Sweet And Sour Chicken

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my Chinese sweet and sour chicken recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

Breaded Chicken:

• Chicken Breasts – I usually go with boneless skinless chicken breasts, but skinless chicken thighs work just as well if you like darker meat. You can even grab pre-sliced chicken tenders to save a little time.
• Crushed Pork Rinds – These give the chicken that crispy coating without cornstarch. If you’ve got homemade ones, even better, but any plain store-bought rinds (just not cracklings) will do the trick. For a paleo or Whole30 swap, try arrowroot powder instead.
• Eggs – They help the coating stick to the chicken pieces.
• Avocado Oil – I use this for pan frying, but any neutral oil you like, such as olive oil or coconut oil, will work fine too.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

VARIATION: Keep it simple and skip the breading.

If you want to do this, you’ll just need the chicken, salt, pepper, and oil for frying.

Sugar-Free Sweet And Sour Sauce:

• Avocado Oil – I use this to sauté the peppers and garlic, but any neutral oil will do the job just fine.
• Bell Peppers – I usually go with red and yellow for color and sweetness, but any kind you like works. Some sweet and sour chicken recipes also add onions or pineapple chunks, so feel free to toss those in if you’re feeling it.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic gives the best flavor, but I’ve definitely grabbed the jarred kind when I’m short on time. It still gets the job done.
• Ketchup – I usually make my own sugar-free ketchup to keep it sugar free and healthy, but you can use any ketchup you like.
• Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This is my go-to for sweet and sour sauce because it tastes just like powdered sugar and dissolves super smooth. You can swap in another powdered sweetener if you want (check my conversion chart!), but some can make the sauce gritty or leave an aftertaste. Sugar-free honey (or regular if that works for you) is a decent backup, but Besti gives the best texture and flavor, hands down.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – This adds that signature tang to the sauce. If you don’t have any, white vinegar or rice vinegar will totally work too.
• Coconut Aminos – I love using this as a soy-free swap for soy sauce. If you’re not avoiding soy, regular soy sauce works great too.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper
• Water

How To Make Sweet And Sour Chicken

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Bread the chicken. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. In one bowl, mix up the crushed pork rinds with salt and pepper. In another, whisk the eggs. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg, then into the pork rind mixture to coat. I usually do this assembly-line style to make it faster!
2. Fry the chicken. Heat some of the oil in a large skillet and cook the chicken until it’s golden and cooked through. Transfer it to a bowl once it’s done.
3. Make the sauce. In a saucepan, sauté the garlic and peppers in a little oil until they’re soft. Add the sugar-free ketchup, water, Besti, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos, salt, and pepper. Bring it to a boil, then let it simmer until the sauce thickens up nicely.
4. Finish the sweet and sour chicken. Pour that saucy goodness over the chicken and toss gently to coat. Add a sprinkle of green onions or sesame seeds if you want to get fancy.

Serving Ideas

Here are a few of my favorite easy pairings to round out the meal:

• Rice – You can’t go wrong with rice here. I usually do cauliflower rice to keep it light, but cauliflower fried rice or even regular fried rice would be great too.
• Vegetables – A quick veggie stir fry is always a good idea, but I also love serving this with bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, or my Chinese eggplant stir fry.
• Salad – I like to pair it with a simple Asian salad, but a smashed cucumber salad or kani salad are super refreshing with sweet and sour chicken too.