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Sweet and Sour Chicken

Katie WellsMar 15, 2022
Reading Time: 3 min

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Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • What Is Sweet and Sour Chicken?
  • Sweet and Sour Chicken the Wellness Mama Way
  • More Wellness Mama Chinese Food Recipes
  • Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

In my college days, I loved eating Chinese food. Once I switched to a wellness lifestyle and realized what was in most restaurant foods, I stopped eating regular Chinese food. I decided to recreate some of the same flavors with real food ingredients. Sweet and sour chicken was one of my favorites, so I decided to come up with a recipe that was more naturally sweet and sour.

What Is Sweet and Sour Chicken?

Well, it’s just like the name says—sweet and sour. Traditional recipes use some type of sugar for sweetness and vinegar for sourness. It’s a really tasty combo. Usually, the chicken in sweet and sour chicken is the breaded and fried type. There are always chopped sauteed veggies thrown in and sometimes pineapple for a tangy-sweet kick.

Sweet and Sour Chicken the Wellness Mama Way

I do a few things differently when I make sweet and sour chicken. I make the sauce with honey or maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, and a delicious orange spread. And I use coconut aminos rather than soy sauce. The taste is similar, and I prefer to avoid most soy products.

And I don’t usually bread and fry the chicken. I do sometimes because it’s so, so good, but diced sauteed chicken breasts are really good too and much easier, faster, and less messy.

Green ebook cover with spices, bears, and veggies on a table

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For the veggies, I just use whatever I have on hand. That’s the beauty of making your own Chinese food! You can switch up the veggies and protein based on personal preference, what’s in season, and what you have on hand. It’s pretty fantastic. Here are some ideas:

  • Onion – I consider it a must in most of my Chinese recipes
  • Bell pepper
  • Celery
  • Broccoli
  • Snow or snap peas
  • Zucchini – a great way to use up this super garden producer in the summer!
  • Fresh pineapple – delicious in sweet and sour chicken

We usually eat our Chinese food over white rice or cauliflower rice. I’ve also found that it is good over zucchini noodles (made with a spiral slicer) or just roasted zucchini slices. I’ve also eaten it over wilted spinach to get some extra greens, and it was delicious.

More Wellness Mama Chinese Food Recipes

  • Asian Ginger Vinaigrette – delicious on Asian Color Burst Salad
  • Asian Lettuce Wraps
  • Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
  • Cauliflower Fried Rice
  • Chicken Stir Fry – not a specific Chinese dish, just a quick stir fry with Chinese flavors
  • Kung Pao Chicken – a new recipe and a family favorite, has a nice heat kick
  • Orange Chicken
  • Parsnip Noodle Lo Mein

What is missing from this list? Maybe an egg roll in a bowl recipe with gochujang mayo drizzled on top? What’s your favorite Chinese food that you think I should try?

Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

Katie Wells
Sweet and sour chicken with coconut aminos, spices, and citrus juices is a real food alternative to this favorite.
4.10 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Main
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4 servings
Calories 344 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb chicken breasts (or thighs)
  • 2 TBSP coconut oil (or butter)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Himalayan salt (or sea salt)
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 TBSP lemon juice
  • 1 TBSP coconut aminos
  • 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
  • 1 TBSP fish sauce
  • 1 TBSP tomato paste
  • ¼ cup orange spread
  • ¼ cup honey (or maple syrup)
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 2 TBSP sesame seeds
  • 2 TBSP green onions (chopped)

Instructions
 

  • Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.
  • In a large skillet, heat the butter or coconut oil over medium heat.
  • Add the chicken, garlic powder, salt, pepper, turmeric, and paprika, and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is mostly cooked.
  • Add the lemon juice, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, and fish sauce, and cook an additional 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked in the center.
  • While the chicken is cooking, dice the bell pepper.
  • Drain off any extra liquid from the skillet and return to heat.
  • Add the tomato paste, orange spread, honey, and diced bell pepper, and cook on medium/high for another 3-5 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken and chicken starts to brown slightly.
  • Remove from the heat, and serve over cauliflower rice or white rice. Top with sesame seeds and green onions.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Coconut aminos are a soy-free substitute for soy sauce, similar in taste.
Feel free to use any vegetables you’d like!
If you’d like crispy breaded and fried chicken in your sweet and sour chicken, follow the frying instructions in the orange chicken post.

Nutrition

Calories: 344kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 26gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 1198mgPotassium: 628mgFiber: 2gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 1319IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Ever recreated a recipe from a favorite restaurant? How did it go?

Category: Poultry Recipes, Recipes

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About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a wife and mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

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Reader Interactions

Discussion (34 Comments)

  1. Kim

    July 25, 2014 at 11:28 PM

    Hi, I loved this recipe! I was out of tomato paste so I omitted it. I also didn’t have orange paste so I juiced 3 oranges and added it toward the end of cooking and let it reduce a bit. I loved having all the juices left in the dish. It was so good! I will be making this often. Thanks for the great recipe.

    Reply
  2. Sarah

    July 21, 2014 at 1:29 AM

    Im sorry if I’ve missed this somewhere , but how many people will this serve?

    Reply
    • Katie - Wellness Mama

      July 22, 2014 at 10:17 PM

      4-6 🙂

      Reply
  3. Hina Charania

    July 20, 2014 at 9:08 PM

    Hi. I am curious to know exactly what coconut aminos are? Never heard of them before or even seen them at any store.

    Reply
  4. Chukwu Ndubuisi

    July 20, 2014 at 2:02 PM

    I love those recipe on sweet and sour chicken, i will give it a try.

    Reply
  5. Amelia

    July 19, 2014 at 9:20 PM

    Hi! I love your blog. I just wanted to say, honey should not be heated past 95 degrees!

    Reply
  6. Greier

    July 19, 2014 at 1:07 PM

    Please remember that very few people use MSG at home. None of my chinese/asian family and friends cook with MSG (even the hidden kinds like soup-stock powders).

    Reply
  7. Rachel

    July 18, 2014 at 5:48 PM

    I’d love to give this a try, and I have everything on the ingredient list, except the coconut aminos… What are those for? Flavor or health reasons? Also if they are for flavor, what type of flavor is it and could I use something else in it’s place? Thanks! And by the way, I’ve tried quite a few of your recipes and they have all been hits with my family!

    Reply
    • Katie - Wellness Mama

      July 22, 2014 at 10:34 PM

      I added a link to them. They are used in place of soy sauce to avoid the wheat and soy but soy sauce can be used.

      Reply
  8. glenn

    July 18, 2014 at 3:00 AM

    I bought the meal planner and cannot get logged on. Tried changing password 4 times. Does anyone know how to contact wellness mama?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      July 18, 2014 at 3:06 PM

      Email me at [email protected] and include the email address you used to sign up.

      Reply
  9. Danielle

    July 17, 2014 at 9:20 PM

    Just wondering if the recipes listed on your app will be updated when you post new recipes to your site?

    Reply
    • Katie - Wellness Mama

      July 17, 2014 at 10:29 PM

      Eventually, but not right away.

      Reply
  10. Kelly

    July 17, 2014 at 9:11 PM

    This looks great! I gotta try this. Just have a couple questions.

    Have you ever had orange peel chicken? I’d love to remake that recipe too.

    Why not brown rice?

    Reply
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