babble » food » Family Kitchen
Family Kitchen
Real Food Fast: Sweet & Sour Chicken with Pineapple
Even as a food writer, I often get into a rut when it comes to pulling together a quick, healthy, interesting meal for the boys (and often extended family across the street). Everyone loves it when we order Chinese food, which almost always includes sweet and sour chicken – it turns out it’s simple to make from scratch, without the batter and deep-frying method most take-out places use. It’s basically a quick stir-fry, to which you can add any number of fresh veggies – pea pods, broccoli, asparagus – whatever you like or is in season. I like using fresh pineapple, but you could save yourself a step with a can of pineapple chunks.
I don’t usually get all the ingredients prepped and ready to go when I’m cooking, but it does make things faster and easier when you’re doing a stir fry. If you like, swap turkey breast or pork tenderloin for the chicken.
Sweet & Sour Chicken with Pineapple
canola or olive oil, for cooking
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 green, red or yellow pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3-4 garlic cloves, sliced1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil (optional)2 cups cubed fresh pineapple
steamed rice, for serving
chopped salted peanuts or cashews, for garnish (optional)Heat a generous drizzle of oil in a large, heavy skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for a few minutes (don’t worry about cooking them through), until starting to brown on all sides. Set aside. Add the pepper, carrots and garlic to the pan and saute for a few minutes, until starting to soften.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir the cornstarch into 1 Tbsp. cold water until completely dissolved. Stir in the stock, ketchup, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Set aside.
Add the chicken back to the pan along with the vegetables, and pour the sauce overtop. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the pineapple and serve immediately, over rice, topped with nuts. Serves 4.
Go Back To Family Kitchen
4 Comments
akajb commented on Mar 02 11 at 1:11 pmThere’s no pineapple in the actual recipe here… When do you add it?
JulieVR commented on Mar 02 11 at 5:56 pmSorry – you’re right! I had noticed and added it to my copy, but forgot to change it here. I’ve added it! thanks for pointing it out! I like to add it at the end, to keep it juicy and fresh tasting.
Michelle commented on Mar 02 11 at 7:08 pmAlso you mention vegetable oil to be mixed with the other sauce ingredients but it’s not listed – How much do you need to add ?
JulieVR commented on Mar 03 11 at 12:23 amSorry – I meant the sesame oil!
Add your take:
Note: Babble is a supportive, diverse community. We encourage a range of opinions,
but any unduly hostile comments will be removed.
Comments are delayed up to 15 minutes
Kelsey Banfield 
Aggie Goodman 
Brooke McLay 
Angie McGowan 
Paula Jones 
Laura Levy 
Shaina Olmanson 
Kathy Patalsky 
Elizabeth Stark & Brian Campbell 
Julie Van Rosendaal 
Macki West 
Sara O'Donnell 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
4