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–+ servings
Sweet and Sour Chicken
This is an easy dinner recipe the whole family will enjoy! The Sweet and Sour sauce is sweet, tangy, and has the perfect amount of heat.
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Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chicken breast
  • 1/2 cup corn starch
  • 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp each garlic powder and onion powder
  • 3-4 tbsp peanut oil or any frying oil
  • 1/2 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp less sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water
  • 2 green onions, chopped

Instructions

  • Cut 1 lb of chicken into bite sized pieces and dry it well with paper towels. Add the chicken to a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup corn starch, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Toss until well coated.
  • Next, add 3-4 tablespoons of peanut oil to a pan on medium-high heat.
  • Once the oil is hot add the chicken evenly to the bottom of the pan and allow it to cook for 3-4 minutes before stirring and cooking until crispy and golden on all sides.
  • Once the chicken is fully cooked remove it from the pan and set aside.
  • To make the sauce lower the heat in that same pan and add 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp (less sodium) soy sauce, 1 tbsp minced garlic, and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes.
  • Allow that to simmer for 2 minutes before stirring in a cornstarch slurry ( 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water). Once the sauce has thickened add your chicken back to the pan, toss to coat, and serve!
  • Top the whole pan of Sweet and Sour Chicken with chopped green onions. Enjoy! Serve over white rice.

Notes

  • I like to use chicken breast for this recipe, but if your family prefers thighs, boneless thighs would work well too!
  • Make sure to pat your chicken dry with a paper towel to ensure even coating before tossing in seasoning and cornstarch.
  • I like to use peanut oil for this recipe, but you can use whatever frying oil you have on hand.
  • If you really want to speed up this recipe you can cube up your chicken ahead of time and prep all the sauce ingredients in a bowl to add to the pan all at once.
  • I like to top mine with fresh chopped green onions, but those are optional if you don’t have any on hand.
  • I like to use apple cider vinegar for this recipe, but you can use white vinegar if that’s all you have on hand. I’d just start with 3/4 tsp since it has a stronger flavor.
  • Serve right away. If the chicken sits in the sauce it won't be as crispy. 
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