Paleo Sweet and Sour Chicken ! Sinfully delicious Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe that’s Paleo and Whole30 friendly.
Warnings –
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.
How is it different ? You’ll have to HIT the PLAY button to find out. :))
Paleo Sweet and Sour Chicken p.s. It won’t weighing you down
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 – Paleo 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 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 !
Paleo Sweet and Sour Chicken. Easy and quick Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe that's Paleo and Whole30 friendly.
- 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
- Quarter one whole Yellow onion , diced
- 1 bulb Scallion , chopped
- 2-3 thin slices Ginger , roughly chopped
- 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
- 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
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.
Thin slice chicken breasts to ⅛ -inch thin pieces. Mix well with “Chicken Marinade”. Set aside.
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 hot with cauliflower rice and my Paleo Asian-Side Dishes.
Loved this recipe! Was so tasty and filling ????????????
So happy to hear you like the recipe Renae !
I have a question about the 2 week challenge that starts Monday. Is it only for people who are on Facebook. I do not do Facebook. Do I have another option if I sign up
Hi Josephine, Yes you could still join the challenge even if you don’t have a facebook account. :))
Oh gosh that sauce though! This looks amazing! Thank you for this great dinner idea!
Oh geez, I already have chicken in the crockpot for tonight’s dinner but now I’m regretting that and wishing I had seen this sooner! Gonna have to go to the store to get more chicken now 🙂
Sweet and sour chicken is one of my favorites, thanks for sharing!
I find it very interesting that white vinegar differs so much between the two cultures. Learn something new every day.
Thank you, Hannah !
This looks like a lovely recipe, hun. I love the idea about storing the sauce in the fridge and using as you need it.
Thanks so much !
I just love all your yummy, healthy, easy to make paleo meals. Great work 🙂
This sounds much better than any sweet and sour you’d get in a restaurant! I love that there’s balance with the sweetness!
I cannot wait to make this!!! Sweet and sour chicken was my mom’s favorite and it always makes me think of her. I wish she was here so I could make her this beautiful, healthier version. I know my family is going to love this.
Yum!Love the use of pineapple juice and apricots on the sauce. So good!
Using dried apricots for the sauce sounds so good! That chicken looks absolutely perfect! What a great dinner that I know my family would love 🙂
Thanks, Jessica !
Wow! This looks amazing! And so easy!!
The texture here looks so amazing. Cannot wait to try this!
Holy wow this sounds so good! Love the combination of pineapple, apricot and tomato paste for the sauce!
Thanks so much Dana !
I want to make a triple batch of this ASAP! Takeout is so gross by my boyfriend loves sweet and sour chicken so this looks like the perfect solution!
So many delicious flavours, this sounds incredible it’s making my mouth water..
I can instantly tell by the ingredients list that your sweet and sour sauce will taste insanely good!