This recipe is made with a combination of delectable succulent chicken and fresh colorful vegetables and fruit that get tossed in a light yet sticky sweet sauce. It is a scrumptious dish that will not disappoint!

In the time it takes for you to order your Chinese takeout and wait for it to arrive, you could have this mouthwatering meal in the same amount of time, if not sooner! This better than take out sweet and sour chicken recipe is a family favorite and a go to meal in our household whenever we are craving Chinese takeout. Side note: we also love pairing it with my Hawaiian Garlic Pineapple Fried Rice recipe as well. This is a super easy dish that can be made in 30 minutes or less! It makes for an easy week night or weekend dinner when you need the comfort of a home cooked meal, but the taste of takeout.

I used to be intimidated to make homemade Chinese takeout dishes. They always seemed to be hard to make becuase there were so many flavors involved, plus the sauce is what makes these dishes and let’s be real, where do I even begin to start making that!? Well, trust me when I say it is way easier that you think!

When I am in the mood, I love a really good Chinese place, but what I don’t love is how unhealthy it can be. So, I wanted to experiment with flavors, sauces and textures until I came up with the perfect combination to make my own dish at home. Doing this gave me the comfort of knowing exactly what is being put into the dish and exactly how it is being made. Once I came up with the perfect recipe and found out how easy it was, the intimidation faded away and I realized that it is not so hard after all! All you need is a few simple ingredients plus some corn starch to thicken the sauce and you are in business my friend!

I don’t know about you, but when I think of a really tasty chinese dish I think: big chunks of vegetables and fruit that I can pick through, tender juicy proteins and savory thick sauces that then get enjoyed with steamed white rice or noodles.... oh man, I am honestly drooling while I write this.

Anyways, when I was creating this recipe, that was my exact thought process: big chunks of vegetables and fruit, tender juicy chicken and thick savory sauce. I cut the vegetables in larger pieces which make for faster prep time, since it does not involve any dicing or mincing. With the chicken, I did not want any crispy coating on the outside, I really just wanted a to provide you with thinner pieces, that were easy to cook in just minutes and soak up the sauce when coated and in turn gives you a really juicy outcome. The sauce is light, sweet and tangy so you really get the sweet and the sour. Plus, It gets thickened with cornstarch which gives it that perfect take out consistency.

Once you get this dish started, it only takes minutes until it is done. Below are photos step by step on how it gets made.

Did you make this? If so, make sure to tag and follow @prettyplatebymichelle on instagram or leave a comment below and let me know what you thought! I would love to see your Pretty Plate and hear from you!