Healthy Sweet & Sour Chicken

Last updated on: September 14, 2026

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Sweet & Sour Chicken is one of those takeaway classics that sounds healthy because there’s a pepper floating about in it, then arrives battered, deep-fried and swimming in sauce.

This version is rather different.

My healthy Sweet & Sour Chicken uses lean chicken breast, a light cornflour coating and a homemade sticky sauce made with pineapple juice, honey, soy sauce and apple cider vinegar. You still get that proper glossy sweet-and-sour finish, but with much better macros.

Each serving contains 47 g of protein and 411 calories, with chicken breast doing most of the protein heavy lifting. It serves four, takes around 10 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to cook, and all you really need is a good wok or large frying pan.

It’s ideal for busy family dinners, meal prep or anyone who wants a healthier Friday-night fakeaway without eating another plate of plain chicken and broccoli in the name of “being good”. If fakeaways are your thing, have a browse through my high-protein fakeaway recipes too.

Why you’ll love this high-protein recipe

• Packed with 47 g of protein per serving, making it a very easy way to get a substantial chunk of your daily protein in one meal.
• Only 411 calories per serving, despite having a proper sticky sauce and enough food on the plate to feel like dinner.
• The chicken is lightly coated rather than deep-fried, so you get that fakeaway feel without needing half a litre of oil and a kitchen that smells like the local Chinese until Wednesday.
• Everything is made using normal UK supermarket ingredients. No obscure sauces ordered from the darkest corner of the internet.
• The whole thing cooks in around 20 minutes, making it ideal for midweek dinners.
• It reheats well, so it fits nicely alongside my other low-calorie meal prep recipes.

Key Ingredients

Chicken Breast. The main protein source and the reason each serving delivers an impressive 47 g of protein. Cutting it into evenly sized pieces helps everything cook quickly without drying out.

Cornflour. This creates a very light coating around the chicken and also helps the sauce cling to it later. It’s the difference between glossy fakeaway chicken and chicken sitting sadly in a puddle.

Pineapple Chunks and Juice. Don’t throw that juice down the sink. It forms an important part of the sauce, bringing sweetness and acidity while the actual pineapple chunks give you that classic sweet and sour combination.

Honey. Adds sweetness without needing to pour half the sugar bowl into the wok. You only need enough to balance the vinegar and soy sauce.

Apple Cider Vinegar. The “sour” half of the operation. Its acidity cuts through the sweetness of the honey and pineapple juice and stops the finished sauce becoming sickly.

Reduced-Salt Soy Sauce. Adds saltiness and plenty of savoury umami flavour. Reduced-salt soy gives you a little more control over the seasoning.

Tomato Purée. Adds colour, richness and a slightly concentrated savoury flavour to the sauce without reaching for bottled sweet and sour sauce.

Red and Green Peppers. They add crunch, sweetness and plenty of colour. Keep the chunks fairly large so they retain some bite rather than disappearing into the sauce.

Garlic and Ginger. Classic fakeaway flavour builders. Fry them briefly once the vegetables have softened so they become fragrant without burning.

If you regularly cook with chicken breast, my high-protein chicken recipes collection has plenty more ways to use it without feeling as though you've accidentally started eating the same dinner seven nights a week.

How to Make Healthy Sweet and Sour Chicken

Add the diced chicken breast to a bowl with the cornflour, garlic powder, paprika and seasoning. Toss everything together until the chicken is evenly coated. This light coating helps the chicken brown nicely and also gives the sauce something to cling to later.

Add the sauce ingredients to a small bowl and mix until well combined. Set aside while you cook the chicken and vegetables.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the coated chicken. Cook until golden on the outside and cooked through, turning the pieces so they colour evenly. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Add the chopped red pepper, green pepper and onion to the same pan. Stir-fry for a few minutes until they begin to soften but still have a little bite. Nobody asked for sad, floppy peppers.

Add the crushed garlic and grated ginger to the vegetables. Stir everything together and cook briefly until fragrant, taking care not to let the garlic burn.

Return the browned chicken to the pan, then add the pineapple and prepared sweet and sour sauce. Stir well so the chicken, peppers and pineapple are completely coated.

Allow everything to bubble gently for a few minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes rich and glossy. Finish with sliced spring onions, then serve your healthy sweet and sour chicken with rice or your favourite side.

Keeping Healthy Sweet and Sour Chicken Fresh For Later

To Store

Allow the Sweet & Sour Chicken to cool before transferring it to an airtight container. Keep it refrigerated and eat within 3 days.

If you're using it for meal prep, portion it into individual containers straight away. That makes grabbing lunch significantly easier and prevents the mysterious disappearance of tomorrow's portion after dinner.

To Reheat

Reheat gently in a wok or frying pan over a medium heat until the chicken is piping hot throughout.

You can also microwave it for around 2–3 minutes, stirring halfway through. Add a splash of water or chicken stock if the sauce has become particularly thick in the fridge.

Because chicken breast is lean, avoid blasting it for ages or it'll go from tender to roof tile surprisingly quickly.

To Freeze

Yes, you can freeze Sweet & Sour Chicken.

Once completely cooled, transfer it to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly overnight in the fridge before reheating.

The peppers will be slightly softer after freezing, but the flavour will still be excellent. For the best texture, I'd choose refrigeration over freezing when you're only making it a few days ahead.

Serving suggestions

The obvious choice is steamed basmati or jasmine rice. Around 60–75 g dry rice per person makes a good starting point if you want a substantial meal.

You could also serve it with:

• Egg fried rice for an even higher-protein dinner.
• Stir-fried vegetables or pak choi for extra volume.
• Noodles if rice isn't doing it for you.
• Cauliflower rice if you want to reduce the overall calories.
• Edamame beans if you want an easy extra protein boost.

And if you're after more meals that give you plenty of food for your calories, have a look at my high-protein low-calorie recipes.

Healthy Sweet & Sour Chicken

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Indulge in tender chicken and tangy sauce, without the excess calories.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Units MUS Scale 1x2x3x

• 25g cornflour
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 600g chicken breast, chopped
• 2 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce
• 50 ml honey
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 200ml chicken stock
• 425g tin of pineapple chunks in juice
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 red pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 green pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 onion, cut into chunks
• 10g garlic, puree
• 10g ginger, puree
• Spring onions for garnish

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Instructions

In a bowl or freezer bag, combine the cornflour, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and chicken breast so the chicken is coated in the mixture.

Add the soy sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, tomato puree, chicken stock and the juice from the pineapple chunks (around 170ml or 6 fl oz) to a jug. Mix through and set aside.

Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a wok at a high temperature and fry the chicken for a few minutes until it starts to turn golden brown (it doesn’t need to be fully cooked through at this stage).

Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.

Add the second tsp coconut oil to the pan along with the peppers and onions and fry for a few minutes until the onion starts to turn translucent.

Add the garlic and ginger and fry for a further 30 seconds.

Add the pineapple chunks and the sauce to the pan along with the chicken. Keep the heat on high and simmer for about 7-10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken up and the chicken is fully cooked through.

Serve and garnish with spring onions.

• Author: Steph Dorosan
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 411
• Fat: 7g
• Carbohydrates: 40g
• Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 47g

Variations & tips

• Brown the chicken properly. Get the wok good and hot before adding it. You're looking for colour around the edges rather than cooking the chicken completely at this stage. That browning adds flavour before it finishes cooking in the sauce.
• Don't overcrowd the wok. If your pan is small, brown the chicken in two batches. Packing everything in at once drops the temperature and steams the chicken instead.
• Keep some crunch in the vegetables. Sweet and sour is far better when the peppers and onions still have a little bite. Three or four minutes over high heat should be plenty.
• Make it hotter. Add chilli flakes, sliced fresh chilli or a little sriracha if everyone eating it can handle some heat.
• Increase the protein further. Simply increase the chicken breast to around 700–800 g, or serve with egg fried rice or edamame.
• Give the sauce time to reduce. Those final 7–10 minutes matter. Keep the heat reasonably high and let the sauce bubble until it becomes thick and glossy enough to coat the chicken rather than running straight off it. This is where fakeaway magic happens.

FAQ

Can I make Sweet & Sour Chicken with chicken thighs?

Absolutely. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will stay particularly juicy and work brilliantly with the sticky sauce.

They contain a little more fat than chicken breast, though, so the calories and overall macros will change.

Can I make this Sweet & Sour Chicken gluten-free?

The main ingredient to check is the soy sauce, as standard soy sauce normally contains wheat. Swap it for a certified gluten-free tamari or gluten-free soy sauce and check your chicken stock and other packaged ingredients too.

Can I make Sweet & Sour Chicken ahead of time?

Yes. It keeps well in the fridge for up to three days, making it a very handy meal-prep dinner.

The sauce often thickens further overnight, so add a small splash of stock or water when reheating if required.

How can I make this Sweet & Sour Chicken even higher in protein?

The easiest option is simply adding more chicken breast. You could also serve it alongside egg fried rice or edamame beans rather than ordinary rice.

More high-protein recipes to try

• If this Sweet & Sour Chicken is your kind of fakeaway, try my Sweet Chilli Chicken next. Sticky, colourful and another brilliant high-protein midweek option.
• Fancy something with a bit more kick? My Firecracker Chicken brings plenty of sweet, spicy flavour without the takeaway faff.
• For something savoury and seriously moreish, try this Salt and Pepper Chicken. Another easy way to make Friday-night fakeaway food work harder for your protein target.
• My Sweet & Spicy Korean Chicken is another sticky chicken dinner loaded with garlic, ginger and big flavour.
• Or try my Manchurian Chicken for crispy chicken coated in a punchy sweet, spicy and savoury sauce.

Leave Me A Comment Below

As always, I would love to hear how you find this recipe. If you make it, please come back and leave a comment below. Thanks!