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Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and sour chicken with pineapple, peppers, and onion. An easy, healthy homemade version of the crispy sweet and sour chicken you love!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 568 kcal
Course: Main Course , Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese , American

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN AND MARINADE:
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
FOR THE SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE:
  • Juice from 1 (15-ounce) can pineapple in 100% pure juice about 1/2 cup, use the pineapple chunks for the stir fry
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic  about 3 cloves
  • ½ tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoons sambal oelek (garlic chili paste) plus additional to taste
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice or 1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder
FOR STIR FRYING & SERVING:
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 orange or yellow bell pepper
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Pineapple chunks from 1 (15-ounce) can pineapple use the juice for the sauce
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil or grapeseed oil divided, or another neutral, high smoke point cooking oil
  • cooked brown rice for serving
  • chopped green onion optional for serving

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Prepare the chicken and marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
  2. Add the chicken and stir to evenly combine. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes while you prep the rest of the recipe or (in an ideal world where time allows) refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Let come to room temperature prior to proceeding with the recipe.
  3. While the chicken marinades, prepare the sweet and sour sauce: In a large bowl, combine the pineapple juice, rice vinegar, honey, tomato paste, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sambal oelek, cornstarch, and allspice. Stir until evenly combined.
  4. Prep the veggies: core the bell peppers and cut into 1-inch chunks. Cut the yellow onion into 1-inch chunks. Drain any extra juice away from the canned pineapple chunks.
  5. When ready to stir fry, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large, sturdy nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Scatter on the chicken pieces in a single layer (discard any excess marinade). Stir fry until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove to a plate.
  6. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil and increase the heat to high. Once the oil is very hot and shimmering, add the bell peppers, onion, and pineapple. Stir fry until the vegetables are crisp-tender and lightly charred in a few places, about 7 minutes. Sure periodically, but don’t disturb the vegetables too much so that they brown.
  7. Reduce the heat to medium high. Return the chicken to the skillet along with any juices that have collected. Pour the sauce over the top, then stir to coat the vegetables and chicken. Let cook until the sauce is thickened and glossy and everything looks saucy and delicious. Serve over brown rice with a generous amount of the sauce and sprinkled with green onion.

Notes

  • TO STORE: Refrigerate chicken in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days. 
  • TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave. 
  • TO FREEZE: Freeze chicken in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1(of 4), without rice Calories 568kcal (28%) Carbohydrates 41g (14%) Protein 30g (60%) Fat 32g (49%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Polyunsaturated Fat 7g Monounsaturated Fat 14g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 167mg (56%) Potassium 723mg (21%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 32g (64%) Vitamin A 2111IU (42%) Vitamin C 89mg (99%) Calcium 50mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 568

% Daily Value*

Serving 1(of 4), without rice
Calories 568kcal 28%
Carbohydrates 41g 14%
Protein 30g 60%
Fat 32g 49%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Polyunsaturated Fat 7g 41%
Monounsaturated Fat 14g 70%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 167mg 56%
Potassium 723mg 15%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 32g 64%
Vitamin A 2111IU 42%
Vitamin C 89mg 99%
Calcium 50mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.