Healthy Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

An easy Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe made healthy, gluten free and without pineapple! Paleo, Whole30 and done in under an hour.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Click here to read my policy and more about affiliate links.

Everyone loves takeout from time to time, but having your favorite takeout meal made fresh at home with better ingredients is so much better! 

This sweet and sour chicken is so delicious, easy to make, and a healthier version of one of your favorite takeout meals.

In less than an hour and with only 10 ingredients, you can have this delicious sweet and sour chicken on your dinner table. 

What makes this recipe healthy?

There are so many reasons we love this healthy sweet and sour chicken! Here’s what makes this recipe much healthier than other recipes: 

• low sugar – There are 13g of sugar per serving.
• high protein – A whole 51g of protein per serving! 
• veggie loaded – Over 4 cups of veggies are recommended in the recipe, but you could definitely add more. See below for our recommended substitutions as well! 
• clean ingredients – We took traditional sweet and sour chicken and chose cleaner ingredients for our healthier recipe.
• pan cooked, not fried – The typical takeout sweet and sour chicken is battered and deep fried which adds a lot of calories, so we decided to pan cook our chicken and it still tastes so delicious! 

Sweet and Sour Chicken Ingredients

To make this easy sweet and sour chicken you will need these 10 simple ingredients: 

For ingredient substitutions, see below.

How Do You Make Sweet And Sour Chicken From Scratch?

It is incredibly easy to make this sweet and sour chicken!

1. In a pan, cook the chicken breasts in olive oil for 10-15 minutes until browned on all edges. While the chicken cooks, mix together the sauce ingredients. Set the chicken aside once it is done cooking. 
2. Add veggies to the same pan and saute for 3-5 minutes until softened. Don’t overcook! Set the veggies aside once they are done cooking. 
3. Add the sauce to the pan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer for about 2 minutes. The sauce should naturally thicken and start to pull away from the pan when you scrape it with a spatula. Be careful not to burn it!
4. Add cooked chicken and the veggies back to the pan. Stir to coat with sauce and heat over low until warmed through. 
5. Serve over rice, cauliflower rice or as is. Enjoy! 

SUBSTITUTIONS FOR SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN

This recipe is pretty versatile. Here are a few ways you can customize it!

• Orange Juice – You can substitute regular bottled orange juice with freshly squeezed orange juice.
• Chicken – You can substitute chicken breasts with chopped chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• Coconut Aminos – You can sub coconut aminos with soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, but the recipe will no longer be paleo. If using Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, use HALF the amount – Bragg’s is much saltier.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – We don’t have any substitution recommendations for the apple cider vinegar. It really is essential in the flavor of this dish.
• Ketchup – You can’t substitute ketchup in this recipe, it’s essential for the sauce. However, any brand of ketchup should work; we do recommend looking for one with no or low sugar.
• Garlic– Fresh garlic will definitely give the best flavor, but you can substitute with 1 teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic if necessary.
• Vegetables – Pretty much any vegetables will work in this recipe. Some other veggies we think would taste great are green beans, mushrooms or carrots.
• WW Note: Points calculated with the following values:
  • Olive Oil: 3SP, Ketchup: 3SP (3 TBSP = 1SP, 8 TBSP in recipe), Coconut Aminos: 3SP, Orange Juice 3SP (used light OJ) = 12SP for the whole recipe = 3SP per serving

Is Sweet And Sour Chicken Healthy?

The typical takeout sweet and sour chicken is battered and deep fried which adds a lot of calories in addition to the added sugar that is typically in the sweet and sour sauce. 

Our recipe is cooked in a pan and doesn’t have additional added sugars (just the sugar occurring in the sauce ingredients) which allows it to be a healthier option than your typical sweet and sour chicken takeout. 

Sweet & Sour Chicken FAQ

What is the Difference Between Sweet and Sour Chicken and Hong Kong Style?

The standard sweet and sour chicken is chicken that is battered and deep fried with the sweet and sour sauce on the side. Hong Kong style sweet and sour chicken typically serves the battered and deep fried chicken tossed in the sauce. 

How Do You Make Sweet and Sour Sauce From Scratch?

Add the sauce ingredients to the pan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer for about 2 minutes. The sauce should naturally thicken and start to pull away from the pan when you scrape it with a spatula. Be careful not to burn it!

Is sweet & sour sauce bad for you?

Typically, sweet and sour sauce isn’t considered “good” for you because of all the added sugar. It definitely depends on your individual dietary needs how “bad” a partial food is though. 

Serving Paleo Sweet & Sour Chicken

Feeding a family? Serve it over a giant bowl of rice/quinoa with lots of veggies tossed in the sauce or on the side.

Trying to keep paleo? Skip the rice and serve just the chicken and veggies on their own or over cauliflower rice.

Not a huge fan of cauliflower rice? This sweet and sour chicken would taste great over zoodles!

Storing Sweet & Sour Chicken

Fridge: I keep this easy sweet and sour chicken in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheating: You can reheat this sweet and sour chicken in a pan or in the microwave until warmed through.

Freezing: We have not tried freezing this sweet and sour chicken, but I think it would freeze fine!

Other healthy takeout recipes:

Print
Pin

Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

An easy Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe made healthy, gluten free and without pineapple! Paleo, Whole30 and done in under an hour.

Cuisine American, Chinese

Keyword healthy sweet and sour chicken, sweet and sour chicken

3

Author The Clean Eating Couple

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cleaned and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup red onion cut into 1 inch square pieces
• 1.5 cups red bell pepper about 1 large pepper, cut into 1 inch square pieces
• 2 cups broccoli florets

Instructions

• In a pan heat olive oil. Cook chicken breasts for 10-15 minutes until browned on all edges.

• While the chicken cooks, mix together sauce.

• When chicken is finished cooking, remove from the pan and set aside in a dish.

• Add vegetables to the pan that the chicken cooked in and saute for 3-5 minutes until softened. Don’t over cook, we don’t want them to be mushy!

• Once vegetables have cooked, remove from the pan and set aside.

• Add sauce to the pan and turn onto high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once boiling reduce to a simmer for about 2 minutes. The sauce should naturally thicken and start to pull away from the pan when you scrape it with a spatula. Be careful not to burn it!

• Add cooked chicken + vegetables to the pan. Stir to coat with sauce and cook over low heat until warmed through. If the sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon of orange juice.

• Serve over rice, cauliflower rice or as is!

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts

Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

Amount Per Serving (2 cups veggies + 1 cup chicken (approximate. Does not include rice))

Calories 403
Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 145mg48%

Sodium 697mg30%

Potassium 1343mg38%

Carbohydrates 25g8%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 51g102%

Vitamin A 2318IU46%

Vitamin C 136mg165%

Calcium 62mg6%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.