This Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe brings crunchy pan-fried chicken with sweet bell peppers and pineapple chunks in a lightly sweetened tangy sauce. It tastes much better than Chinese takeout and comes together quickly and easily for a tasty family meal. Serve over brown or white rice or with Chinese noodles.
I add just a couple of pinches of crushed red pepper, which perfectly balances the sweetness of the pineapple and adds just a touch of pizzazz. If you like this dish, try my Hawaiian pizza, chicken fried rice, Szechuan beef, and chicken yakisoba.
This scrumptious recipe is one of our favorite stir-fries. The chicken pieces are pan-fried, so this recipe does not require deep frying. The chicken has a nice mellow crunch and is moist and tender on the inside. The sauce is full of flavor and is not overly sweet, which is perfect for bringing out the natural sweetness of the onions and peppers.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Pineapple juice: for the sauce. I like the 100% juice with no added sugar.
- Apple cider vinegar: rice vinegar can be substituted
- Soy sauce: preferably low-sodium
- Ketchup: organic does taste better
- Chicken: boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Vegetable oil: or canola oil
- Pineapple: I like to use fresh pineapple, but you can use canned as well
How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Whisk together the pineapple juice, garlic, water, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Simmer the mixture on low to medium heat until slightly thickened. Cover the sauce and remove it from the heat.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken and cornstarch. Toss with tongs to coat. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, shaking any excess cornstarch off the chicken. Cook until nicely browned on all sides. Remove the chicken and put it on a plate while you cook the vegetables.
Add a little more oil to the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions and peppers until slightly tender. Reduce the heat to low and add the chicken back to the pan with peppers and onions. Pour the sauce into the skillet, and add the pineapple, crushed red pepper, and salt to taste. Gently stir to combine and heat until warmed. Serve over cooked rice or Chinese noodles. Garnish with green onions or toasted sesame seeds.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- Cut your chicken into small bite-size pieces so they cook through when browned.
- Cook the sweet and sour sauce until slightly thickened, as it will thicken more upon cooling.
- Use fresh bell peppers and, when seasonably possible, fresh pineapple.
- For a little kick, add 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Serve this dish immediately so the chicken and peppers remain crunchy and crisp. Please do not mix them until you are ready to eat.
- I love pineapple, but it can quickly overpower this dish, so don’t get carried away.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Serving Suggestions
- Starch: brown or white rice, Chinese noodles, and rice noodles
- Appetizers: classic egg rolls, pork fried dumplings, cream cheese wontons, and lettuce wraps
- Soup: egg drop soup, wonton soup, hot and sour soup
Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fresh pineapple juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Sweet and Sour Chicken
- 1 1/4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts or bonelss skinless chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 medium onion large dice
- 1 green bell pepper seeded large dice
- 1 red bell pepper seeded large dice
- 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
- 2 pinches red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: Cooked Rice or Chinese noodles
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine pineapple juice, garlic, water, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. On low heat, simmer until thickened, whisking frequently. Cover and remove from heat.
- In a large Ziploc bag, combine chicken and 1/3 cup corn starch. Shake until coated.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, shaking any access cornstarch off the chicken. Cook until nicely browned on all sides and cooked through about 4-5 minutes. Reduce the heat if needed so the chicken does not over-brown or stick to the pan. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the peppers to the skillet and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat to low; add the chicken back to the pan with the peppers and onions and cook for 1 minute. Pour the sauce into the skillet, and add the pineapple, crushed red pepper, and salt to taste. Gently stir to combine and heat until warmed. Serve over cooked rice or Chinese noodles.
Video
Notes
- Cut your chicken into small bite-size pieces so they cook through when browned.
- Cook the sweet and sour sauce until it is slightly thickened, as it will thicken more upon cooling.
- Use fresh bell peppers and, when seasonably possible, fresh pineapple.
- For a little kick, add 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Serve this dish immediately so the chicken and peppers remain crunchy and crisp. Therefore, do not mix them until you are ready to eat.
- I love pineapple, but it can quickly overpower this dish, so don’t get carried away.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
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Luna S
Is it lunch time yet? So good, I love this recipe. Sweet & sour chicken is one of my favorites along side sesame chicken.
Lizzie Beth
I knew this recipe would be delicious when I read it, but it exceeded expectations! We absolutely loved it. It’s so much better than take out. I doubled the sauce recipe because I wanted to serve it over rice and it was the perfect amount.. I also used canned pineapple chunks because I didn’t want to go to the store for fresh pineapple. I’m sure fresh pineapple is superior to canned in this dish, but the canned didn’t disappoint. The can was at room temp and I added the pineapple at the end, just before I turned off the heat so it wouldn’t cook down to mush. It was heated through because the sauce was bubbly. Thanks for sharing! This is now on our dinner rotation.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much, Lizzie Beth! I am so happy that everyone liked it! Have a wonderful weekend!
Kelly Bolen
Saving for later! This looks delicious!
Midwife360
Great recipe! I love the added pineapple juice for a kick of sweetness.
Beth Pierce
Thanks! So glad that you like it!
Monidipa
We too make sweet-sour chicken in India it is common here. And the recipe is almost similar. We prefer it with Rice. But you have amazingly explained how to store leftovers that’s really helpful for me.
briannemanzb
My boyfriend’s favorite food is sweet and sour chicken. He loves this so much! Thank you for sharing your recipe
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine! So glad that he loves it!
Tweenselmom
I love the combination of flavors in this sweet and sour chicken. I’m inspired to make this kind of meal again, thanks!
Stephanie
One pan, 30-minute meals are my favorite! Especially when they have as much flavor as this one does. I love pineapple so it was perfect!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Stephanie! I am so happy that you enjoyed it!
E
This looks amazing! I love sweet and sour chicken so I cant wait to try this out! Great share!
Elizabeth Ervin
This was such an easy fix and my family loved it! The pineapple juice in the sauce is it! So good!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Elizabeth! So happy that your family loved it!
Beth
Just looking at this is making me hungry! It was so delicious. I absolutely love all the flavors in this recipe, and I love how easy it is to make. I never knew that about the pineapple! Thanks for the tip.
Holley
I’m always looking for new and yummy one skillet recipes and so glad I found this one! Does not disappoint!! Super YUM!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Holley! So glad that you liked it!
Shanika Graham-White
I tried this recipe and it is now my new favorite! Thank you!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Shanika! So happy that you like it!
Mahy
Who wouldn’t enjoy chicken with this flavor?! Fantastic recipe and very easy-to-follow instructions.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Mahy! So happy that you liked it!
Dannii
I love making my own takeaways at home and this is one of my favourites. Yours looks incredible.
Jess
This is my fave thing to order when I eat out. So happy I can enjoy it at home instead!