• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Whisk It Real Gud

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact/Work with me
  • Privacy Policy
  • SHOP
  • Recipe Index
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

    By April Boller Wright 46 Comments

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet
    Share
    Yum
    15K Shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This post may contain affiliate links. See my full disclosure here.

    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!  

    A plate of sweet and sour chicken with bell peppers, onions, pineapples tossed in a sweet and savory sauce over rice.

    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

    "Oh my gord."- Camille

    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 combo 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, its homemade so you know what's in it! My picky 6 year old, who's palate only consists of hamburgers, pizza, noodles and fries actually loves this too!

    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 your 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 used 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 peppers and red pepper if you like a spicier sweet and sour sauce. Ditch the pineapples if you don't like them.

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

     This recipe makes a big batch. Perfect for big families and great as leftovers. 

    Crispy fried chicken fresh out of the oil

    SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN INGREDIENTS

    My homemade sweet and sour chicken recipe consists of  bell peppers, pineapples, onions, and  chicken thighs and 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 and 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 to the side. 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 to the side.  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 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 ziplock bag or large enough bowl. Add ⅛ tsp salt to the mixture. Mix to combine. Stir the the chicken to coat with the egg. Add a couple pieces of chicken into the ziplock 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 ½ - 2 inches of oil. Once the oil heats up to 350 F add the chicken to the oil. You can add several pieces at a one time.Using a heat proof spoon or spatula, spread the chicken out so it's not touching. Fry for 3-4 minutes. Once the chicken is done, place the chicken on the parchment lined baking sheet. Remove all but a tablespoon and a half of oil from the skillet. (pic 4)
    • Vegetables - In the skillet with the oil over medium high heat, saute the vegetables until softened to your preference.  (pic 5)

    Step by step pics on how to make sweet and sour chicken

    • 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 peppers if you want a more spicier sauce. Serve over rice. (pic 7-8)sweet and sour step by step directions with pictures

    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 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 pineapples and so on.

    SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN TIPS AND TRICKS

    If you don't like pineapples or if you're allergic to them, you can substitute the pineapple for mangoes.

    For more variety, you can use shredded carrots or broccoli. 

    FYI, I  seasoned the chicken with 1 ¾ tsp of salt and 1 tsp of pepper. I also added about ⅛ tsp of salt to the flour mixture then mixed to combine. 

    Give the chicken in the bowl a good stir before you dredge it into the flour, or the egg may sink to the bottom of the bowl.  We want to make sure the there's egg on all of the chicken, so every now and then stir.

    Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes. Fry several pieces of chicken at a time but don't overcrowd the skillet. Use a heat proof strainer or spoon, spread the chicken out so it's not touching.

    Don't overcook the chicken or the pieces may become tough and no one likes tough chicken.

    When the temperature on a meat thermometer reads 165 F it's done. 

    Serve with basmati or jasmine rice. I served this dish with coconut rice. 

    Shortcuts - Substitute store brand sweet chili sauce for the homemade Chinese sweet and sour sauce. Sometimes I like to keep sweet chili sauce on hand to make easy Chinese takeout at home.

    When I'm in a rush, I reach for the ginger in the tube, however I used 2 inches of fresh ginger in this recipe. You can also substitute fresh bell peppers for a bag of the frozen ones. Feel free to use canned Pineapple if you like as well. 

    Tools used to make this sweet and sour chicken 

    15 Inch Cast iron skillet

    Chop sticks

    Mixing bowls

    Double burner griddle 

    A bowl of sweet and sour chicken over rice

    Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapples

    April Boller Wright
    Homemade sweet and sour chicken that's tossed in a thick sweet and sour sauce. No need for Chinese takeout when you can make it fresh in the comfort of your home. 
    5 from 19 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Dinner, Lunch
    Cuisine Chinese

    Ingredients
      

    Prep

    • 2.5 cups pineapple cut into 1 inch pieces
    • 2.5 cups bell peppers cut into 1 inch pieces
    • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
    • 1 ¼ cup red onions cut into 1 inch pieces

    Sweet and Sour Sauce

    • 1 cup rice vinegar
    • ½ cup ketchup
    • 2 inch grated ginger
    • 3 tsp minced garlic
    • ½ cup sugar
    • ¼ cup brown sugar plus an additional two tbsp
    • 1 cup pineapple juice
    • ⅛ tsp red pepper
    • 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base

    For the chicken dredge

    • 1 cup cornstarch
    • ½ cup flour
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 ¾ tsp salt plus ⅛ tsp for later for dredging the chicken
    • 1 tsp pepper
    • ¼ tsp onion powder

    Slurry

    • 2 tbsp cornstarch
    • ¼ cup of the sweet and sour sauce Take 2 tbsp from the sauce you made

    Instructions
     

    Prep

    • Cut the boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 1 inch pieces. Next, place chicken into a large bowl season with 1 ¾ tsp salt and also season with pepper. Add the eggs to the bowl with the chicken. Mix well. Make sure all of the chicken is coated with the eggs. Cover and place the chicken into the fridge.
    • Cut the bell peppers, pineapple and onions into 1 inch pieces. Set them to the side separately. 
    • Add all of the sweet and sour sauce ingredients to a medium sized bowl and mix well. Set to the side 

    Slurry

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

    Chicken

    • Have a baking sheet lined with parchment paper ready. Set up the dredging station. Next, add cornstarch and flour to a ziplock bag or bowl with ⅛ tsp of salt. Mix to combine.
    • Add a couple pieces of chicken into the flour/cornstarch or bowl and dredge. Shake of the excess flour mixture. Place each coated chicken on the parchment lined baking sheet to rest. Dredge the rest of the chicken. 
    • Add oil to a large skillet. Just enough to barely cover the chicken, about 1 ½ - 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 but don't overcrowd the skillet or the oil temperature will go down and the chicken won't turn out crispy. Using a heat proof spoon or spatula, spread the chicken out so it's not touching. 
    • Fry for 3-4 minutes. Once the chicken is done, place the chicken on the parchment lined baking sheet. Remove all but a tablespoon and a half of oil from the skillet. 
    • In the skillet with the oil, over medium high heat, saute the vegetables until softened to your preference. Keep the vegetables in the skillet.

    To make the sauce

    • Pour the sauce into the skillet with the cooked vegetables. Let it come to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling add the slurry. Mix well.  Once the sauce has thickened, add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes. 
      At this point, you can add cayenne pepper or crushed red peppers if you want a more spicier sauce. Serve over rice. 

    Notes

    TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAKE SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN 

    As I mentioned earlier in the post, this homemade 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 pineapples and so on.
    If you don't like pineapples or if you're allergic to them, you can substitute the pineapple for mangoes.
    For more variety, you can use shredded carrots or broccoli. 
    FYI, I  seasoned the chicken with 1 ¾ tsp of salt and 1 tsp of pepper. I also added about ⅛ tsp of salt to the flour mixture then mixed to combine. 
    Give the chicken in the bowl a good stir before you dredge it into the flour, or the egg may sink to the bottom of the bowl.  We want to make sure the there's egg on all of the chicken. So every now and then stir.
    The dredge: When coating the chicken with the flour there's no need to worry about whether the chicken is coated enough. Just dredge the chicken one time shake off excess and place it on the baking sheet. If you dredge the chicken too much you may run out of the flour mixture. 
    Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes. You can fry several pieces of chicken at a time but don't overcrowd the skillet. Using a heat proof strainer or spoon, spread the chicken out so it's not touching on another.
    Try not to overcook the chicken or the pieces may become tough and no one likes tough chicken.
    The chicken is done when the temperature on a meat thermometer reads 165 F.  Serve with basmati or jasmine rice. I made this dish with the coconut rice.
    Shortcuts - Substitute store brand sweet chili sauce for the homemade Chinese sweet and sour sauce. Sometimes I like to keep sweet chili sauce on hand to make easy Chinese takeout at home.
    When I'm in a rush, I reach for the ginger in the tube, however I used 2 inches of fresh ginger in this recipe. You can also substitute fresh bell peppers for a bag of the frozen ones. Feel free to use canned Pineapple if you like as well. 
    Keyword chinese sweet and sour chicken, sweet and sour chicken, sweet n sour chicken
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    A plate of sweet and sour chicken with bell peppers, onions, pineapples tossed in a sweet and savory sauce over rice.

    If you think this sweet and sour chicken recipe looks good, save it to your Pinterest Board or share it on Facebook. Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest too.

    You may also like these:

    Peruvian Fried Rice 

    Bulgogi Chicken (An easy chicken marinade)

    Asian Cucumber and Carrot Salad 

    Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry 

    Easy Teriyaki Baked Chicken Legs 

    « SOUTHERN SWEET CORNBREAD W/ Video
    The Best Creamy & Easy Tomato Bisque »
    Join our Facebook Group!

    Subscribe For Free Recipes!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bryan

      February 21, 2022 at 6:59 pm

      I have someone who sits across the table from me who will not allow me to ever use any kind of peppers in my recipes! Do you have good recommendations for a substitute, please?

      Reply
      • April Boller Wright

        February 22, 2022 at 5:40 pm

        Maybe you can use fresh broccoli, cauliflower, green beans or onions instead of peppers?

        Reply
    2. Sara Covey

      February 12, 2022 at 1:45 pm

      Hi! I’m making this dish tonight but wanted to know how to sub ground ginger for fresh. What would be the approximate measurement of ground ginger?

      Reply
      • April Boller Wright

        February 12, 2022 at 5:50 pm

        Hi Sara! Start of with 1/4 tsp, taste then add more if you like. You can add up to 1 1/4 tsp of ground ginger. A little goes a long way.

        Reply
    3. Coby

      January 13, 2021 at 9:17 pm

      This is the first recipe of yours that I’ve made and it did.not.disappoint!!! My kids, who hate any kind of Asian food, said they thought it was really good. Score! It was a labor of love, but absolutely worth it. Delicious! I will definitely be making it again!5 stars

      Reply
      • April

        January 16, 2021 at 3:19 pm

        Yay! That's definitely good news! Thank you!

        Reply
    4. Colleen

      March 11, 2020 at 7:49 am

      I have been looking for a sweet and sour chicken recipe to make! Thank you for sharing! Colleen

      Reply
      • April

        March 15, 2020 at 10:53 pm

        You're welcome! Did you try it yet?

        Reply
        • Colleen

          March 27, 2020 at 6:45 am

          I made this last night. The sauce is so very tasty! This recipe was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you for sharing! Colleen

          Reply
          • April

            March 30, 2020 at 10:20 am

            Yay! Thanks for trying it Colleen!

            Reply
    5. Jo

      April 13, 2019 at 3:14 am

      That's one sensational chicken dish. What an amazing weekday dinner, full of flavors and so easy to make! Your photos are amazing, i'm so drooling over it5 stars

      Reply
      • April

        April 14, 2019 at 5:13 pm

        Thanks so much Jo!

        Reply
    6. Geetanjali Tung

      April 12, 2019 at 11:48 pm

      I must say this is one of my favorite recipes i like to relish specially on weekends. Love the use of pinapple...Will definitely try this way next time 🙂5 stars

      Reply
    7. Lathiya

      April 12, 2019 at 5:34 pm

      Chicken is one of my family favorite and this sweet and sour chicken looks absolutely delicious. The recipe looks easy. Will try this for sure5 stars

      Reply
    8. Ros @ ZenHealth

      April 09, 2019 at 3:02 pm

      Yum! This sounds absolutely delicious!

      Reply
      • April

        April 10, 2019 at 1:44 pm

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    9. Maman de sara

      April 08, 2019 at 7:17 pm

      I bet my picky eaters will love this sweet and sour chicken too. That looks colorful and yummy.5 stars

      Reply
    10. Mimi

      April 08, 2019 at 6:32 pm

      I think there is no other ingredient that goes so well together with chicken as pineapple. It creates such a great contrast of taste, flavor and texture that it is always an enjoyable combo to have on the table - great recipe!
      Mimi My Profile5 stars

      Reply
      • April

        April 10, 2019 at 1:45 pm

        Thanks Mirlene!!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published.

    Recipe Rating




    Show more posts

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    April Wright Whisk it Real Gud_I'm April and I hope you stay for a while. Being a mom (plus a bonus mom) with kids on the autism spectrum, I need to be super efficient with my time. That’s why I create simple recipes that are delicious and don’t require a lot of steps. On this site you'll find all kinds of easy recipes. Comfort foods, southern recipes, restaurant favorites, salads and ethnic recipes and more! Read more .

    Don't miss any of my FREE recipes!

    SUBSCRIBE NOW

    A picture of a bowl of soul food potato salad with eggs and yellow mustard
    A bowl of ice cream with buttery crisp topping peach cobbler
    A picture of a bowl of creamy Hoppin John with rice
    A bowl of crispy seasoned fried okra
    A bowl of thanksgiving yams
    Cajun Chicken Pasta
    Jamaican Beef Patties

    Jamaican Beef Patties

    A plate of bulgogi chicken

    Korean Chicken (An Easy Chicken Marinade)

    a picture of crispy chicken stir fry

    Chicken Green Bean Stir Fry (With Sweet Chili Sauce) A Viral Highly Rated Recipe

    A picture of Asian cucumber and carrot salad

    Asian Cucumber and Carrot Salad (A Viral Recipe)

    A picture of chopsticks holding a pice of sweet and sour chicken

    Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

    A plate of shrimp lettuce wraps with sweet chili mayo

    15 Minute Shrimp Lettuce Wraps w/ Sweet Chili Mayo

    If you are a fan of sweet Thai chili sauce, you gotta try mine! The sauce can be refrigerated for months and you can use it in so many dishes! Don't buy store brand anymore. Homemade sweet Thai chili sauce is so much better and EASY!

    Easy Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

    A plate of teriyaki chicken legs

    Easy Teriyaki Baked Chicken Legs

    Boldly flavored, flaky, crispy skin salmon fillets with sweet Thai chili mustard glazed sauce! Best thing ever! Amazing recipe adapted Chrissy Teigen's Cravings Cookbook!

    Chrissy Teigen's Sweet Chili and Mustard Glazed Salmon Fillets

    Southern Sweet Potato Pie

    Best Southern Sweet Potato Pie (The Fast Way With Video) & Juneteenth Cookout Takeover

    A photo of the Best Meatloaf Recipe with a peppery ketchup and brown sugar glaze on a serving platter

    Yasss The Best Meatloaf Recipe Highly Rated w/ Video

    A bowl of thanksgiving yams

    Best Ever Southern Candied Yams Recipe (Stove-top) W/Video

    Cajun Chicken Pasta

    Delicious and Easy Cajun Chicken Pasta

    Best French Toast Recipe

    Best French Toast Recipe

    Crispy tuna fishcakes withlemon, herb, and garlic with breadcrumbs

    Crispy Lemon Parmesan, Garlic & Herb Tuna Patties (Tuna fish cake recipe)w/Video

    April is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”

    Footer

    April Boller Wright company logos that has featured her