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 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 doesn’t get too mushy.
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.
This quick dinner recipe makes four light dinner portions. You can also easily share this between two hungry people as well.
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. When reheating this dish, simply microwave everything in a microwave safe dish. You can also reheat it in a non-stick skillet as well. This meal is not freezer friendly.
Looking for more tasty chicken recipes? Try my shredded BBQ chicken or my one pan chicken cacciatore. Both have so much flavor.
Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken and rice
- 1 lb. chicken breasts , cut into one cubic inch sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper , season the chicken
- 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice , white rice works well too
- 1.5 cups bone broth, Smart Chicken brand – classic flavor
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
Veggies and fruit
- 20 ounce can pineapple chunks, reserve the juice for the sauce
- 1 small- medium red onion, diced into medium sized pieces, about 1 cup
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced into medium sized pieces, about 1 cup
- salt and pepper to taste, season the veggies and pineapple
Sweet and sour sauce
- 1 cup pineapple juice , from the can
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2.5 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water to form a slurry
Optional garnishes
- fresh cilantro
- crushed peanuts
- toasted sesame seeds
Equipment
- sauce pot for the rice
- saucepan for everything else
- 2 bowls to hold the cooked chicken and veggies
Instructions
Prepare the rice:
- Add the butter, rice and bone broth to a sauce pot. Stir.
- Bring it to a boil and cover with a lid creating an airtight seal.
- Once you cover the pot, reduce the heat and let the rice cook for 15 minutes.
Prepare the chicken:
- Cube the chicken breasts using poultry scissors.
- Add the olive oil to an 11-inch non-stick saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the cubed chicken to the pan and season it with salt and pepper.
- Once the chicken has a golden-brown sear and is fully cooked through, remove it from the pan using tongs and place the cubes in a small bowl. Set aside.
Prepare the veggies and fruit:
- Using the same pan, add the diced onion, diced red bell pepper and pineapple chunks to the pan. The excess juice from the pineapple will deglaze the pan.
- Cook for about 5-10 minutes or until the veggies and pineapple have slightly softened. You do not want the veggies to get too soft.
- Remove the veggies and pineapple from the pan using tongs and place them in a small bowl. Set aside.
- If there are any burnt pieces on the bottom of the pan, rinse them off before proceeding. You do not want your sauce to have a burnt flavor.
Prepare the sauce:
- Still using the same pan, add the pineapple juice, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, and rice vinegar to the pan. Whisk until everything is well combined.
- Once the sauce begins to bubble, add the cornstarch slurry. Stir until the sauce thickens.
- Add the cooked chicken cubes and veggies into the sauce. Toss until well coated.
Assemble the meal:
- Add some rice to the bottom of your bowl.
- Top with the saucy chicken and veggies.
- Add your favorite garnishes and enjoy hot!
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.