Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry

This lightened version of sweet and sour chicken features bell peppers, juicy pineapple, red onion, and tender pieces of chicken stir fried in a most delicious sauce. No need for takeout tonight.

Dec 10, 2024

I’m lightening up a popular Asian restaurant menu item, turning sweet and sour chicken into a stir fry. Traditionally the chicken in this dish is battered and deep fat fried, adding lots of extra calories. A quick review of nutrition information from a few restaurant chains revealed that a serving of this classic entrée ranged from 560 to 1,750 calories. Today’s sweet and sour chicken stir fry comes in at under 400 calories.

While deep-fat frying produces moist and juicy pieces of chicken, we can achieve those same qualities by using the right cut of chicken when stir frying. That’s were chicken thighs come in. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs in today’s recipe. A tastier alternative to boneless skinless chicken breast, chicken thighs tend to be more moist, succulent, and flavorful.

Chicken thighs have gotten a bad rap over the years because they contain more fat and calories than chicken breasts. While that’s true, the differences may not be as extreme as you think. When comparing a boneless skinless chicken breast to a boneless skinless chicken thigh (4-ounce baked serving of each), you’ll find that the thigh has an additional 16 calories, 5 grams of total fat, and 1.4 grams saturated fat. That’s all.

From a health standpoint, there’s no reason to shy away from chicken thighs if that’s what you prefer. Both thighs and breasts, when eaten without the skin, are nutritious options. They’re packed with protein and supply beneficial nutrients such as vitamins B6 and B12, niacin, selenium, and zinc.

To your health,

Darlene

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SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN STIR FRY

Yield: 6 servings

Serving Size: 1 cup chicken stir fry over 1/2 cup cooked rice

Prep: 15 minutes

Ready: 35 minutes (not including marinating time)

INGREDIENTS

Marinating Chicken

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size cubes
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1/3 cup apricot or peach preserves
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar or rice vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup canned pineapple juice (reserved from drained canned pineapple chunks)
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch

Remaining Stir Fry Ingredients

2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1 1/2 cups red onion, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup green pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup canned pineapple chunks packed in juice, drained (reserve juice from can)
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
3 cups cooked rice, preferably brown rice

DIRECTIONS

To marinate chicken, place cubed chicken in a sealable, zip top bag. Add soy sauce (3 tablespoons), seal bag, and toss to distribute soy sauce. Refrigerate and if time allows, marinate at least 4 hours.
To prepare sweet and sour sauce, in a small saucepan stir together apricot preserves, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce (3 tablespoons), tomato paste, garlic, and red pepper flakes. In a measuring cup, stir together pineapple juice (reserved from canned pineapple chunks) and corn starch until corn starch is dissolved. Over medium-low heat, bring preserve mixture to a simmer. Add corn starch mixture and stir continuously until mixture thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for later use.
To prepare chicken stir fry, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to coat sides and bottom of pan. Add chicken to hot oil and stir fry until cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm.
Add remaining tablespoon of oil to wok or skillet, swirling to coat sides and bottom of pan. When oil is heated, add onion, green pepper, and red pepper and stir fry 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add pineapple chunks, chicken, and sweet and sour sauce. Stir and continue to cook until chicken, pineapple, and sweet and sour sauce are heated through, about 3 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds. Serve over brown rice. One serving consists of 1 cup sweet and sour chicken stir fry over 1/2 cup cooked brown rice.

Nutrition Information per Serving

381 Calories, 11 g Total fat, 2 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 75 mg Cholesterol, 503 mg Sodium, 51 g Total carbohydrate, 3 g Dietary fiber, 19 g Total sugars, 9 g Added sugars, 19 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 29 mg (2%) Calcium, 2 mg (10%) Iron, 895 mg (20%) Potassium