Sweet and Sour Chicken with Peppers – Virtual
Servings
3Serving size
1 cup chicken and peppers with sauceThis recipe can be multiplied and keeps well. Reheat gently.
Serve with Brown Rice
Ingredients
| 4 ounce Boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into 1/2" dice) |
| 1/4 cup Cornstarch |
| 1 large Egg(s) |
| 1 Tbsp. Canola oil (divided) |
| 1 tsp. Olive oil |
| 1/2 large White onions (diced) |
| 1/2 Large Red bell peppers (diced) |
| 1/4 large Green bell peppers (diced) |
| 3/4 cup, chunks Pineapple (frozen is fine, just thaw first) |
| 2 Tbsp Water |
| 1/4 cup Orange juice |
| 1 1/2 Tbsp. Low sodium soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari sauce) |
| 1 1/2 tsp. Rice Vinegar |
| 3/4 tsp. No salt added tomato paste |
| 3/4 tsp. packed Light brown sugar |
| 1/4 tsp. Ground ginger |
| 1/8 tsp. Garlic powder |
| 3/4 tsp. Cornstarch |
Instructions
Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Trim away any excess fat. Cut into 1/2" diced cubes.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs.
Arrange an assembly line as follows: first a bowl with the chicken, second the bowl with the scrambled eggs, then third a bowl with the cornstarch.
Place the chicken into the egg mixture to fully coat the pieces. Then coat each piece of chicken in the cornstarch. Make sure all sides of the chicken have been coated and shake off any excess. Set the breaded chicken on a plate or a small baking sheet.
Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add in 2 Tablespoons of the canola oil.
Place the chicken pieces one by one into the hot skillet and allow the chicken to form a golden brown crust on the bottom before flipping it. Be sure to not crowd the pan - if the chicken pieces touch each other they will not get crispy. You will probably need to cook the chicken in multiple batches.
When chicken is crispy and reaches an internal temperature of 165F, remove and place the chicken on a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Repeat the last two steps to cook the remaining chicken. If needed, add the remaining oil to the pan.
Set aside (keeping warm).
For the Sautéed Vegetables and the Sweet & Sour Sauce
Add the onion and pepper to the pan. Cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the onions and peppers are cooking, make the sauce. In a small bowl combine the orange juice, soy sauce (or tamari), rice vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar, ground ginger, garlic powder, and cornstarch. Whisk to combine very well.
When the onions and peppers are soft, add the pineapple and 1/2 cup of water. The water will help the vegetables to cook down more and provide some steam to your pan. Continue to cook until the vegetables are very tender and most of the water has evaporated.
Pour in the sweet & sour sauce and the cooked chicken. Stir to evenly coat chicken and vegetables in the sauce. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
Remove from the heat and serve over brown rice or enjoy on its own. Optional: Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
Serve this recipe with one of these starch side dishes.
Brown Rice
In a medium sauce pan, heat the water and salt. When the water boils, stir in the brown rice. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 40-45 minutes. Do not boil away all of the liquid and do not stir the rice. When a very small amount of…
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Special Diet Information
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Lactose
This recipe is safe for those who are lactose intolerant.
Recipe Notes
This is a classic sweet and sour chicken with great flavor and is simple to cook. Make the sauce, cut the veggies, dust the chicken and cook.
It is a great technique to learn because the cornstarch is used two ways. The dusting of the chicken helps create a crispy coating on the chicken. As the dish heats up the teaspoon of cornstarch in the sauce helps create a thick sauce. Those two are essential techniques in many Asian recipes.
This is another great example of how Asian recipes are perfect for improving your Mediterranean diet score with great quality oil, veggies, lean meat served over whole grain brown rice. Super delicious food that just happens to be good for you.