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Keto Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
Takeout classics can be Keto if you make them right! Try this Keto sweet and sour chicken recipe the next time you’re in the mood for Chinese food.
Why Your Takeout Might Not Be Keto
Don’t fall into the trap of believing that just because something is meat-based it’s Keto. Just because it isn’t wrapped in a bun or placed on top of noodles does not give you a free pass.
Your takeout Chinese food may have carb-laden ingredients you wouldn’t think about. Case in point – how do they get the “sweet” in sweet and sour chicken?
If you guessed sugar, or brown sugar, you are correct!
Obviously, you don’t want that wrecking your diet. Better to make your own.
But that’s not the only culprit from a Keto perspective. Sweet and sour chicken is frequently made from pineapple chunks. Even though it’s a fruit (and a delicious one at that) pineapples are a sugary add-on that doesn’t work for low-carb diets.
Cornstarch is another common ingredient in this dish that unfortunately isn’t Keto.
Finally, the sweet and sour chicken you get from restaurants is often fried. Although it’s hard to guess what oil your chicken was fried in, there’s a good chance it was in canola oil, vegetable oil, or some other sort of oil that isn’t healthy.
How to Make Keto Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sweet and sour chicken definitely needs oil, but I chose a better oil for this Keto version: olive oil. It’s a good choice for stir-fry.
To add sweetness, I included some Keto ketchup. Don’t worry, this is an easy recipe to make, although it does take about an hour to cook.
For the tang, I added rice wine vinegar and gluten-free tamari sauce. Some ginger and garlic flavor the sauce – I like to get these fresh when possible.
For a complete meal, serve with shirataki noodles.
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Description
Enjoy your favorite Chinese food on Keto with this low carb classic.
Ingredients
- 2 3-oz packs (170 g) of shirataki noodles
- 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil
- 2 skinless, deboned chicken breasts (400 g), diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper (60 g), seeds removed and sliced into strips
- 1/2 red bell pepper (60 g), seeds removed and sliced into strips
- 2 garlic cloves (6 g), peeled and minced
- 2 Tablespoons (10 g) of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 3 oz (80 g) of bamboo shoots, drained
- 2 Tablespoons (35 g) of Keto ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) of rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 Tablespoon (8 ml) of gluten-free tamari sauce
- chopped cilantro, to garnish
Instructions
- Rinse the shirataki noodles well under cold, running water. Place into a pan of simmering water and set aside to keep warm.
- Heat the olive oil in a wok and once hot, fry the chicken pieces until lightly colored and cooked through.
- Reduce heat to moderate and add the peppers, garlic, ginger, and bamboo. Cook for two minutes until they have softened and started to caramelize.
- Add the Keto ketchup, vinegar and tamari to the wok. Cook the mixture until the sauce reduces and coats the chicken and vegetables.
- Drain the noodles and top with chicken and vegetables. Garnish with chopped cilantro and enjoy.
Notes
All nutritional data are estimated and based on per serving amounts.
Net Carbs: 3 g
Nutrition
- Calories: 241
- Sugar: 2 g
- Fat: 14 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 24 g