Home > Dinner > Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry November 10, 2022 | No Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry combines veggies, pineapple, ground chicken, and an irresistible sauce. This simple-to-make weeknight dinner will be a hit with everyone! Try some other easy stir-fry recipes like this Chicken Stir-Fry, Pork Ramen Stir-Fry, and Ground Turkey Stir-Fry. Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe My whole family goes crazy for sweet and sour chicken, so this is my easy weeknight take on the meal. Ground meat always makes dinner come together so much quicker–in fact, this stir-fried sweet and sour chicken can be on the table in about 30 minutes or less! Even though we aren’t using cubed pieces of chicken that have been fried, we’re still getting the great flavors of sweet and sour chicken. Plus, it’s more nutritious without the frying (Healthy sweet and sour chicken stir fry for the win!). How To Make Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry Prepare the sauce. If you’d like, you can even mix this sauce up a day in advance or make a larger batch to use for a few different recipes throughout the week. Store everything in a jar in the fridge and give it a good stir/shake before using. Cook the chicken. Brown and crumble the ground chicken and then remove from the skillet. If you end up with some liquid in the pan, drain that off. I like to dump the ground chicken into a strainer set in the sink and let it drain while cooking the veggies. BTW, if you prefer, ground turkey works just as well as ground chicken. Of course, the name will then be Sweet and Sour Turkey Stir-Fry! Sauté the veggies and add aromatics. To sauté the onion and peppers, we use 1/2 of a green pepper and 1/2 of a red pepper, but if you’d prefer, use just 1 pepper total. (You can use leftover peppers in this Unstuffed Peppers meal or Chicken Fajitas.) Next, add in ginger and garlic — see “short cut” tip below! Mix everything together and enjoy! Once the sauce is whipped together, and the meat and veggies are cooked, it’s time to combine everything. Toss it all together and cook just until the sauce gets glossy and nicely coats the meat and veggies. Serve with sliced green onions over rice and enjoy. I told you it was quick and easy! SHORTCUTS There are two options for quick garlic and ginger in this Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry. We love Dorot® cubes which have crushed garlic and crushed ginger that you can keep handy in the freezer and pop into this (and other) recipes when needed. (Check if your local store carries them; they’re typically found with frozen veggies in the grocery store.) Another option is to use refrigerated garlic paste and refrigerated minced garlic. What Is Chinese Sweet and Sour Sauce Made Of? The sauce is typically made by combining sugar or honey with a sour liquid such as soy sauce or rice vinegar. Aromatics such as ginger and garlic are often added. Here’s a quick breakdown of our simple Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry Sauce: Cornstarch thickens the sauce and allows it to beautifully coat the chicken and veggies. Rice vinegar delivers the “sour” to the sauce. (If you see rice wine vinegar, it’s the same thing.) Light brown sugar is where we get the “sweet” in the sauce — add slowly and to taste to get the right level of sweetness. Ketchup adds a touch more sweetness and loads of flavor to the sauce. Soy sauce adds a nice overarching umami flavor and seasoning. Oyster sauce gives this Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry sauce a restaurant-quality feel. Stir-Fry Chicken Sweet and Sour Recipe Tips Adjust the sauce. We love this sauce exactly how it is written, but you may prefer a slightly sweeter or slightly more sour sauce — neither is hard to change! For a sweeter sauce, add a bit more sugar. For a more sour sauce, add 1-2 tablespoons of additional vinegar. You can also add 1/4 teaspoon (or more) of red pepper flakes to add some spice. Prepare this Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry with rice. If you haven’t boiled rice before, you are going to be thrilled with the ease and speed. All you’ll need to do is throw some rice in boiling water, boil it for 5-7 minutes, and voila — perfect rice! Want to save even more time (and dishes?) Use ready/microwaveable rice instead! Use a really large skillet or wok. There is a lot of volume in this recipe, so you’ll have a hard time mixing everything together if you’re working in a small skillet. I recommend a 12-inch or larger pan. More Easy Stir-Fry Recipes: Mongolian Ground Beef with green onions Rotisserie Chicken Stir-Fry with garlic and ginger Udon Stir Fry with loads of veggies Egg Roll in a Bowl with ground pork Dragon Noodles with a spicy stir-fry sauce FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry 5 from 1 vote - Review this recipe Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry combines veggies, pineapple, ground chicken, and an irresistible sauce. This simple-to-make weeknight dinner will be a hit with everyone! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry 5 from 1 vote - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry combines veggies, pineapple, ground chicken, and an irresistible sauce. This simple-to-make weeknight dinner will be a hit with everyone! Course Dinner, Main Course Cuisine Chinese Keyword Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry, sweet and sour chicken stir fry recipe Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Servings 4 servings Calories 295kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $9.12 IngredientsSauce (Note 1)▢ 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch▢ 1/2 cup 100% pineapple juice▢ 1/4 cup rice vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)▢ 3 up to 4 tablespoons light (or dark) brown sugar, lightly packed▢ 1/4 cup ketchup▢ 2 tablespoons soy sauce▢ 1 teaspoon oyster sauceChicken and Veggies▢ 1 tablespoon sesame (or vegetable) oil▢ 1 pound ground chicken or ground turkey▢ 2 teaspoons each: minced garlic, minced ginger▢ 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces (~3/4 cup)▢ 1/2 of 1 red pepper cut into 1-inch pieces▢ 1/2 of 1 green pepper cut into 1-inch pieces (or the rest of the red pepper)▢ 1 cup chunked pineapple▢ Optional: green onions, thinly sliced and white basmati rice, for serving (Note 2)US - Metric USMetric InstructionsSAUCE: Add cornstarch to a bowl and slowly drizzle in pineapple juice while whisking with a fork until smooth. Add remaining sauce ingredients and whisk again until smooth. Set aside. CHICKEN: Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat and drizzle in oil. Once oil is hot, add ground chicken. Cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until meat is fully cooked through (no pink remains -- don't overcook!). If any liquid has accumulated drain it off (See Note 3). Transfer chicken to a separate bowl or plate, or leave it in strainer until ready to use.VEGGIES: Back to the skillet: Add in onion and peppers and increase heat to high. (Drizzle in a touch more oil if needed.) Cook, stirring frequently, until veggies are crisp tender, about 4-6 minutes (longer if you prefer more tender veggies). Once crisp-tender, reduce heat to medium. Add back the cooked chicken then garlic and ginger. Sauté for 30 seconds then add in pineapple. Give the sauce another quick stir and pour it in. THICKEN: Cook, stirring constantly until sauce thickens and nicely coats everything, about 2-4 minutes. Remove from heat and top with thinly sliced green onions. Serve over white rice and enjoy! Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Sauce: We love this sauce exactly how it is written, but you may prefer a slightly sweeter or slightly more sour sauce — neither is hard to change! For a sweeter sauce, add a bit more sugar. For a more sour sauce, add 1-2 tablespoons of additional vinegar. You can also add 1/4 teaspoon (or more) of red pepper flakes to add some spice. Note 2: Rice: Here's the quickest/easiest way to get perfect basmati rice (must use basmati for this to work!) Fill a large pot with water and set it to boil. Once the water is at a rolling boil, salt the water and add in 1 cup rice. Cook without, reducing the heat, for 6 minutes (Taste test to ensure it is tender.) and then drain and fluff with a fork. Easy! Note 3: Draining chicken: I dump everything from the skillet into a strainer set in the sink and let it stand/drain until ready to use again. Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 752mg | Potassium: 847mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 624IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
