Description
This Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken combines flavorful ingredients into a simple dish. It’s perfect for a quick dinner, featuring succulent chicken, refreshing pineapple, and a tangy sauce all cooked in one skillet. Enjoy a homemade meal that is both healthy and satisfying!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup 100% pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (honey, or date syrup)
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup ketchup (paleo friendly or tomato paste)
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot flour (or tapioca flour)
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1-2” pieces)
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 2/3 cup arrowroot flour (or tapioca)
- 1 large egg (whisked)
- Olive oil or avocado oil (for frying)
- 1 medium yellow onion (sliced into 1” pieces)
- 1 red bell pepper (sliced into 1” pieces)
- 1 green bell pepper (sliced into 1” pieces)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup pineapple chunks (if canned, drain the juice first, or use it for the sauce)
- toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)
- sliced green onion (for garnish)
Instructions
- Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Season arrowroot flour or tapioca with salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.
- Whisk the egg in another shallow bowl and season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Lightly coat chicken in the egg, then toss in arrowroot flour, shaking off excess, and place on a large plate.
- Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, cook the chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden. Place on a paper-towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining chicken, adjusting heat as needed.
- Drain excess oil, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons in the skillet, and lower heat to medium. Optionally, drain and clean skillet if there are a lot of browned bits, then add a tablespoon of oil to cook the veggies.
- Add onion and bell peppers to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes until crisp-tender.
- Stir in garlic and pineapple and cook for an additional minute.
- Pour the sauce into the skillet, stirring well. Cook until the sauce bubbles and thickens for about 2-3 minutes. Add the fried chicken pieces and toss gently to coat in the sauce.
- Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. This chicken pairs well with sautéed cauliflower rice or stir-fried veggies.
Notes
Feel free to adjust the sweetness of the sauce by altering the maple syrup amount.
You can substitute chicken thighs with boneless chicken breasts for a leaner option.
For a vegetarian twist, replace chicken with tofu.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 120mg