Lighter Sweet And Sour Chicken
A lighter take on sweet and sour chicken recipe that is much healthier than the take-out version! My healthier sweet and sour chicken is loaded with veggies and the chicken is sautéed, not fried. Just like your favorite Chinese restaurant, but much tastier & lighter on the waistline!
Servings: 5 -6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 red bell pepper. cubed
- 1 green bell pepper cubed
- 1 carrot sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
- 1 small white onion cubed and separated
- 1 22 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained*
sweet and sour sauce:
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 7 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup orange juice*
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- First prepare the sauce. Add the ketchup, sugar, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, garlic powder, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes to a medium saucepan over medium high heat, bring the sauce to a boil. Mix the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl, add to the saucepan and stir until thickened, reduce the heat to low and allow the sauce to cook for 4 minutes. Remove from stove.
- Add the cornstarch and salt to a Ziploc bag. Zip and shake to combine the two. Add the chicken pieces, seal and continue to shake until the chicken is coated.
- Drizzle the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the coated chicken using a pair of tongs. Discard any remaining cornstarch. Sauté over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes. Add the carrots, pepper, and onions. Continue to sauté for another 1-2 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Add in the pineapple chunks along with the sauce. Stir to coat well. Serve warm with cooked white or brown rice.
Notes
- If you do not have orange juice, you can substitute the syrup from the canned pineapple or apple juice.
