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BasicsChickenEasyNextKitRecipes

Sweet and Sour Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

10 min Cook
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  • Sweet, tangy, hot, and delicious. A 20 minute meal that's sure to please.

This recipe is adapted from one of my grandma’s old favorites. It’s not your typical sweet and sour chicken — no bright red sauce or heavy breading here. Instead, it’s a simple stir-fry that balances the sweetness of pineapple and brown sugar with the savory depth of soy sauce, a squeeze of lemon, and a hint of tangy vinegar. Everything comes together in perfect layers of flavor, ready to serve over fluffy white rice for a 20-minute dinner everyone can agree on.

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Sweet and Sour Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

Sweet and Sour Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

jenniferlbartholomew
This lightened-up version of Grammy Joyce’s sweet and sour chicken skips the heavy breading and bottled sauce in favor of fresh pineapple, crisp bell peppers, and a tangy-sweet glaze made from simple pantry staples. It’s bright, quick, and layered with flavor. It's a 20-minute dinner that brings nostalgia and freshness to the same plate.
prep time
5 min
cooking time
10 min
servings
4
total time
20 min

Equipment

  • Large skillet or wok

  • Cutting board and knife

  • Wooden spoon or spatula

  • Small mixing bowl

  • Measuring spoons

  • Citrus juicer (optional)

  • Rice pot or rice cooker

Ingredients

  • We provide:

  • 1 onion, chopped (or 1/2 extra large onion)

  • 1 bell pepper, sliced into strips

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • Pantry staples:

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil

  • 2 tbsp brown sugar

  • 1 tbsp cornstarch

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

  • 1–2 tsp vinegar

  • Hot cooked rice, for serving

  • You provide:

  • 1 lb chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks

  • 1 can pineapple chunks, drained or 1/2 fresh pineapple, chopped

  • reserved pineapple juice

Instructions

1

Start your rice cooking

We use a rice cooker, but you can also cook it on the stove. Use package directions. Continue next steps as rice cooks.
2

Cut your pineapple

We recommend canned pineapple for this recipe. However, in the video we used fresh because we had a fresh pineapple on hand. This recipe is just as tasty with canned pineapple, and because you will utilize the pineapple juice for the sauce, it is preferred. Just know that if you choose to use fresh, you may need additional juice for the sauce because not all fresh pineapples produce enough juice.
3

Peel and Chop

Pell and chop your onion. Chop your bell pepper into strips Chop your chicken into 1-2" strips
4

Start your chicken cooking

In a pot or Dutch oven, add your oil and your chicken strips on medium heat. Season with salt, pepper, or you desired seasonings. Now is the time if you want to add spicy elements (chili oil or red pepper flakes would be delicious if you like some heat).
5

Make your sauce

Add brown sugar, soy sauce, and lemon juice to your reserved pineapple juice
6

Add cornstarch

Add 1T cornstarch to your sauce and mix very well
7

Cook the veggies

By now the chicken should be good and cooked. Add your onion and bell pepper. Let them cook down just a bit before the next step. Personally, I like the bell peppers to have a little crunch, so I just cook them for 2-3 minutes before moving to the next step. If you like yours softer, then cook them longer
8

Add pineapple

Stir in your pineapple. Cook for another 1-2 minutes
9

Sauce it up!

Stir your sauce very well again. Add it into your pot. cook until the sauce comes to a boil
10

Add your vinegar

Add your vinegar in and stir well to coat all of the meat and veggies.
11

Serve

Serve over hot cooked rice.
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