this recipe Whole30 friendly? Either skip the honey in the sauce or replace it with the same amount of date paste. I haven't personally tried date paste in this recipe but have used date syrup (the syrup is not permitted in Whole30) in others and the substitute works well. It will likely darken the sauce.

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📖 Recipe

Paleo Tropical Stir Fry {Veggie Loaded}

Paleo Tropical Stir Fry is a savory, and slightly spicy dish coated with a decedent sweet sauce. It is quick and veggie loaded and sure to become a family favorite!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Servings 4

Calories 385 kcal

Equipment

• 2 wooden spoons
• 1 large, deep skillet, 5 quart braiser pan, or a 5 quart sauté pan
• 1 10" or 12" skillet
• measuring cups
• 1 medium heat safe bowl
• 1 set of kitchen tongs

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Cauliflower Rice

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or other neutral oil
• 1 12oz pkg frozen cauliflower rice or 3-4 cups homemade cauliflower rice
• ¾ teaspoon salt

Tropical Stir Fry

• 2 tablespoon coconut oil or other neutral oil
• 1 lb chicken thighs 1" diced*
• 2 pinches salt
• 1 jalapeno small diced
• 1 lg onion 1½" diced
• 1 red bell pepper 1½" diced
• 1 orange bell pepper 1½" diced
• 1 yellow or green bell pepper 1½" diced
• 3 pinches salt
• 1½ cup canned pineapple chunks drained, juice reserved

Sauce

• ⅓ cup reserved pineapple juice
• ¼ cup coconut aminos
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tsp arrowroot powder**

Instructions

 

• Heat 2 tablespoon coconut oil in large skillet over MED heat. When skillet is very warm add coconut rice and salt and stir well. Stir occasionally until cauliflower rice is warmed through and browned to your liking. About 8-10 minutes.
  
• While cauliflower rice cooks, in a 5 quart sauté pan add 1 tablespoon coconut oil over MED heat. When pan is very warm add diced chicken in a single layer. Sprinkle with 2 pinches of salt. Brown about 2 minutes on first side, flip with kitchen tongs. Brown an additional 1 minute.
  
• Chicken will still have some pink. That's okay, it will continue to cook later. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken to a medium heat safe bowl and set aside.
• To the same pan, add onions, peppers, and jalapeños and 3 pinches of salt. If pan looks dry add 1-2 tablespoon coconut oil. Sauté 2-3 minutes until veggies start to soften. Scrape up all the delicious brown bits you can left from the chicken on the bottom of the pan.
  
• Add pineapple and continue to cook until veggies are slightly tender and pineapples are warmed through.
  
• In a small glass bowl or 1 cup measuring cup: with a fork or whisk mix pineapple juice, coconut aminos, and honey. When well combined, add arrowroot powder and use fork or whisk to mix thoroughly.
  
• Pour over chicken and veggie mixture. Stir until well combine. Heat until thickening and bubbly. Serve warm with cauliflower rice (or your favorite rice)!
  

Notes

*You can substitute chicken breasts the reduce the calories in the meal if you prefer. 

**You can use cornstarch instead if you prefer. The dish will no longer be Paleo or Whole30 though. 

Nutrition

Calories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 25gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 1392mgPotassium: 923mgFiber: 5gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 2033IUVitamin C: 189mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 2mg

Keyword dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, stir fry

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