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As a kid, sweet and sour chicken was my ALL TIME favorite Chinese dish. I rarely got to have it, so when I did, it was an extra special treat.
I absolutely love Chinese take-out, but have not actually had take-out for many years. Too much sugar, MSG, wheat, etc. for me to risk.
That is why I am IN LOVE with Russ Crandall’s new book, Paleo Takeout: Restaurant Favorites without the Junk.
Not only does this awesome book have all my favorite Chinese dishes, like:
- Orange Chicken
- Sesame Chicken
- Egg Drop Soup
- Honey Sesame Chicken
- Chow Mein
- Mongolian Beef
- Beef and Broccoli
It is also filled with other popular takeout cuisines like:
- American (Wings, Chicken Nuggets, Fried Chicken, and more)
- Mexican (Fajitas, Carnitas, Burrito Bowls, and more)
- Italian (Pizza, Calzones, Fettucine Alfredo, and more)
- Greek (Gyros, Greek Salads, and more)
- Japanese and Korean (Chicken Teriyaki, Katsudon, Miso Soup, Ramen, Bettarazuke, Kimchi, Bulgogi, and more)
- Southeast Asian (Pho, Pad Thai, Curries, Tandoor Chicken, Butter Chicken, Pancit, Bakso, and more)
If you’re craving it, there’s a pretty good chance this book has a recipe for it! If you want to check out the full Paleo Takeout recipe list and see pictures, visit this page on Russ’ site.
There are also some other awesome resources you may like, including:
I encourage you to check out this awesome book here for LOTS more info and pretty pictures. 🙂
Today, Russ has allowed me to share a recipe from the book and of course I selected my childhood favorite! This recipe is fantastic. I even made it without the breading and it was just as delicious. Of course, breaded and fried chicken is always amazing, but if you want to skip some of the carbs, leaving off the breading will help and still taste great!
Excerpt from Paleo Takeout about Sweet and Sour Chicken:
It is probably not surprising to read that while this dish is served in Chinese restaurants in many Western countries, it doesn’t really exist in China. There are several sauces served in China that incorporate both sweet and sour tastes, the most common being from the Hunan province, but they’re a far cry from what you can get at your local Chinese-American restaurant. The reality is that this is more of an American dish than a Chinese one.
On the flip side, the Chinese have their own interpretation of Western tastes—like flying fish roe and salmon cream cheese stuffed-crust pizza (at the Hong Kong Pizza Hut). I think it’s a fair trade. ~Russ Crandall, Author of Paleo Takeout
Delicious Obsessions Trusted Product Recommendations for Sweet and Sour Chicken (+ coupons and freebies!)
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Sweet and Sour Chicken from Paleo Takeout :: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free
As a child, I LOVED sweet and sour chicken. Any time we went to a Chinese restaurant, that is what I ordered. I love that I can revisit those memories with an updated version without the gluten and refined sugars.
Ingredients
SAUCE:
- 1 cup Chicken Broth (page 264 in book or click here)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp organic tamari (or coconut aminos)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
NUGGETS:
- 2 tbsp expeller-pressed coconut oil
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch or arrowroot starch
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 2 large eggs, beaten
SLURRY:
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tbsp cold water
TOPPINGS:
- 1/2 tsp sesame seeds, to garnish
- 2 green onions, sliced, to garnish
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, then reduce the heat to low to gently simmer as you prepare the rest of the meal; stir occasionally.
- Preheat your oven to 250°F.
- In a wok or skillet, warm the coconut oil over medium heat.
- Combine the tapioca starch, salt, and pepper, then toss the chicken pieces with the starch mixture.
- With your fingers, dip a starchy chicken piece in the beaten eggs, shake off the excess egg, and then add to the oil.
- Repeat until you have filled your skillet, being careful not to overcrowd the chicken pieces.
- Fry the chicken until cooked through, flipping every 2 minutes, about 6 to 8 minutes per batch. As you finish each batch, place the cooked pieces on a plate lined with paper towels; put them in the oven to stay warm. You should be able to cook the chicken pieces in 3 or 4 batches, depending on the size of your skillet.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, finish the sauce. Taste the sauce and add more salt or pepper if needed. If the sauce is too dark and strong tasting, add a little chicken broth to thin it out. At this point, the sauce should be about as thick as tomato soup and should have a sharp but not overwhelming flavor.
- In a small bowl, stir together the arrowroot starch and cold water to create a slurry.
- Raise the sauce temperature to medium; once bubbling, add half of the slurry and stir until thickened, adding more slurry if needed.
- Remove from the heat.
- Toss the chicken pieces with the sauce, then garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve over Basic Steamed Rice (page 286) or Cauliflower Rice (page 288).
Notes
Consider adding chunks of onion, bell pepper, or even pineapple to enhance the flavor of this dish. These ingredients should be added with the starch slurry in step 4.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 460Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 287mgSodium: 1324mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 76g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered from Nutritionix and we often find their calculations to be slightly inaccurate based on the whole food ingredients we use on this site. Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on many factors. We strive to keep the information as accurate as possible, but make no warranties regarding its accuracy. We encourage readers to make their own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.