💡 At a Glance
- •The Dish: An Asian takeout classic featuring tender chicken, rice, crisp veggies, and juicy pineapple tossed in a rich sweet and sour sauce.
- •Time: Super quick to whip up—ideal for effortless lunches or busy weeknight dinners.
- •Method: Meat, rice, and veggies all cook together at the exact same time in your Thermomix® for an easy all-in-one meal.
This homemade Sweet and Sour Chicken is loaded with tender chicken, colorful bell peppers, carrots, and sweet pineapple simmered in a rich, velvety sauce. It’s an absolute Asian restaurant favorite that’s not only insanely delicious, but making it at home is also way cheaper and healthier than takeout!
This easy dinner is guaranteed to win over the whole family—it’s a total crowd-pleaser that both adults and picky kiddos will devour.
In my easy step-by-step recipe, I’ll show you just how effortless it is to whip up incredible homemade Sweet and Sour Chicken with rice right in your Thermomix® in no time at all.
What Is Sweet and Sour Chicken?
Sweet and sour chicken is a total Chinese takeout classic that you’ll find on almost every restaurant menu.
The ingredient list is super simple: tender chicken breast, vibrant bell peppers, sweet onions, and juicy pineapple chunks.
What really makes this dish shine is the fantastic sweet and sour sauce. It coats every bite of chicken and veggies, bringing all those delicious flavors together into a total taste explosion.
Why You’ll Love This Sweet and Sour Chicken:
- A classic takeout favorite made at home
- Super delicious (and a total crowd-pleaser for kids and adults alike!)
- Quick and easy to make
- Budget-friendly and wholesome
- Prepped in a flash with your Thermomix®
- Perfect for a quick lunch or hassle-free weeknight dinner
My Top Tips for Making Sweet and Sour Chicken
Feel free to customize the veggies! Beyond the bell peppers and carrots, you can toss in scallions, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, or snow peas. If you add extra vegetables, just splash in a little extra of the reserved cooking liquid to keep everything nice and saucy.
If you like a little extra kick, stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of spicy curry powder into the sauce.
When grabbing canned pineapple, make sure to look for pineapple packed in 100% juice rather than syrup.
Feel free to swap the chicken breasts for boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer an even juicier option!
Looking for a low-carb alternative to rice? Serve this over steamed broccoli or cauliflower rice instead.
Can you make this ahead of time and store leftovers?
You can prep the chicken a day in advance—just dice it up and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
You can also whisk the sauce together a day ahead of time.
That said, I recommend cooking the actual dish all in one go right before serving—it just tastes best freshly made!
Any leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days.
Just make sure to store the rice separately from the chicken and sauce so the rice doesn’t soak everything up and get soft and mushy.
Chicken Breast FAQs
What You’ll Need for Sweet and Sour Chicken
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 carrots
- 1 1/4 cups jasmine rice (250 g)
- 1 can pineapple chunks (15 oz / 432 g), juice reserved
- 5 cups water (1200 g)
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
For the Sauce:
- 1 cup reserved cooking liquid (250 g)
- 1/3 cup reserved pineapple juice (100 ml)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil or canola oil
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
Note: You’ll find the full ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions down in the recipe card below.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken
Prep Work:
Place the rice in the simmering basket, then set it into a bowl and cover completely with water.
Let it soak while you finish the rest of your prep.
Next, wash and dry the carrots and bell peppers.
Peel the carrots and slice them into thin strips.
Remove the seeds from the bell peppers and slice them into strips as well.
Pat the chicken breast dry with a paper towel and chop into small, bite-sized cubes.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Place the prepped veggies into the Varoma® dish and season with 1 teaspoon of salt.
Add the chicken to the Varoma tray and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of paprika.
Pro Tip: Make sure to leave some of the steam vents on the tray uncovered! If they’re completely blocked, the steam can’t circulate properly, and your food won’t cook evenly.
Pour 1200 g of water into the mixing bowl, and add 1 teaspoon of salt.
Insert the simmering basket with the soaked rice into place.
Now, place the Varoma® tray inside the Varoma® dish and cover it with the lid.
Set the Varoma® on top of the mixing bowl and cook for 25 min. / Varoma® / Speed 2.
Meanwhile, open the canned pineapple and drain it over a bowl to catch all that delicious juice. Chop the pineapple chunks into smaller, bite-sized pieces if needed.
Once the timer goes off, carefully remove the Varoma® and set it aside.
Use your spatula to remove the rice basket from the mixing bowl. Keep it warm.
Reserve the cooking liquid, then pour 250 g (about 1 cup) of it back into the mixing bowl.
Next, add the rest of your sauce ingredients: 100 g of the reserved pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
Mix for 5 sec. / Speed 5, then bring to a boil for 4 min. / 100°C (212°F) / Speed 3.
Add the pineapple chunks and stir in for 20 sec. / Reverse / Speed 1.
Finally, transfer the chicken and vegetables into a large serving bowl, smother everything with that gorgeous sauce, and serve alongside the warm rice.
Enjoy!
Note: You can find the exact ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below.
The listed prep and cook times are averages.
Happy cooking!
If you loved my quick Sweet and Sour Chicken, you might also want to try my delicious Chicken Gyros with Bell Peppers and Mushrooms! 🙂
Best,
Christoph
PS: Never want to miss a recipe? Follow along on Pinterest or Instagram ❣
Did you give this recipe a try?
If you loved it, please leave a comment below and give it a 5-star rating! 🙂
Sweet and Sour Chicken
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Zutaten
- 500 g Chicken breast fillets
- 1 Bell peppers
- 2 Carrots
- 250 g Jasmine rice
- 1 Can of pineapple chunks (432 g) reserve juice
- 1200 g Water
- 3 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Paprika
For the sauce:
- 250 g reserved cooking liquid
- 100 ml reserved canned pineapple juice
- 25 g apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil or canola oil
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
Zubereitung
Prep Work:
- Place the rice in the simmering basket, put it in a bowl, and cover completely with water. Let it soak while you finish the rest of your prep work.
- Next, wash and dry the carrots and bell peppers.
- Peel the carrots and cut them into thin strips.
- Deseed the bell peppers and cut them into thin strips as well.
- Pat the chicken breast dry with paper towels and finely dice into bite-sized pieces.
Instructions:
- Place the sliced vegetables into the Varoma® dish and season with 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Place the diced chicken onto the Varoma® tray and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon paprika. Pro tip: Make sure to leave some steam vents uncovered! If they’re blocked, the steam won’t circulate properly and your food won’t cook evenly.
- Pour 1200 g water into the mixing bowl and add 1 teaspoon salt. Insert the simmering basket with the soaked rice.
- Set the tray inside the Varoma® dish and cover with the lid.
- Set the Varoma® in place on the mixing bowl and cook for 25 min / Varoma® / Speed 2.
- Meanwhile, drain the canned pineapple over a bowl using a strainer, catching and reserving the juice. Cut the pineapple chunks into smaller pieces if needed.
- Once cooking time is up, carefully remove the Varoma® and set it aside. Use the spatula to lift out the simmering basket with the rice. Keep warm.
- Pour out the cooking liquid, reserving it, and add 250 g of it back into the mixing bowl.
- Add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the mixing bowl: 100 g of the reserved pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
- Mix for 5 sec / Speed 5, then bring to a boil for 4 min / 100°C / Speed 3.
- Add the pineapple chunks and gently stir in for 20 sec / Reverse mode / Speed 1.
- Finally, transfer the chicken and vegetables to a large serving bowl, pour the warm sauce over top, and serve alongside your fluffy rice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to toss in other veggies alongside the bell peppers and carrots! Green onions, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, or snow peas work great. If you add extra veggies, you might want to use a little more of the reserved cooking liquid.
- If you love a little kick, add 1-2 teaspoons of hot curry powder to the sauce.
Hähnchen Süß-Sauer
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Zutaten
- 500 g Hähnchenbrustfilet
- 1 Paprika
- 2 Möhren
- 250 g Jasminreis
- 1 can Ananas-Stücke (432 g) Saft auffangen
- 1200 g Wasser
- 3 tsp Salz
- 1 tsp Paprikapulver
Für die Sauce:
- 250 g der Garflüssigkeit
- 100 ml Ananassaft aus der can
- 25 g Apfelessig oder Weißweinessig
- 2 tbsp Tomatenmark
- 3 tbsp Sojasoße
- 1 tbsp Sesamöl oder Rapsöl
- 2 tbsp braunen Zucker
- 2 tbsp Stärke
- ½ tsp Salz
Zubereitung
Vorbereitungen:
- Den Reis in den Garkorb füllen, anschließend in eine Schüssel stellen und vollständig mit Wasser bedecken. So lange quellen lassen, bis die restlichen Vorbereitungen abgeschlossen sind.
- Als Nächstes Möhren und Paprika waschen und abtrocknen.
- Dann die Möhren schälen und in Streifen schneiden.
- Von der Paprika die Kerne entfernen und die Paprika ebenfalls in Streifen schneiden.
- Hähnchenbrustfilet trocken tupfen und fein würfeln.
Zubereitung:
- Das Gemüse in den Varoma® einfüllen und mit 1 Teelöffel Salz würzen.
- Das Fleisch in den Einlegeboden geben und mit 1 Teelöffel Salz und 1 Teelöffel Paprikapulver würzen. Wichtig zu wissen: Die Luftschlitze des Einlegebodens müssen auf jeden Fall frei bleiben. Ist dies nicht der Fall, kann sich der Dampf nicht richtig verteilen und das Gargut wird nicht gleichmäßig gar.
- 1200 g Wasser in den Mixtopf geben, ebenfalls 1 Teelöffel Salz dazugeben. Dann den Garkorb mit dem gewässerten Reis einsetzen.
- Nun den Einlegeboden auf den Varoma® stellen und mit dem Deckel verschließen.
- Varoma® auf den Mixtopf setzen und 25 Min. / Varoma® / Stufe 2 garen.
- Inzwischen die Ananaskonserve öffnen, in ein Sieb geben und den Saft auffangen. Ananasstücke eventuell etwas kleiner schneiden.
- Nach Ablauf der Zeit den Varoma® entfernen und beiseite stellen. Den Reis mit dem Spatel ebenfalls aus dem Mixtopf nehmen. Warm stellen.
- Garflüssigkeit auffangen und 250 g davon in den Mixtopf zurückgeben.
- Dann die restlichen Zutaten hinzugeben. Also 100 g des aufgefangenen Ananassaftes, Apfelessig, Tomatenmark, Sojasauce, Sesamöl, Zucker, Stärke und Salz.
- Zunächst 5 Sek. / Stufe 5 verrühren und anschließend 4 Min. / 100° C / Stufe 3 aufkochen.
- Ananasstücke beigeben und 20 Sek. / Linkslauf / Stufe 1 einrühren.
- Zum Schluss das Fleisch und das Gemüse in eine große Schüssel geben, mit der Sauce bedecken und mit dem Reis servieren.
Notes
- Du kannst auch noch anderes Gemüse zu der Paprika und den Möhren geben. Zum Beispiel Frühlingszwiebeln, Sojasprossen, Bambussprossen oder Zuckerschoten. Dann ggf. ein wenig mehr von der aufgefangenen Garflüssigkeit verwenden.
- Wer es gern schärfer mag, fügt der Sauce noch 1-2 TL scharfes Currypulver hinzu.
