Enjoy bites of crispy-coated chicken drenched in a sweet and sour sauce without the worry it contains FODMAPs. Say goodbye to Chinese food takeout because you couldn’t eat it anyway- if you know, you know.
Make this delicious takeout recipe for Low FODMAP Sweet and Sour Chicken at home in your oven. It is not only low FODMAP but also gluten free and dairy free! If that wasn't enough, the best part is that this sweet and sour chicken recipe has the perfect texture with a great balance between sweet and sour and is utterly delicious.
Saying goodbye to your favorite foods is one of the hardest parts of being on a special diet. The second hardest part is being unable to order takeout and eat it out of the little white boxes like everyone else. My solution for these challenges is to develop better recipes than the ones I used to order for takeout. Create meals that are not only better tasting than Chinese restaurants but also a healthier version because it is baked and not deep-fat fried. Anyone else up for the challenge?
Sweet and Sour Chicken Ingredients
Chicken Ingredients:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - Dice the chicken into 1-inch bite-size pieces.
Salt and Black Pepper - Additional flavor for the chicken.
Corn Starch - Creates the perfect crispy breading and is also GLUTEN FREE!
Eggs - A key component to the breading.
Neutral High Heat Oil - To fry the chicken pieces before baking. Use avocado oil, grapeseed oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
Sauce Ingredients:
White Sugar - The key to the sweet part of the sweet and sour sauce.
Ketchup - Who knew ketchup gave sweet and sour sauce that signature red color? It is essential to choose a low FODMAP ketchup. Try Heinz Simply Ketchup, which does not have high fructose corn syrup but does have onion powder listed in the ingredients. The onion powder is listed near the end, indicating a small amount, which may or may not cause issues. Test it so you know your tolerance, and go from there. If it does cause issues, I recommend a certified low FODMAP ketchup from Smoke and Sanity.
Apple Cider Vinegar - This is the sour of the sweet and sour sauce. Monash Univeristy Food App has tested it safe at 42 grams or 2 Tablespoons. Be sure only to eat one serving to stay within the guidelines.
Gluten-Free Soy Sauce - I love La Choy soy sauce for a gluten free option.
Low FODMAP Garlic Salt - I adore Smoke and Sanity’s option. Add all the garlic flavor without the garlic! It's a game changer for anyone on a low FODMAP diet.
Colorful Ingredients:
Pineapple - Totally optional, but I love the extra sweet in the sweet and sour chicken. Monash University has tested fresh pineapple to be safe at 1 cup per meal.
Red Bell Pepper - Again, totally optional, but I love the colorful pop of red in the sweet and sour chicken. Red peppers have been tested by Monash University to be safe at ⅓ cup per meal.
See the recipe card for the exact measurements and complete instructions. Selected ingredients are based on current serving sizes measured by the Monash FODMAP App at the time of publishing. As always, follow your gut and modify as needed.
This recipe was adapted to be low FODMAP from the original sweet and sour chicken recipe at Mel's Kitchen.
Instructions
Dice chicken breasts into one-inch bite-sized pieces. Try to keep them the same size so they all cook evenly.
In a shallow bowl, like a pie plate, beat the two eggs with a fork until the yolks and whites combine.
Pour the cornstarch into a gallon-sized ziploc bag along with the salt and pepper. Add the diced chicken to the bag and coat the chicken. The cornstarch-coated chicken gives something for the eggs to stick to. It seems backward, but it works, promise!
Next, with tongs, remove the diced chicken and put it in the shallow bowl with the beaten eggs. Do this in batches because the chicken will not fit into the pie plate. It may be messy, but it is worth it!
Next, pour some oil on your cooking surface. If you have a Blackstone griddle, this is a perfect chance to use it! Otherwise, use a nonstick frying pan. Both options will work! Heat the oil over medium high heat. The oil should ripple and be hot before adding the egg-dipped/cornstarch chicken.
Place the breaded chicken directly into the oil in a single layer. Allow the chicken to cook for 20-30 seconds. The breading will turn a beautiful golden brown color. If your oil is not hot enough, it will absorb into the breading. Turn the chicken pieces with a large metal spatula to ensure all sides can turn golden brown. The goal is not to cook the chicken to temp in this step but to add some color to the breading.
Place the chicken into a greased baking dish. Repeat the frying process until all the pieces of chicken have been fried. Keep adding the fried pieces to the baking dish until done.
In a medium bowl, add the sauce ingredients: sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, low FODMAP garlic salt. Whisk until the sugar mixes with the other ingredients. If you love sweet and sour sauce, make a double batch. Pour one batch over the chicken and cook one on the stovetop. Too much sauce will make the chicken soggy. Place extra sauce in a small bowl on the side.
Cut the rind off the pineapple with a sharp knife on a cutting board. Slice in half and again and remove the center core. Dice the pineapple into small bite-sized pieces. Save the other half of the pineapple for lunches or tomorrow's breakfast!
Remove the seeds and the white membrane from the red pepper. Nobody wants to eat the membrane. It isn't very pleasant. Cut it into strips and then chop the strips into thirds.
Add the diced pineapple and red pepper strips to the chicken pieces and pour the sauce covering as evenly as possible.
Bake it in a 325 degree F oven for one hour. Stir the chicken after thirty minutes.
Serve it over plain white rice or brown rice with broccoli. Sprinkle some tops of green onions over it all.
PRO TIP: I love making white rice in my Instant Pot. Use the base instructions in the Instant Pot Rice Pilaf recipe.
SHORTCUT TIP: Use gluten free, low FODMAP chicken nuggets. Follow the directions on the package to bake and make the sweet and sour sauce on the stove. It won't be exactly the same as homemade and not as healthy, but it will work to satisfy that craving. Be sure to double-check the ingredients on the chicken nuggets. Garlic powder and onion powder like to hide out in the ingredient list.
Variations and Substitutions
Skip Pineapple and Bell Peppers - Skip them if you cannot tolerate them. It will still be delicious.
Green Bell Pepper - Use green pepper instead of red bell pepper, which has less fructose. It will still add a pop of color.
Rice Vinegar - To get a sweeter, milder sauce, use rice vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.
Storing Leftovers
If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The chicken pieces will lose texture the longer they sit. However, nobody usually complains about eating more sweet and sour chicken.
Did you make extra sauce? Store that separately from the leftover chicken. Same for the rice. If you have extra rice, keep it in a separate airtight container until ready to reheat.
Reheat the chicken and rice in the microwave until heated through. I'll be honest the texture will not be as great, but it is still a tasty leftover option. If you have extra time, heat the leftovers in the oven. The texture will be significantly better than the microwave. Add any extra sauce after heating. I would not recommend freezing any leftovers. The freeze>defrost>reheat> process doesn't do any favors to the battered chicken pieces.
Meal Planning
If you have a picky eater in your house, don’t we all, bake some chicken pieces in a separate baking dish without the sweet and sauce. Call them chicken nuggets and serve with ranch dressing or BBQ sauce on the side. Everyone loves good dip options!
Serve sweet and sour chicken over white rice or fried rice with broccoli. I love the convenience of tossing a bag of frozen broccoli florets into the microwave to steam. Plus, it is an additional veggie serving, which can be so hard to get on a low FODMAP diet.
Additional Low FODMAP Recipes
Are you looking for additional low FODMAP recipes? If you are in the mood for Mexican food, try Low FODMAP Carnitas made in the slow cooker. Add some low FODMAP salsa, and Taco Tuesday is done! Is it soup weather? Try Low FODMAP taco soup!
FAQs
Cornstarch is labeled on the Monash University Food App as Flour, Corn/maize starch, which roughly translates into cornstarch. It has been tested safe at 100 grams or ⅔ cup. As always, test your own gut and modify as needed. Nothing about a low FODMAP diet is black and white.
Low FODMAP Sweet and Sour Chicken
Equipment
- Blackstone Or a Non Stick Skillet
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 2 pounds Chicken Breast, Boneless and Skinless 3-4 pieces
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 cup Cornstarch
- 2 Eggs
- ¼ cup Neutral High Heat Oil Avocado, Grapeseed, Canola
Sauce Ingredients"
- ½ cup White Granulated Sugar
- 4 Tablespoons Ketchup Low FODMAP Version
- ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Gluten Free Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Salt Certified Low FODMAP
- ½ cup Fresh Pineapple Chunks
- ½ cup Red Bell Pepper
Instructions
- Dice chicken breasts into one-inch cubes. Try to keep them the same size so they all cook evenly.
- In a shallow bowl, like a pie plate, beat the two eggs with a fork until the yolks and whites combine.
- Pour the cornstarch into a gallon-sized ziploc bag along with the salt and pepper. Add the diced chicken to the bag and coat the chicken.
- Next, with tongs, remove the cornstarch-coated diced chicken and place it into the beaten eggs. Do this in batches because not all of the chicken will fit into the pie plate.
- Next, pour some oil on your cooking surface. Use avocado or canola oil. If you have a Blackstone griddle, this is a perfect chance to use it! Otherwise, use a large skillet. Both options will work! Heat the oil over medium high heat. The oil should ripple and be hot before adding the breaded chicken.
- Place the breaded chicken directly into the oil in a single layer. Allow the chicken to cook for 20-30 seconds. The breading will turn a beautiful golden brown color. If your oil is not hot enough, it will be absorbed into the breading. Turn the pieces of chicken so all sides get a chance to turn golden brown.
- Place the fried chicken into a baking dish. Repeat the frying process until all the pieces of chicken have been fried.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the sauce ingredients: sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, low FODMAP garlic salt. Whisk until the sugar is mixed with the other ingredients.
- Add the diced pineapple and red pepper strips to the chicken pieces and pour the sauce over it all.
- Bake it in a 325 degree F oven for one hour. Stir the chicken after thirty minutes.
- Serve it over plain white rice with broccoli and green onion tops sprinkled over the top.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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