Sweet and Sour Chicken (Better Than Takeout)

This Easy Sweet and sour chicken recipe is made with fresh pineapples, bell peppers, red onions and juicy crispy chicken. It’s tossed in a sweet and savory sauce then served over rice. No need to buy Chinese food when you can make it homemade!  

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. ~Unknown

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

“This was delicious!!” – Rina

“This is soo good! Recommending to real full recipe before you start;) I cut recipe in half for 3 people.” – Lenka

HOMEMADE SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

Sweet and sour chicken is one of those epic takeout meals that everyone loves. But what is it about it that people love? Is it the crispy breaded chicken or the tangy Chinese sweet and sour sauce, or a combination of both that makes it so enjoyable?

I love the tangy flavors of sweet and sour chicken. The sauce is still the star of the dish, even if you omit the chicken and additional veggies like broccoli or mushrooms.

I’ve been craving Chinese food lately, but it can get expensive. So what’s a girl to do? Make it, of course. This sweet and sour chicken is amazing. My family loves it. And the best part? It’s homemade, so you know what’s in it. My picky 12-year-old, who is very selective with food and usually avoids meat, actually enjoys this, even chicken, which is rare for him.

WHY THIS SWEET N SOUR CHICKEN RECIPE WORKS

For starters, you can make your sweet and sour chicken in the comfort of your home without all the food coloring, extra additives, and grease you’d find in some Chinese restaurants. Plus, you’ll know exactly what you’re eating.

This dish not only looks good, but it tastes way better than takeout!

This recipe is made with mostly fresh fruit and vegetables. I use fresh pineapple and canned pineapple juice.

Don’t worry about making a mess with batter. The flour and cornstarch mixture in this recipe does the job just fine—no batter needed.

This recipe can be easily adapted. Add crushed red pepper or chili flakes if you like a spicier sweet and sour sauce. Ditch the pineapple if you don’t like it.

Make it a stir fry instead. I love broccoli, so sometimes I’ll toss it into this dish too.

This recipe makes a big batch—perfect for big families and great for leftovers.

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN INGREDIENTS

My homemade sweet and sour chicken recipe consists of bell peppers, pineapple, onions, and chicken thighs, along with a combo of cornstarch and flour. The sweet and sour sauce ingredients include pineapple juice, ketchup, brown and white sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, and a chicken base for even more flavor.

It’ll take some time to prep the ingredients, but after that, the steps will move much faster.

To prep – Cut the vegetables and fruit into 1-inch pieces. Set the grated ginger and garlic aside. Add all of the sweet and sour chicken sauce ingredients into a medium-sized bowl and mix well.

To make the slurry, which will thicken the sauce, take 4 tbsp of the sauce and pour it into a small bowl, then add 2 tbsp of cornstarch to the same bowl. Mix well until the clumps are gone. Set aside.

Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces as well. Place the chicken into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and a dash of onion powder. Crack two eggs into the bowl with the chicken. Stir to coat all of the chicken with the eggs. Cover and place the chicken into the fridge. (pic 1–2)

HOW TO MAKE IT

To make this sweet and sour chicken – Set up the dredging station. Have a baking sheet lined with parchment paper ready.

To make the sweet and sour chicken batter, add cornstarch and flour to a zip-top bag or a large enough bowl. Add 1/8 tsp salt to the mixture and mix to combine. Stir the chicken to coat with the egg. Add a couple of pieces of chicken into the zip-top bag or bowl to dredge. Place the coated chicken on the parchment-lined baking sheet to rest. Continue to dredge the rest of the chicken. (pic 3)

Fry the chicken – Add oil to a large skillet, just enough to barely cover the chicken (about 1 1/2–2 inches of oil). Once the oil heats up to 350°F, add the chicken to the oil. You can add several pieces at one time. Using a heatproof spoon or spatula, spread the chicken out so it’s not touching. Fry for 3–4 minutes.

Once the chicken is done, place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Remove all but about a tablespoon and a half of oil from the skillet. (pic 4)

Vegetables – In the skillet with the oil over medium-high heat, sauté the vegetables until softened to your preference. (pic 5)

• To make the sweet and sour sauce for the chicken – Pour the sauce ingredients into the skillet with the vegetables. Let it come to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, add the slurry. Mix well. (pic 6)

• Once the sauce has thickened, add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes. At this point, you can add cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper if you want a spicier sauce. Serve over rice. (pic 7–8)

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HOW TO MAKE SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN HEALTHY

You can also enjoy homemade sweet and sour chicken in a healthier way. Swap out a few ingredients for healthier options.

Substitute chicken thighs for chicken breast or shrimp.

Grill the chicken instead of frying in oil. I haven’t tried this yet, but some people have said they’ve had good results with air-fried chicken.

Use a sugar substitute, such as honey, stevia, or a different sweetener.

Substitute avocado, coconut, or grapeseed oil for the vegetable oil.

As I mentioned earlier in the post, this sweet n sour chicken takes some time to prep. To make things easy, it’s BEST to prep EVERYTHING first. Get all the ingredients out, dice the veggies, grate the ginger, dice the pineapple, and so on

Tools used to make this Sweet and Sour Chicken

15 Inch Cast iron skillet Chop sticks Mixing bowls Double burner griddle 

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