Healthy Sweet and Sour Chicken

bowl of rice with sweet and sour chicken

5 from 6 votes

Healthy Sweet and Sour Chicken

Skip the takeout and make this Healthy Sweet and Sour Chicken from the comfort of your kitchen instead! It’s a simple 30-minute copycat recipe made with crispy chicken, peppers, and pineapple tossed in a sticky 4-ingredient sauce.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, chicken, Chinese

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: chicken recipe, sweet and sour chicken

Servings:

Calories: 696kcal

Author: Erin

Ingredients

For the sauce:

½ cup brown sugar or sub coconut sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoon soy sauce or sub coconut aminos

For the chicken:

1.5 lbs chicken thighs boneless, skinless; cut into 1 inch cubes
¼ cup cornstarch or sub tapioca flour
1 egg white whisked
½ cup flour
2 tablespoon avocado oil (or oil of choice) plus more as needed

For the veggies:

1 red bell pepper chopped; seeds removed
½ onion chopped
¾ cup diced pineapple canned or fresh
¼ cup green onion for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

First, make the sauce: whisk the sauce ingredients together; set aside.
Next, chop the veggies: dice the bell pepper, chop the onion and dice the pineapple into bite-sized pieces (or buy pre-diced pineapple).
Now, place the chicken in a ziploc bag, then add the cornstarch. Seal the bag and shake until the chicken is coated. Add the egg whites to a shallow bowl, then add the flour in a separate shallow bowl. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken into the egg white, then into the flour.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chicken and cook it for 2 minutes per side; transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate.
Add 1 teaspoon more oil and turn heat down to medium, then add the veggies in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes until slightly charred, then pour in the sauce and stir to coat. Pour in the chicken and stir to coat and cook for 2-3 more minutes – may need to turn heat back up so sauce thickens.
Sprinkle with green onions and enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per serving and are an estimation

*You don’t HAVE to dip the chicken in the egg white/flour mixture, but it helps to make the chicken extra crispy.

Nutrition