Sweet & Sour Chicken (Gluten-Free, Paleo, Allergy-Free)

Name: Sweet & Sour Chicken (Gluten-Free, Paleo, Allergy-Free)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs Chicken Tenders (cut into 1-inch chunks); 1 TB Corn Starch (or Arrowroot Starch); Black Pepper (to taste); 1 TB Neutral Oil; 1 Cup Pineapple Chunks in 100% Juice; 1/4 Cup Homemade Ketchup (or a Natural Ketchup); 3 TB Rice Vinegar; 2 TB Coconut Aminos; 1/2 Tsp Minced Garlic; 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder

Published: Jul 29, 2019 by Rebecca Pytell · This post may contain affiliate links.

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The best quick and easy recipe for Sweet & Sour Chicken! A Chinese takeout favorite that's homemade, gluten-free, paleo, and allergy-free! This healthier unfried version is made in a wok or skillet on the stove and tossed with a sweet and sticky sauce that's naturally sweet!

People are always telling me that sweet & sour chicken is their FAVORITE Chinese takeout dish. For good reason too! It's battered and deep-fried chicken, coating in that iconic reddish/orange sweet, tangy, sticky sauce that's just to die for! But, it is the healthiest? Is it gluten-free? Is it easy to make at home on a busy weeknight? No. However, we can fix that! This super easy allergy-free version of sweet & sour chicken is just the recipe you need to satisfy the craving no matter what your dietary needs are!

Homemade Sweet & Sour Sauce

Since we're not frying this chicken, the SAUCE has to be on point! This sweet & sour sauce is 6 ingredients, allergy-free, no added sugars, no oils, no soy!

Pineapple
Coconut Aminos
Rice Vinegar
Ketchup
Garlic
Onion Powder

Blitz those ingredients together in a blender or food processor and you'll have the BEST sweet & sour sauce! It's tangy, sweet, salty, umami; you may just want to whip up an extra batch to keep on in the fridge for other meals besides this chicken!

How to Make Sweet & Sour Chicken

Once you've made that bangin' homemade sweet & sour sauce, you just need to grab some chicken tenders, corn starch (or arrowroot for a paleo version!), and a touch of black pepper.

Cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks and toss it in the starch and black pepper to coat.
Add the coating chicken pieces to a hot oiled skillet and stir fry for 5 minutes.
Pour in the prepared sweet and sour sauce, continue cooking till the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through for about 8-10 minutes!

Serve your sweet & sour chicken with rice and chopped scallions or cauliflower rice for a grain-free paleo meal! It's a perfect quick weeknight gluten-free dinner for the family and if you don't have a crowd to feed, don't worry! This takeout chicken makes an amazing leftover lunch option (we all know how good Chinese takeout is the next day! *hint: even better*)

Healthy Sweet & Sour Chicken

This stir-fried version uses one tablespoon of oil, no deep-frying or heavy breading is required! No refined sugars in the sauce, just the natural sugars in the pineapple! It's top 9 allergen-free, with no soy, nuts, sesame, or egg. Of course, it's also gluten-free, grain-free, and paleo, but can you even tell? You'll have to decide for yourself, but this recipe won't leave you feeling heavy and weighed down (those takeout sodium hangovers!). It's perfect a 15-minute meal for the whole family to enjoy! You can even make these sweet and sour chickpeas if you need to satisfy vegetarians!

Other Homemade Takeout Recipes:

Gluten-Free Sweet & Sour Chicken