This Simple Skillet Sweet and Sour Chicken is sweet, tangy, and comes together in about 30 minutes! Follow along as I make this dish over on YouTube!
Who needs takeout when you can make this Simple Skillet Sweet and Sour Chicken! We made the decision to eat from our pantry during the Pantry Challenge in 2022 and haven’t looked back! Nothing tastes better to us than homemade. Eating home-cooked meals not only tastes better, but helps to save money, eat healthier, and improve our cooking skills. If you’d like to learn more about the Pantry Challenge and what it can teach you, you can find it here.
Don’t get me wrong, going to a restaurant used to excite me. A meal I didn’t have to plan, prepare, and then clean up after? YES, PLEASE! But that comes with its own negatives. The prices, the waiting, the prices, keeping the kids occupied. And did I mention the prices?! Not to mention the often times the food is lackluster and service can really be hit or miss. Call me crazy, but I truly believe eating homemade, real food is where it’s at.
I love that this dish comes together so quickly and with minimal effort, which is perfect for a busy weeknight. And the leftovers are definitely worth fighting for! Ready to get started?
For this Simple Skillet Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe, you will need:
Chicken
I typically use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but chicken thighs are absolutely delicious as well. Don’t limit yourself to just chicken. Shrimp and pork both pair perfectly with this homemade sweet-and-sour sauce!
Onions and Peppers
I like to use a yellow onion and a red bell pepper for this recipe because they both offer a mild sweetness that balances the acidity of the vinegar. It also adds a bit of crunch and texture to the dish.
Ketchup
A good quality ketchup can help to add a sweet and tangy taste to the homemade sweet and sour sauce. Ketchup can also add a little color to the sauce and help to give a shimmering texture that covers your chicken.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Vinegar will add a tart, acidic flavor to the dish that balances out its sweetness.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce offers salt and umami components to help balance the sweet and sour.
Spices and Seasonings
For a rich, well-rounded sauce, don't skimp out on the seasonings and spices!
Brown Sugar
It wouldn’t be sweet and sour without a sweet component, right? Granulated sugar will work fine as well. I prefer brown sugar because it has that subtle taste of molasses.
Making this Simple Skillet Sweet and Sour Chicken is Easy!
You’ll want to start by mixing the ingredients for your sauce in a large bowl: Ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce/coconut aminos, water, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, ginger, and brown sugar.
Next, season chicken pieces with salt and pepper then cook over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes.
Add onions and peppers and sauté with the chicken pieces for just a couple of minutes.
Add sauce mixture to the pan and coat chicken, onion, and peppers.
Reduce heat and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.
Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to rest for about 3 minutes before serving over rice or
noodles.
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch pieces
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
½ cup ketchup
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup water
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup brown sugar
Directions
To a large bowl, add ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, water, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, ginger, and brown sugar. Gently stir to combine.
Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
Over medium-high heat, cook chicken until about halfway cooked through, approximately 3-4 minutes.
Add onions and bell pepper to chicken. Stir. Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes.
Add sauce to chicken, onions, and peppers. Stir to incorporate sauce.
Reduce heat to simmer. Place lid on skillet if available.
Simmer on low heat for approximately 3-5 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.
Turn off heat and allow mixture to rest for approximately 3-5 minutes. Sauce will continue to thicken as it sits.
Serve over your favorite rice or noodles.
If you made this Simple Skillet Sweet and Sour Chicken, we want to hear about it! Let us know if you enjoyed it or if you made any substitutions in the comments below.
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