Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken: A healthier spin on a favorite take-out dish that is made in under 10 minutes thanks to the Instant Pot. 

You guys know how I meal plan for you?

And I follow those meal plans myself MOST of the time….BUT this past week I found myself minutes before dinner without a meal ready.

I had planned to get dinner done before my evening of shuffling kids, but I got distracted. I wish I could say it was because I was cleaning my house or catching up on laundry. But nope–I got busy trying to make a DIY Burlap Wreath and it was NOT as easy as I thought.

Anyways, back to dinner.

So I had some chicken, some peppers and a pineapple and decided it looked like the makings of Homemade Sweet and Sour Chicken.

But there was that time thing again….so entered my Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken

I mean this simple chicken recipe, could not be easier and blows any take-out Sweet and Sour Chicken out of the water. Not to mention, my version is lower in fat, calories, sodium and sugar. YAY!!

I created the sauce with a mixture of Apricot All-Fruit Jelly and Low-Sodium Soy Sauce. The sweetness from the apricot jam (which has NO added sugars!) and the saltiness from the soy sauce and the tang from Rice Wine Vinegar pair together perfectly and create the base of this simple, simple Sugar-Free Sweet and Sour Chicken.

And you guys…..dinner was done in less than 15 minutes.

Now maybe I will have time to try that wreath again…….or catch up on my DVR (laundry can wait!)

Notes on Gluten-Free Sweet and Sour Chicken

• If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can still make this Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe on the stove-top, you will just need to brown the chicken, and make the sauce and let the sauce come to boil and then simmer covered for 15-20 minutes to deepen in flavors.
• If you have a corn allergy, you can substitute the cornstarch for tapioca starch (be sure to fully dissolve the tapioca starch before adding to the sweet and sour sauce first.)
• If you can’t find Apricot All Fruit, feel free to use apricot preserves.
• I used reduced sodium soy-sauce for my sweet and sour chicken sauce, regular soy sauce/tamari can be used as well–it just may be saltier.
• If you need this to be Gluten-Free, be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce.
• This is delicious served with Cilantro Lime Rice. But a tip I like to make this even faster, is to make large portions of rice at once and freeze in 4 cup measurements to pull out for easy meals like this. You can also serve this over Cauli-Rice.
• If your children don’t like peppers/onions in their sauce–omit them. And serve with steamed veggies on the side.
• Feel free to use all green peppers, red peppers, yellow peppers or a mix.
• This sauce is on the sweeter side, which is GREAT for my kids–for me, I like to add Sriracha to my serving. If you want your whole dish to be spicier, add 1/2 tablespoon Sriracha or hot sauce during cooking process.

5 from 1 vote

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Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken

A healthier spin on a favorite take-out dish that is made in under 10 minutes thanks to the Instant Pot.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 166 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1/2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 onion, diced into 1 inch chunks
• 1 red pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 yellow pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup apricot all fruit jam
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

1. Turn Instant Pot function to saute and heat the oil. 

2. Add chicken and saute just until lightly browned on all sides--about 2 minutes.

3. Add remaining ingredients to Instant Pot and throughly stir. 

4. Close Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes (under poultry setting if your pot has this setting). Be sure to seal the vent. 

5. Once chicken has cooked, do a quick release method after 5 minutes. 

6. Turn Instant Pot back to saute and add the cornstarch that has been mixed with 1 tablespoon water back into the Instant Pot. Bring to a boil and let sauce thicken. 

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 166 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 3g 5%

Saturated Fat 0g 0%

Cholesterol 48mg 16%

Sodium 425mg 18%

Potassium 445mg 13%

Total Carbohydrates 19g 6%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 11g

Protein 17g 34%

Vitamin A 14%

Vitamin C 94%

Calcium 1.8%

Iron 4.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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