Paleo Sweet and Sour Chicken

Paleo Sweet and Sour Chicken stir-fry with a Whole30 Chinese sweet and sour stir fry sauce, This dish comes together in minutes and is Whole30 friendly. This is a must-have stir-fry dish for all chicken lovers! Get your chopsticks ready!

You won’t be able to stop – It’s tart, with a hint of sweetness. Hmm~~ so addictive.

It’s better – Different from whatever version you’ve had at Chinese takeout joints. In a good way. Actually, much much better way.

Paleo Sweet and Sour Chicken (Whole30)

I’m going to show you how to make your own Sweet and Sour sauce easily. The sauce has a hint of sweetness from natural fruit and is balanced with a nice citrus flavor – exactly how Paleo Sweet and Sour Chicken should taste.

To help you get fit while eating delicious food, I’m going to show you the right way (and the right time) to add starch to the recipe.

Read on to find out how.

Slightly Crispy Yet Moist and Silky – Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken

In Taiwan, the texture of the Sweet and Sour Chicken has a slightly Crispy outer texture and the inside is moist and silky.

The little light starch that’s added to the chicken right before pan-frying is meant to create a silky shield so that the chicken will be tender and juicy inside as opposed to McDonald style chicken nuggets.

My Paleo and Whole30 Sweet and Sour Sauce

The sauce should be perfectly balanced between Sweet and Sour flavors. Actually a slightly tart flavor is preferable.

Most chefs in Taiwan use a type of vinegar called White Vinegar and Heinz ketchup to create the sour flavor.

Now this white vinegar is different from the white vinegar we use in the west. It has a very strong and sharp acidy taste and the closest version (probably a better for you version) is apple cider vinegar.

I like to make the sauce ahead during meal prep. Store in an airtight container with a clear wrap film pressed over it, and store in the fridge for up to 1-week.

Whenever you are ready to eat, quickly sauté the chicken with a few tablespoons of pre-made sweet and sour sauce, your house is going to smell so good and you’ll want to make this dish over and over again. :))

Now, I’d like to hear from you !

If you’ve ever tried any of my recipe(s), please rate and leave a comment below so others can learn from you as well!

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Paleo Sweet and Sour Chicken (Whole30)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Author: ChihYu

Paleo Sweet and Sour Chicken stir-fry with a Whole30 Chinese sweet and sour stir fry sauce, This dish comes together in minutes and is Whole30 friendly. This is a must-have stir-fry dish for all chicken lovers! Get your chopsticks ready!

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Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lbs Chicken breasts, , skinless boneless
• 2-3 tbsp Coconut oil or ghee, (to pan-fry the chicken)
• Half one whole Green bell pepper, , cubed to bite sizes
• Half one whole Red bell pepper, , cubed to bite sizes

Aromatics:

• Quarter one whole Yellow onion, , diced
• 1 bulb Scallion, , chopped
• 2-3 thin slices Ginger, , roughly chopped

Sweet and Sour Chicken marinate:

• 1 1/4 tsp Coarse sea salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp Coconut aminos
• 1/4 tsp White pepper
• 1/2 tsp Ginger powder
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tbsp Sesame oil
• 2 tsp Arrowroot or Sweet potato powder

Sweet and sour sauce:

• 1/3 cup Pineapple juice from a can, , not in syrup
• 1/4 cup Dry apricots, pitted and chopped to small bite sizes, ,alt. dry figs or prunes, pitted
• 2 tbsp Coconut aminos
• 1 1/2 tbsp Rice vinegar, ,or little less than 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp Tomato paste, ,no sugar and salt added
• 1 small Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Make Sauce:

• In a medium saucepan over low heat, covered with a lid and cook the ingredients listed under “Sweet and Sour Sauce” until the fruit softens, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Set aside to let cool.
• Puree the mixture in a food processor or blender until very smooth and no fruit chunks. Add 3-4 more tbsp chicken/vegetable stock or water to thin the paste if needed to help blending.

Chicken:

• Thin slice chicken breasts to ⅛ -inch thin pieces. Mix well with “Chicken Marinade”. Set aside.

Stir-Fry:

• Heat 2-3 tbsp coconut oil or cooking fat of your choice over medium-high heat in a large non-stick frying skillet (preferably with a lid to prevent splatter). When hot, lower the heat to medium-high. Carefully layer the chicken slices in the skillet and pan-fry the chicken until the chicken pieces are about halfway cooked through. Set aside to drain oil.
• Heat ½ tbsp coconut oil or or cooking fat of your choice, when hot, lower the heat to medium. Add “aromatics”. Season with a small pinch of salt. Stir-fry until fragrant. (5-10 secs). Add sliced bell peppers. Season with another small pinch of salt and stir-fry for 5-10 seconds. Add chicken back to the wok/skillet. Push the ingredients to the side of the wok/skillet and add 3 to 4 heaping tablespoons of sweet & sour sauce. Keep stir-frying until the chicken is completely cooked through and the sauce is thickened. 

Serve:

• Serve hot with cauliflower rice and my Paleo Asian-Side Dishes.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 248g | Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 14.1g | Saturated Fat: 7.2g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 1375mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7.4g | Vitamin A: 18% | Vitamin C: 58% | Calcium: 3% | Iron: 7%

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Keyword: Gluten-free sweet and sour chicken, Paleo sweet and sour chicken, Sweet and sour chicken, Whole30 sweet and sour chicken

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