If you love sweet and sour flavors with a little spicy kick in the background – this recipe is for you! The sweet comes from pineapple, caramelized onions, and brown sugar and the sour from a little of the pineapple juice, and apple cider vinegar. The spicy heat comes from sriracha and the way it all comes together is just SO. GOOD.
What’s funny is that it started out as a sweet and sour fish recipe – but I breaded it with coconut flour, and while the flavor was on point, the texture was pretty mealy. So, I nixed that, and because I didn’t have enough fish to start over – I did chicken instead. (Try this on a firm white fleshed fish without the breading, because I am pretty sure it would be great.)
Although this is Semi-homemade…it is so full of flavor! Make this for a weeknight dinner and it reheats really well for lunch. Pile it high over Jasmine rice and you’re in business!
Ingredients
- 1.5 pound chicken breasts, sliced into strips
- 1.5 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 small red pepper, medium dice
- 1 small orange, yellow or green pepper, medium dice
- 1 small vidalia onion, medium dice
- 1 (20-ounce) can of diced pineapple, juice reserved
For The Sweet & Sour Sauce
- Pineapple juice (reserved from the can)
- 1-2 tablespoons of sriracha (depending how spicy you like it)
- 1/3 + 1 Tablespoon ketchup
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (or parsely) for garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce (makes about 2 1/4 cups) and set aside about 1-1/4 cup for the meal and you can refrigerate or freeze the rest.
- Season the chicken with the spices. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat up olive oil and cook the ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add the onions and peppers and cook until soft.
- Next, add the pineapple and allow to caramelize a bit. Remove everything from the pan and place on a plate.
- Add the seasoned chicken and allow to brown on both sides. Add the onions, peppers, and pineapple back to the pan along with the sauce and any juices from the plate. Cook on low for about 10 minutes and garnish with cilantro or parsley. Serve immediately over Jasmine rice.