Sweet and sour chicken is one of my all-time favorite Chinese dishes. The perfect balance of sweet and sour and loaded with veggies! In this recipe, I cut out a lot of sugar from my original recipe without sacrificing flavor. Better than takeout and definitely better for you! Serves 6 (or 4 generous) portions.
Course Mains & Entrees
Cuisine Asian
Keyword chicken, dinner, easy, fun dinner, sour, stir fry, sweet
1teaspoonsambal oelek or srirachafor spice (optional)
1tablespooncornstarchplus 1 tablespoon cold water (cornstarch slurry)
FOR THE VEGGIES:
2carrotspeeled and sliced on an angle
1broccoli crowncut into florets
1mediumyellow onionchopped
1red bell pepperchopped into large bite-size pieces
2tablespoonsolive oil
kosher salt
10ouncesfresh pineapplecut into cubes (about 1-1/2 cups)
FOR THE CHICKEN:
1½poundsboneless skinless chicken breast halves
2tablespoonscornstarch
1/2teaspoonwhite pepper
1egg white
extra light olive oilplus more as needed
Instructions
TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
In a medium bowl whisk the sugars, honey, pineapple juice, tamari, ketchup, vinegar and chicken broth.
Season the cubed chicken with the pepper to combine and set aside.
TO MAKE THE VEGETABLES:
Preheat your oven to 500°.
Place the sliced carrots, broccoli florets, onion and chopped red pepper onto a rimmed metal baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil and season with a few pinches of kosher salt. Roast for 8-10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through roasting. Remove and set off to the side.
TO PREPARE THE CHICKEN:
Toss the chicken breast pieces with cornstarch and white pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy and add in the coated chicken. Toss to coat.
In a wok or large 12-inch chefs pan or skillet, add in 2 tablespoons of extra light olive oil or coconut oil and heat on medium-high to high heat. Once hot, work in batches cooking the chicken 4 to 6 minutes a side or until fully cooked. Add more oil as needed.
Once the chicken is fully cooked, reduce the heat to medium and add all of the chicken back into the pan, along with the minced garlic.
Cook for 1 to 2 minutes before adding in the vegetables and pineapple. Pour in the sweet and sour sauce and increase the heat back to high, and bring the sauce to a boil.
Once the sauce is boiling, pour in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until the sauce thickens. Taste and season the sauce with kosher salt, to your preference.
Serve the sweet and sour chicken over cooked rice and garnish with sliced green onions, cilantro and more sambal oelek or sriracha if desired.