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 loves 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 chicken dish 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. Mix the sauce a day in advance or make a larger batch for multiple recipes throughout the week. Store in a jar in the fridge and stir or shake before using.
- Cook the chicken. Brown and crumble the ground chicken, then remove it from the skillet. Drain any liquid. Let the chicken drain in a strainer while cooking the veggies. Ground turkey works just as well.
- Sauté the veggies and add aromatics. Sauté onion, 1/2 green pepper, and 1/2 red pepper (or 1 total pepper). Add ginger and garlic. Use leftover peppers in other recipes like Unstuffed Peppers meal or Chicken Fajitas.
- Mix everything together and enjoy! Combine the sauce, meat, and veggies. Cook until the sauce is glossy and coats the meat and veggies. Serve with sliced green onions over rice. 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 one or two 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
Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry
Equipment
- Large pan
Ingredients
Sauce (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup 100% pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar or rice wine vinegar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
Chicken and Veggies
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil or vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground chicken or ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 medium yellow onion cut into 1-inch pieces, 3/4 cup
- 1/2 of a red pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 of a green pepper cut into 1-inch pieces, or the rest of the red pepper
- 1 cup chunked pineapple
- White basmati rice for serving, optional, see note 2
- Green onions thinly sliced, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Sauce: 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 pan 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. Drain off any accumulated liquid (see note 3). Transfer chicken to a separate bowl or leave in strainer until ready to use.
- Veggies: In the pan, add 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 cooked chicken, then add garlic and ginger. Sauté for 30 seconds, then add in pineapple. Give the sauce another quick stir and pour it in.
- 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 Notes
- Fill a large pot with water and set it to boil.
- Once at a rolling boil, salt the water and add in 1 cup rice.
- Cook without reducing the heat, 6 minutes (Taste test to ensure it is tender.), then drain and fluff with a fork.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
