Sweet and Sour Chicken

This recipe is a healthy variation on a classic take out food. I have never really liked Chinese food but this is one of my all time favorite dinner recipes. In this variation of sweet and sour chicken I do not bread the chicken. It is healthier this way and significantly easier to cook but if it is not sweet and sour chicken to you without breaded chicken you can bread and fry that way as well. 

This is definitely one of those recipes that getting everything out and ready to go before you start cooking will make everything go much smoother! Remember from the carrot top and potato soup post this is called mise en place.



I start by dicing 1 green bell pepper and 1/2 onion. Also clean and cube about 1 - 1 1/2 pounds of chicken and cook. I usually cook it in a nonstick skillet since it is faster than baking it.



While the chicken is cooking start making the sauce. You will need a 20 oz. can of pineapple chunks in 100% juice. Drain the pineapple and save the juice; you will need 2/3 cups of pineapple juice. Add the pineapple to a large skillet with 1 Tablespoon of butter; melt the butter and cook the pineapple for about 3-4 minutes. 


Then add in 1/3 cup of reserved pineapple juice and the diced peppers and onions. Saute for another 3-4 minutes. 

 Add in 1/4 cup of honey, 2 Tablespoons of vinegar, and 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce and stir it all together.

 Mix 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch into the remaining 1/3 cup of pineapple juice and then pour into the pineapple mixture. Add 1 cup of chicken broth. 





Add the chicken into pineapple sauce. Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes if you like it be more like a sauce or 30 minutes if you want it to be a glaze for the chicken. 

Serve over brown rice and with steamed vegetables for a delicious, healthy "take out" meal from home. 

Cost Break Down!! 

1 Tablespoon of butter costs me $0.08. The 20 oz can of pineapple cost $1. 1 green bell pepper cost $0.45 and 1 onion cost $0.52 so the half I used cost me $0.26. 32 oz. of honey cost me $6.09 so 1/4 cup cost me $0.38. 2 Tablespoons of vinegar cost me $0.05 and 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce cost me $0.18. The 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch cost me $0.13. 1 cup of chicken broth cost me $0.50. I used about 1.25 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breast that I got for $2.39 a lb so it cost me $2.98. I cooked 1 1/2 cups of brown basmati rice to serve the sweet and sour chicken over; this cost me $1.50.

All together sweet and sour chicken and brown rice for my family of 4 cost me $7.50. Cheaper and healthier than take out!