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Sweet and Sour Chicken Skillet

Name: Sweet and Sour Chicken Skillet
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 average sized boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into small bite-sized pieces); 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1/2 cup all purpose flour; 1/4 cup cornstarch; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 3/4 cup cold water; enough vegetable oil to fill a deep skillet by about 1.5 inches; 1 cup canned pineapple juice; 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar; 1/3 cup rice vinegar; 1/4 cup ketchup; 2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce; 2 Tbsp cold water; 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch; 1 - 2 drops red food coloring ((optional)); 1 medium yellow onion (peeled and sliced into roughly 1 inch pieces); 1 red bell pepper (seeded and sliced into roughly 1 inch pieces); 1 green bell pepper (seeded and sliced into roughly 1 inch pieces); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 8 oz can pineapple tidbits (drained); sesame seeds (for garnish); sliced green onions (for garnish)

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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 10/05/2021

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This Sweet and Sour Chicken Skillet is the perfect family dinner! Chicken is fried until crispy, added to a skillet with sautéed bell peppers, onions and pineapple, and tossed in an amazing takeout style sweet and sour sauce!

This is one of my Asian-inspired recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!

closeup of sweet and sour chicken in skillet

Pin this recipe for later!

I shared yesterday how obsessed my kids are with sweet and sour chicken… and here’s our favorite recipe of all time!

Granted, sometimes they don’t dig the onions and peppers, but us adults do, so more for us right?

What I love most about this recipe is that it can be made all in one skillet, leaving you with way less dishes to worry about after dinner. All you need is a deeper skillet, otherwise the frying process can get a bit messy.

This recipe uses that exact sauce I shared yesterday, just cooked in a slightly different way, so it cooks down with the chicken and veggies, leaving them gloriously coated with that sweet and tangy sauce.

Let’s see how to make it!

How to make a sweet and sour chicken skillet?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

step by step how to fry chicken for sweet and sour chicken

Prep frying area and preheat oil.
Combine batter. Whisk together and set near the stove, so you won’t have a long distance to carry the battered chicken.
Season chicken. I kept it simple and just used salt.
Batter chicken. Do this one piece at a time, then carefully add to hot oil.
Fry. For 2-3 minutes, or until cooked through.
Let cool. Transfer chicken to wire cooling rack. This keeps the chicken crispy.

step by step how to make sweet and sour chicken in a skillet

Drain out frying oil.
Saute veggies. Just a couple minutes, until crisp tender. Add garlic and cook a minute more.
Add sauce. Stir well.
Simmer. Cook until sauce is simmering and thickening, just a few minutes.
Add chicken. Add in fried chicken and stir well.
Serve. Serve immediately.

Helpful Tip!

Frying can be intimidating, but don’t panic. You can do this, and you don’t need a bunch of expensive equipment. I’ve included a frying tips section right above the written recipe, that will turn you into a frying master in no time!

Variations of this recipe

Chicken – if you like chicken thighs, you can swap out the chicken breasts for chicken thighs.
Other protein – in fact, this recipe works great with pork (we like to use pork chops), and shrimp too!
Peppers – I like the combination of bitter and sweet peppers, which is why I included both a green and red bell pepper in this recipe. But feel free to change the peppers to what you like.
Pineapple – we like to use frozen pineapple tidbits, but canned or fresh will work as well.
Non-fried – if you’d prefer to save a few calories, you don’t have to fry the chicken. You can just saute it in the skillet until cooked through.

serving of sweet and sour chicken on plate with rice

FAQ’s

Is this an authentic Chinese recipe for sweet and sour chicken?

No, this is a recipe for the American Chinese takeout-style sweet and sour chicken.

Can this recipe be made without the skillet?

Yes! If you want the family-style version of this recipe, you can simply fry the chicken as directed, and serve it alongside the sauce. No need for the onion, peppers, or pineapple. Just dip the chicken into the sauce and dive in!

What do you serve with sweet and sour chicken?

Our favorites are some cooked white rice (or the coconut rice from this recipe), and roasted or steamed broccoli. And of course, some crispy crab rangoons for a fun treat!

white plate full of white rice and sweet and sour chicken

Making sweet and sour chicken ahead of time

I don’t recommend making this recipe ahead of time, since the chicken won’t stay crispy if you make it in advance.

However, you can absolutely prep things ahead! This cuts the total time way down.

The onion, bell peppers, and garlic can be chopped. Just keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
The pineapple can be drained. Just keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
The sauce can be whisked. All except the cornstarch and water, that should be added when cooking. Keep the sauce refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to cook.
The chicken can be sliced. Just keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

This Sweet and Sour Chicken Skillet is the perfect family dinner! Chicken is fried until crispy, added to a skillet with sautéed bell peppers, onions and pineapple, and tossed in an amazing takeout style sweet and sour sauce! #sweetandsour #chicken #chinese #takeout

Storage

Leftover sweet and sour chicken should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eaten within 3-4 days.

To reheat so the chicken stays crispy, I like to separate the chicken from the sauce, and pat it dry with paper towels.

You can either reheat the chicken in the air fryer (at 390°F for 2-3 minutes), or in the oven (at 350°F for 10-15 minutes), and reheat the rest of the sauce and veggies separately.

Handy Frying Tips!

Pat the meat very dry before adding it to the batter. The wet batter will slide right off a wet piece of chicken.
Use a thermometer to ensure the oil is the right temperature. Guessing just isn’t the way to go here. If the oil is too hot, the chicken will burn before they’re cooked through. If the oil is too low, the chicken will take on too much oil and be oily and soggy. Around 350°F is the sweet spot.
Drop the breaded food away from you when you add them to the oil. Hot oil is not fun to get on your bare skin – trust me!
Don’t overcrowd the pot/pan. Every time you add anything to hot oil, it lowers the temperature a bit. So adding all your chicken at once will drop the temperature too much, which leads to unevenly cooked, oily and soggy chicken. I like to add about 10 pieces of chicken at a time, when using a large pot.
Use a frying spider instead of tongs to handle fried food in the oil. Tongs have a tendency to rip off pieces of that delicious batter. Spiders are inexpensive and great for so many things.
Drain the fried food of excess oil after frying by adding it to a wire cooling rack. This elevates the food and keeps the coating crisp.

My Favorite Thermometer!

The easiest way to fry, is to know what temperature your oil is… and a thermometer is the tool for that. This version clips right on the side of you pot, so you can have perfect frying results, every time!

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forkful of rice and sweet and sour chicken

Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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