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Aloha Casserole

BakedCasseroleChickenCoastalDinnerFruitGarlicHeartyHotOvenRiceSaltySavory
Time :1 hour 10 minutes
Yield :6 servings
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Savory fried rice with chicken, bacon, and vegetables in a blue bowl, garnished with fresh cilantro and served with chopped green herbs. Perfect as a quick and flavorful meal or side dish.

The Scoop

This sweet-and-savory bake is here to make your dreams come true: throwing pineapple, bacon, and soy sauce into a dish is the ultimate power move for lazy summer hosting.
If you’ve ever wanted to achieve maximum Hawaiian-shirt energy without doing a single minute of actual stovetop babysitting, letting uncooked rice and chicken soak up sweet pineapple juice in the oven is pure tactical brilliance.
It’s more than a recipe; it’s an invitation to pour a cold drink, let the foil cover work its magic, and claim total host victory!
Hack it:
Swap the chicken breasts for boneless, skinless chicken thighs or thick-cut spam cubes for a richer, ultra-juicy Hawaiian plate-lunch vibe.
Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce to cut down on sodium and swap half the chicken broth for full-fat coconut milk to give the rice a creamy, tropical twist.
Roast the pineapple tidbits and red peppers in an air fryer at 400°F (200°C) for 8 minutes to caramelize them before stirring them into the bake for extra smoky sweetness.
Add a tablespoon of sriracha or diced fresh jalapeños to the soy sauce mixture to cut through the brown sugar and create a sweet-and-spicy glaze.
Leftovers:
Dump cold leftover casserole straight into a super-hot wok or skillet with a splash of sesame oil, toss in a beaten egg, and sear until the rice gets crispy on the edges.
Warm up a portion of the chicken, pineapple, and rice mixture, wrap it tightly inside a giant flour tortilla with fresh spinach, and press in a pan for a hot lunch wrap.
Layer leftover chicken and pineapple pieces over tortilla chips with extra shredded cheddar or pepper jack, melt under the broiler, and top with fresh cilantro.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, plus more to taste, minced
  • 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
  • 1/2 cup red onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbits in juice, juices reserved
  • 1 pound chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins, boneless, skinless, thinly sliced, and diced into bite-sized pieces
  • cilantro, optional, chopped, for garnish
  • bacon, optional, cooked, diced, for garnish

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Spray an 11x7-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and chicken broth.
  • Add the uncooked rice, onion, bell pepper, pineapple tidbits (including their juices), and the chicken breasts.
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
  • Cover the baking dish tightly with foil.
  • Bake for 50 minutes.
  • Uncover the dish and stir the mixture.
  • Bake until the chicken is cooked through at 165 degrees F internally and the rice is tender, for about 10 minutes.
  • Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes.
  • Serve topped with cilantro and bacon.
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