Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken
Looking for a quick dinner recipe? This easy sweet and sour chicken recipe is the answer. The entire meal comes together in under 40 minutes and is jam packed with flavor. Perfect for busy nights when you want a hot and tasty meal, fast. Plus, once your family tries this recipe, weeknight take-out will be a thing of the past.
About this Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
For this easy sweet and sour chicken recipe, I used Smart Chicken brand chicken breasts. I simply cut the chicken breasts into evenly sized cubes using poultry scissors. You will want the chicken cubes to be about one cubic inch. That way, you can easily eat the chicken without having to further cut it once it is cooked.
I also used canned pineapple chunks and the juice for this recipe. The canned chunks are easy to work with since they are already cut. Also, the juice gets used in the sauce for this recipe as well. Making this a total “no food waste” win! I used Del Monte’s deluxe gold pineapple chunks and they were delicious.
When dicing the onion and red bell pepper, try to cut them about the same size as the pineapple. This will ensure everything cooks evenly and quickly.
When boiling the rice, try using Smart Chicken’s classic flavored organic bone broth. It infused the rice with so much flavor, I seriously could have eaten the entire pan. If you haven’t tried their bone broth yet, this is the perfect way to start.
Storage
Simply store the chicken, veggies and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last for 3-4 days. I like to store my rice in a separate airtight container, so it doesn’t absorb too much sauce. The rice will also need refrigerated. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through. You can also reheat it in a non-stick skillet as well. Add a splash of water or chicken broth to help reconstitute the sauce. Looking for more tasty chicken recipes? Try my one pan chicken cacciatore.
Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken and Rice
- 1 lb. chicken breasts, cubed into 1-inch pieces
- kosher salt and black pepper, season the chicken
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, to pan fry the chicken
- 1 cup white rice, cook according to package
Vegetables and Fruit
- ½ cup pineapple chunks, canned, reserve the juice for the sauce
- 1 cup red onion, diced large
- 1 cup red bell pepper, diced large
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- ½ cup pineapple juice, from the can
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1.5 teaspoons cornstarch, mix with 1 tablespoon water, form slurry
Optional Garnishes
- cilantro
- crushed peanuts
- sesame seeds
Equipment
- 1 pot with lid for rice
- 1 saucepan
- 2 bowls
Instructions
Prepare the Rice
- Cook rice according to the package. Set aside.
Prepare the Sauce
- In a mixing bowl, combine the pineapple juice, low sodium soy sauce, ketchup, light brown sugar, rice vinegar and cornstarch slurry mix well and set aside.
Prepare the Chicken
- Cube the chicken breasts and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Add avocado oil to a saute pan over medium hight heat. Saute the chicken until golden-brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan.
Prepare the Vegetables and Fruit
- In the same pan, add the diced onion and diced red bell pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Next, add minced garlic and saute. Next, add the chicken back into the pan along with the sweet and sour sauce. Let the sauce simmer and reduce, then add the pineapple chunks. Simmer everything together over low heat, and once the sauce reduces to your liking, you can assemble the dish. If the sauce gets too thick add a splash of chicken broth.
Assemble
- Add cooked rice to the bottom of your bowl, Top with the sweet and sour chicken. Garnish with cilantro, crushed peanuts and sesame seeds. Enjoy.
4 Comments on “Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken”
Was looking for a recipe inspiration when I saw this last night. Simple to prepare and excellent. Will make this again soon.
Made this for dinner last night and is was delicious!! Will definitely make again.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! So easy to make too! Thank you for another great recipe!
I wanted to say your egg salad is absolutely the best I have made in years. Love the dill and black olives in it. Have made 3 times in the last 2 weeks. Thanks so much for a great recipe.