Sweet and sour chicken bites are ooey-gooey deliciousness that makes the perfect family dinner. Bite-sized chicken pieces are sauteed in a sweet and sour sauce and served on a bed of rice.
This recipe is so effortless and tasty and is similar to our teriyaki turkey rice bowl recipe! My family happily gobbled it right up.
Easy Chicken Dinner Recipe
- I love this recipe because is fast, budget-friendly and convenient. The chicken cost me $6. The other ingredients cost less than $4 making this a really affordable meal.
- Consider this an easy “dump and cook” recipe for the nights when you’re craving easy comfort food.
- If you’ve ever had sweet and sour chicken from restaurants in the mall, this is very similar but a homemade version with better quality ingredients. My family LOVED this recipe!
- Leftovers make the perfect lunch recipe to serve with rice or quinoa. Just reheat in the microwave and enjoy.
- Sweet and sour sauce is easy to make at home and can be served on chicken, meatballs, pork and sausage recipes.
Recipe Ingredients
CHICKEN: The bite-size chicken pieces can be made using chicken breasts, thighs or tenders. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs.
SAUCE: Sugar, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and garlic powder are mixed together to create the sweet and sour sauce. Cornstarch is added to thicken the sauce. Alternatively, you can use arrowroot flour if you don’t want to use cornstarch. It’s a gluten-free ingredient typically used to thicken sauces and soups.
RICE: You can use any kind of rice you want or make a pot of quinoa. I used long-grain white rice.
Kitchen Equipment Needed
- RICE COOKER: A simple rice cooker makes mealtime easier. You can set it and forget it while working on the rest of the recipe.
- 3QT DUTCH OVEN: I love my 3 qt dutch oven pot because I can use it on the stove and in the oven. It’s so durable and will last a lifetime. It’s the perfect size for a variety of smaller recipes.
- WOOD SPATULA: A flat-tipped wood spatula is great for mixing ingredients without scratching the pan.
- MIXING BOWL: My favorite tool is stainless steel bowls to mix recipes because they’re big and lightweight.
- CUTTING KNIVES: To slice the chicken into bite-size pieces.
How To Make Sweet and Sour Chicken Bites
- Cook the rice according to package instructions (I used a rice cooker).
- Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces and toss with cornstarch.
- In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients according to full recipe instructions below.
- Sear the chicken in a hot pan, add the sauce and mix together. Bake until chicken is cooked.
- Scoop cooked rice onto plates and add the chicken and sauce on top. Top with green onion and sesame seeds.
Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, defrost the recipe in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the oven or microwave to serve. Rice tends to lose a bit of moisture when frozen and is best when served fresh.
More Chicken Recipes
- Baked Orange Chicken Breasts are easy and delicious.
- Oven Fried Chicken is so simple!
- One-Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl is an all in one dinner recipe.
- Maple Lemon Garlic Chicken Tenders are perfect for busy nights.
Did you love these sweet and sour chicken bites? Be sure to leave a rating below!
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken - chicken breasts, thighs or tenders will work
- ¼ cup cornstarch - or arrowroot powder
- white rice - or brown rice
Sauce:
- ¾ cup coconut sugar - or brown sugar, monkfruit sweetener
- ¼ cup tomato paste - or tomato sauce
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar - or lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce - or tamari, coconut aminos
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Add 1½ cups of uncooked rice to rice cooker. Cook according to package instructions. You can also cook on the stove.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut the chicken into small bite-size pieces.
- Add raw chicken to a bowl along with cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) and toss together. Set aside.
- In a small bowl combine the sauce ingredients: coconut sugar, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and garlic powder. Mix together. Set aside.
- Heat a frying pan (or oven-safe pot) with a bit of cooking oil on the stove. Once pan is hot, sear the chicken for only 30 seconds. This is to help seal flavors in.
- Remove from heat. Pour the sauce over the chicken and mix together. Transfer to an oven-safe dish if needed. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. Stir the chicken halfway through baking.
- Add cooked rice to a plate and top with the sweet and sour chicken. Optional toppings include green onion and sesame seeds.
