• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Yummy Bowl
  • Browse by Category
    • 30-Minute Meals
    • One-Pot Meals
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizers
    • Dinner
    • Soups
    • Sides
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Kid Friendly Recipes
    • Vegetarian
    • Pasta
    • Sandwiches & Wraps
    • Air Fryer
    • Slow Cooker
    • Cooking Tips and Ideas
    • Popular Recipes
  • Browse by Season
    • Fall
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Winter
  • Browse by Protein
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Fish
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cooking 101
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • About
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Cooking 101
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • About
×
The Yummy Bowl » Recipes » 30-Minute Meals

Sweet And Sour Chicken Stir Fry

Jun 19, 2021 · Last updated: Sep 8, 2024 by Julia · 5 Comments · this post may contain affiliate links

Jump to Recipe

Sweet, sticky, easy to make, this Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry is perfect to serve over rice or noodles and is kid-friendly as it is not spicy and made without deep-frying. The dish comes together in 30 minutes!

I have added the classics like bell peppers, pineapple, onion to the dish but you can also make it just with chicken on its own which will reduce the prep time even more!

It is for sure better than take-out, healthier, and you can control all the flavors and balance the sweetness if you like. This is not the typical battered deep-fried sweet and sour chicken but a lighter version and quicker.

The chicken pieces are mixed in cornstarch which adds a unique and delicate tenderness to the chicken and makes it really juicy when simmered in sauce.

Jump To
  • Ingredients
  • How To Make Sweet and Sour Chicken
  • Tips
  • Easy Chicken Recipes
  • Recipe Card
  • You'll Also Love
  • Comments

Ingredients

  • Chicken Breasts - use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or alternatively, chicken thighs will work too. Just more prep on your side and smaller strips/chunks.
  • Cornstarch - makes the chicken extra tender and thickens the sauce.
  • Ketchup - you can also use tomato paste but the flavor will be different. You might need to add extra sugar to balance it off.
  • Vinegar - you can use both White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar 
  • Soy Sauce - makes the sweet and sour sauce taste as it should be! Use the low sodium option. Use Tamari or Coconut Aminos for GF option.

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Loading

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Yummy Bowl.

How To Make Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat add oil and saute garlic and ginger for about 1 minute.

Stir in sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce. Simmer until sugar dissolves.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together cornstarch and water and pour the mixture into the saucepan.

Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes until the sweet and sour sauce starts thickening. Set aside.

Chicken prep. In a medium bowl add chicken, season with salt and pepper and stir in the cornstarch.

Make sure all the chicken pieces are covered in cornstarch. Set aside.

Cook. In a large skillet or wok over medium to high heat add 2-3 tablespoon of vegetable oil and cook the chicken until golden brown on all sides (about 3-4 minutes.)

Remove from pan and set aside in a plate lined with a paper towel.  

In the same skillet add vegetables, cook for a few minutes until they get almost tender, and throw in the pineapple.

Stir well and return chicken to the pan, pour the sauce on top.

Stir and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Taste the sauce for seasoning, add salt and pepper if needed.

Serve with scallions, sesame seeds and rice, noodles or other favorite side.

🥢 Make Next: Asian Cabbage Stir Fry

Tips

  • Make it spicy - the sweet and sour chicken has ginger in the mix which may add a little spicy flavor to it, but I also prefer adding chili flakes or thinly sliced hot peppers in the sauce or on top of the finished dish when serving.
  • Sweet and sour sauce - The dish has plenty of sauce to pour on your side dish later as well. I just like my sauces this way! One more thing to note: when the cornstarch is added, the sauce turns very light and pale in color, which is normal, after simmering for a while it will start thickening and hence will change the color to red-orange. 
  • Pineapple - canned or fresh. is totally optional, and adds extra sweetness to the dish. You can also leave the bell peppers out and make the sweet and sour chicken just with onion and chicken too.
  • Fresh produce - Use fresh bell peppers and pineapple if possible.

Easy Chicken Recipes

  • Crockpot Chicken Enchilada
  • Chicken Zucchini Casserole
  • Chicken Pasta in White Wine Sauce
  • Million Dollar Chicken Casserole

ALL Dinner recipes.

Recipe Card

chicken chunks with bell peppers and pineapple in rich sweet and sour sauce in a bowl garnished with chili slices and scallion

How To Make Sweet And Sour Chicken Stir Fry

Julia
Sweet, sticky, easy to make, this Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry is perfect to serve over rice or noodles and is kid-friendly as it is not spicy and made without deep-frying. The dish comes together in 30 minutes!
5 from 6 votes
Print SaveSaved! Pin
Prep Time 7 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 27 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4 portions
Calories 381 kcal

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Loading

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Yummy Bowl.

INGREDIENTS
  

Chicken

  • 2 large chicken breasts, medium chunks, or cubed
  • 3 tablespoon cornstarch
  • salt and pepper to taste

Stir Fry

  • 1 small bell pepper, yellow, cut into 1 ½ inch chunks
  • 1 small bell pepper, red, cut into 1 ½ inch chunks
  • 1 medium yellow/brown onion, cut into 1 ½ inch chunks
  • ½ cup pineapple chunks, canned or fresh
  • 1-2 tablespoon scallion for garnish, thinly sliced
  • 1-2 teaspoon sesame seeds, for garnish
  • 1-2 small hot peppers, thinly sliced for garnish
  • Vegetable oil for cooking

Sauce

  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce, low sodium, gluten free
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoon cold water
  • ¼ cup ketchup, make sure it's gluten free
  • 1 ½ teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, grated or paste

INSTRUCTIONS
 

  • Sweet and Sour sauce. In a small saucepan add oil over medium heat and saute garlic and ginger for about 1 minute. Stir in sugar, vinegar, honey, ketchup, soy sauce. Simmer until sugar dissolves.
  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together cornstarch and water and pour the mixture into the saucepan. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes until the sweet and sour sauce starts thickening. Set aside.
  • Chicken prep. In a medium bowl add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the cornstarch. Make sure all the chicken pieces are covered in cornstarch. Set aside.
  • Stir fry. In a large skillet or wok over medium to high heat add 2-3 tablespoon of vegetable oil and cook the chicken until golden brown on all sides (about 3-4 minutes.) Remove from pan and set aside in a plate lined with a paper towel.
  • In the same skillet add vegetables, cook for few minutes until they get almost tender and throw in the pineapple. Stir well and return the chicken to the pan, pour the sauce on top. Stir and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Taste the sauce for seasoning, add salt and pepper if needed.
  • Serve with scallions, sesame seeds, and rice, noodles, or another favorite side.

VIDEO

NOTES

Can you freeze stir fry? Sweet and Sour Chicken is a great dish to freeze, it remains very delicious after thawing.  Just let the stir-fry cool completely before freezing and then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight glass container (freezer-safe). Thaw in the fridge or room temperature and reheat in the skillet over the stovetop. 
However, on this note, pineapple may not retain the same flavor and texture after thawing. If you’ll add pineapples here, prepare as much as you will consume or remove the chunks before thawing and add fresh ones when reheating. 

ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES

Click here to add your own private notes.

NUTRITION

Calories: 381kcal
Tried this recipe?@theyummy_bowl and tag #theyummy_bowl! Thank you!

You'll Also Love

  • Tofu Veggie Stir Fry over rice
    Quick Veggie & Tofu Stir Fry
  • fried rice with chicken.
    Chicken Fried Rice
  • chicken chunks with bell peppers and pineapple in rich sweet and sour sauce in a bowl garnished with chili slices and scallion
    Sweet And Sour Chicken Stir Fry
  • spaghetti noodles with veggies and chicken in skillet.
    Chicken Lo Mein Recipe

Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.

Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.

« Jalapeno Simple Syrup
Gluten Free Cornbread Recipe »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jessica

    October 31, 2023 at 1:37 am

    Hi! How would you meal prep this: do you think the sweet and sour sauce be made in advance and kept in the fridge for a few days?

    Reply
    • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

      October 31, 2023 at 1:09 pm

      yes I think a few days is fine!

      Reply
  2. Julia

    July 16, 2021 at 3:13 am

    5 stars
    A delicious gluten free and healthy sweet and sour chicken!

    Reply
  3. Terry

    July 04, 2021 at 9:48 pm

    When does the honey go in the pot?

    Reply
    • Julia

      July 05, 2021 at 11:55 pm

      hi Terry, my apologies. Adjusted now, it is in the first step when making the sauce. Thank you for pointing this out!

      Reply
5 from 6 votes (5 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

the yummy bowl julia author

I'm Julia and welcome to The Yummy Bowl. I share easy and healthier recipes for busy people. Whether you're craving something deliciously healthy or a bit indulgent, you'll discover a variety of satisfying and comforting dishes here.

Readers Favorites

  • oatmeal cookies.
    No Sugar Added Healthy Breakfast Cookies (With Dried Fruit and Nuts)
  • a stack of banana oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips
    Banana Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips
  • slow cooker honey garlic chicken thighs
    Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs (Slow Cooker)
  • cabbage roll casserole with cheese.
    Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole (with Ground Beef)
  • marinated cucumber tomato onion salad.
    Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad (5 Minutes To Assemble)
  • roasted asparagus with cheese and tomatoes.
    Roasted Asparagus With Parmesan (And Tomatoes)

Connect With Me

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Footer

↑ back to top

About

Contact

Services

Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

Terms & Conditions

Facebook

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Copyright © 2021 The Yummy Bowl

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.