Sweet and Sour Chicken

This sweet and sour chicken is one of those easy dinners you can throw together on a busy night and still feel good about. The chicken turns out tender and juicy, and the sauce has that perfect balance of sweet and tangy. It’s a lighter take on takeout, made with simple ingredients, and ready in about 30 minutes.

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This is one of those meals I make when I want something comforting but still a bit lighter. My kids love anything with a sweet sauce, so this one always disappears fast. I usually make extra so we have leftovers for the next day.

You may also love my chicken burrito bowl or this chicken tostadas recipe.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Quick, easy, and ready in 30 minutes
• Made with simple and everyday ingredients
• Its lighter than takeout
• Great for meal prep or busy weeknights
• It’sfFamily-friendly and kid-approved

Ingredients you will need

Below is a list of ingredients you will need to make this dish. Full measurements are listed further down below in the recipe card.

• Oil: use some sort of groundnut oil or sesame oil
• Chicken: I used boneless and skinless chicken breasts. Cut them into 1-inch bite sizes.
• Veggies: red bell peppers, yellow bell pepper, green onion, and yellow onion
• Fresh garlic cloves and ginger: for best flavor, I recommend you use fresh.
• Low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos liquid
• Honey: you can use agave or light brown sugar intsead.
• Worcestershire sauce and white wine vinegar
• Tomato paste: or tomato sauce will work too.
• Cornstarch: to thicken the sauce. You can also use arrowroot powder or flour.
• Pineapple: I prefer fresh over canned pineapple.
• Toasted sesame seeds for serving, so this could be optional.
• Cooked rice to serve or quinoa

How To make Sweet and Sour Chicken

• Prepare and cook the veggies: Heat half a tablespoon of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add prepared veggies and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, until just beginning to get tender. Set aside.
• Next, cook the chicken: To the same preheated skillet, add garlic, ginger, and fry for 1 minute. Add in the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and cooked through.

• Make the sauce: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, honey, Worcestershire, vinegar, tomato paste, and cornstarch. Whisk well until cornstarch is fully dissolved.
• Mix the sauce in with chicken: Pour this mixture over the cooked chicken and stir to coat, allowing it to simmer for a couple of minutes; You’ll see it begins to thicken almost immediately.
• Combine chicken and veggies: Return the cooked veggies back to the pan, together with the pineapple chunks. Toss everything to combine and coat with the sauce.
• Serve: Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion and serve over cooked rice, if desired.

Common Questions

More chicken recipes

• Creamy Chicken Stew
• Crispy Baked Chicken Cutlets
• Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Chicken Pad Thai
• Tandoori Chicken
• Chicken Puttanesca
• Chicken Tostadas

5 from 18 votes

Sweet and Sour Chicken

By: Rena Awada

Skill Level: Intermediate

Servings: 6

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Rate Pin Print

Lean chicken breast made with peppers and pineapple and cooked in with a delicious sweet and sour sauce Ready in just 30 minutes.

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tablespoons groundnut oil, divided, or sesame oil
• ▢ 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
• ▢ 2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch chunks
• ▢ 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 1- inch knob of ginger, grated or minced
• ▢ 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce , or coconut aminos liquid
• ▢ 2 tablespoons honey
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ▢ 1 small pineapple , or 1/4 from a big pineapple
• ▢ 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion for serving
• ▢ 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds for serving
• ▢ cooked rice, Optional, or quinoa

Instructions

• Heat one tablespoon of oil (from 2 tablespoons groundnut oil) in a large pan over medium heat.
• Add prepared veggies (2 red bell peppers, 1 yellow bell pepper, and 1 small yellow onion) and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, until just beginning to get tender. Set aside.
  
• To the same preheated skillet, add 3 garlic cloves, 1- inch knob of ginger, and fry for 1 minute. Add in the 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and cooked through.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce , 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Whisk well until cornstarch is fully dissolved.
• Pour this mixture over the cooked chicken and stir to coat, allowing it to simmer for a couple of minutes; You’ll see it begins to thicken almost immediately.
  
• Return the cooked veggies back to the pan, together with the 1 small pineapple chunks.
• Toss everything to combine and coat with the sauce.
• Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds for serving and 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion for serving and serve over cooked rice, if desired.
  

Notes

• Veggies: We used red and yellow peppers, but you may add in other veggies like carrots, snow peas, mushrooms, or leeks.
• Oil: if you don’t have peanut oil, you may use sesame oil.
• Garlic and ginger: we highly recommend you use fresh garlic and ginger for optimum flavor.
• Use coconut amino in place of soy sauce.
• Honey: You may use brown sugar or coconut sugar.
• Chicken: Use lean chicken breast. Other options can be boneless chicken thighs or skip the chicken and use shrimp.
• Storage: Place leftovers in a container and store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave when ready to eat. You can freeze for up to 3 months.
• Nutritional facts: For one cup of sweet and sour chicken without rice. Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is calculated using a nutrition facts calculator. It is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 314kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 27gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 614mgPotassium: 851mgFiber: 4gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 1449IUVitamin C: 163mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

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