Loving Chinese take out? Did you know that it’s easy to make your own sweet and sour chicken? In just 30 minutes, you can have your own Chinese restaurant style sweet and sour chicken on the table. I bet you can hardly get take out that fast unless the restaurant is just around the corner. How long it takes: 30 minutes Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife, stir fry pan (large skillet or wok) Servings: 6 Homemade sweet and sour chicken is so much better for you, too! Why? Well, two reasons mostly: the chicken isn’t deep-fried, and the sauce is made from real ingredients like pineapple juice, grated fresh ginger, and soy sauce. I just know you’re going to love this recipe! And since you’re the chef, you can make it just the way you like. Add more veggies, like broccoli, mushrooms, or pea pods. Use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. Make your stir fry with shrimp or tofu instead. Why let the restaurant chefs have all the fun?! P.S. If you love everything sweet and sour, be sure to try sweet and sour shrimp lettuce wraps. They are super tasty!
About This Stir Fry
It’s a natural color (not bright red). If you’re used to restaurant sweet and sour dishes, you may think that this recipe doesn’t look anything like that because the sauce isn’t bright red. Guess what? That vivid color is just red food coloring and doesn’t add anything to the flavor. I would rather not add artificial ingredients so my stir fry is lighter in color but certainly not pale in flavor. Nothing is deep fried. Because the meat isn’t deep fried, this recipe is easier and better for you. Breading and deep-frying can be messy and a bit time-consuming. Why bother? This dish tastes great without it and it’s way less greasy. This stir fry is nutritious and low in calories. With lots of lean white meat for protein and packed with healthy vegetables, you can feel good about eating this chicken stir fry. One serving is only 233 calories (not including the rice).
How To Make This Sweet and Sour Chicken
Cook the rice. You’ll want to get your rice cooking first if you intend to serve your sweet and sour chicken with rice. I love it with jasmine rice but brown rice is so good, too, and more nutritious since it’s a whole grain. If you’re looking for a lower carb alternative, try cauliflower rice. Make the sauce. Next, stir up a simple sauce made with pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple you’ll be adding later), rice vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, and fresh ginger. The sauce is thickened with a little cornstarch. Just stir the ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and set it aside. You’ll be adding it to the pan later. Prep the chicken. You’ll want to get all your ingredients chopped and ready to go. Once you have your pan/wok heated up, things go pretty fast. Get the chicken cut up into bite sized pieces and toss the pieces with salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Prep the veggies. Next up are bell peppers, cut into one inch chunks, and an onion. Use whatever color peppers or onions you have on hand. You could also add broccoli, mushrooms, pea pods, or carrots, or whatever you like. Heat your wok or a large skillet over medium high heat. Once it’s hot, add a little oil and get ready for action! Stir fry the chicken until it’s nearly done, about 5 minutes, and remove it from the pan, keeping the heat on. Final steps: Add the veggies, and stir fry those another 5 minutes. Put the chicken back in the pan, add the pineapple chunks, and the sauce ingredients (give them a quick stir first because the cornstarch tends to settle). Heat and stir until the sauce thickens, another few minutes. Serve: Wow, you’re done! Dinner is ready! Wasn’t that fun?! Complete your “take out” dinner by making homemade air fryer egg rolls or air fryer crab rangoon. Easy fried rice is always popular, too.
Make It Your Own
Like I mentioned above, you’re the chef so feel free to add whatever you like to this versatile stir fry.
Add or sub in veggies. In addition to (or in place of) bell peppers, add add fresh veggies like broccoli, pea pods, mushrooms, carrots, celery, egg plant, or whatever you like best. Add canned Chinese vegetables like water chestnuts, baby corn, or bamboo shoots. Drain them well before adding them to the pan. Meat options: Replace the chicken breast with boneless skinless chicken thighs, or shrimp. Shrimp will cook even faster than the chicken. Vegetarian options: Cubed extra firm tofu is perfect. I make crispy all purpose baked tofu, baked sesame tofu, or air fryer tofu to add to the stir fry. Sauce: Adjust the sweetness/tanginess of the sauce by tweaking the vinegar and sugar ratio. Or use a jar of sauce purchased from the grocery store. Make it hot! Add a half teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes or a generous squeeze of Sriracha sauce.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Any leftover sweet and sour chicken can be stored in the fridge in an air tight container for up to three days. Reheat gently in the microwave.