Keto Sweet and Sour Chicken: A Delicious and Healthy Takeout Alternative

For many, including myself, Chinese food has always been a delightful indulgence. Dishes like fried rice, General Tso's chicken, chow mein, and especially sweet and sour chicken, are often craved. However, these dishes are typically high in carbohydrates, making them unsuitable for a ketogenic diet. After seeing a picture of sweet and sour chicken, I decided to recreate this all-time favorite, but with a low-carb twist. The result was a winner!

This recipe uses erythritol, a sweetener that performs exceptionally well in baking and cooking. Erythritol doesn't contribute to tooth decay and has no significant impact on blood sugar or insulin levels.

This keto sweet and sour chicken recipe offers a healthier alternative to traditional takeout, delivering bold, tangy, and saucy flavors without the added junk. It's crispy, saucy, and incredibly satisfying, making it hard to believe it's actually good for you.

Ingredients

Chicken

• 16 ounces chicken breast
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup crushed pork rinds
• ½ cup almond flour (ensure it's finely milled)
• ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Sweet & Sour Sauce

• ½ cup erythritol
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• 4 Tbsp reduced sugar ketchup
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce (or coconut aminos for a soy-free option)
• 1 tsp xanthan gum (optional, for thickening)

Instructions

Preparing the Chicken

1. Get the chicken ready: If the chicken breasts are thick, pound them to about ½ - ¾ inch thickness. Slice the chicken breasts into cubes. Pat the chicken dry to help the coating stick better.
2. Prepare the coating: Fill a Ziploc bag about halfway with pork rinds. Add salt and pepper. Crush the pork rinds with a rolling pin until they reach a crumbly texture. Add almond flour and Parmesan cheese, then shake well to combine. If you’ve got homemade pork rinds, even better, but any plain store-bought rinds (just not cracklings) will do the trick. For best results, pulse the pork rinds in a food processor until they’re almost like panko.
3. Coat the chicken: Put the pork rind mixture into one bowl and the beaten eggs into another bowl. Dip each chicken cube into the egg, then into the pork rind mixture, ensuring it's well coated. Don't worry if the chicken isn’t completely coated.

Cooking the Chicken

There are two methods for cooking the chicken: stovetop and oven.

Stovetop Method

1. Heat olive oil and coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
2. Cook the chicken in batches, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan, until browned on all sides and cooked through. It should take about 5 minutes. If the chicken pieces are too close, they’ll steam instead of crisp.
3. While the chicken is cooking, reduce the sauce in a separate pan.
4. Once the chicken is cooked, coat it with the sauce and mix together.

Oven Method

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
2. Heat olive oil and coconut oil in a large pan.
3. Quickly fry the chicken pieces and transfer them to a baking pan, adding more olive oil as needed.

Making the Sauce

1. In a saucepan, combine reduced sugar ketchup, rice vinegar, erythritol, and soy sauce (or coconut aminos).
2. Simmer the sauce for 3-5 minutes until it thickens, stirring occasionally. For a thinner sauce, add more water until the desired consistency is reached. Letting the sauce simmer long enough is key. It starts off thin, but give it a few minutes to thicken up.

Combining and Finishing

Oven Method

1. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the baking pan.
2. Bake in the preheated oven for a total of 60 minutes, flipping each piece of chicken every 15 minutes to ensure even coating and cooking.
3. After 30 minutes, flip the chicken again; the sauce should start reducing, and the chicken will begin to release its natural juices.
4. At 45 minutes, the sauce should start to harden up, coating each piece of chicken well.
5. Serve hot and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

• Serve the keto sweet and sour chicken over steamed cauliflower rice to create a complete keto-friendly meal. The cauliflower rice complements the tangy sauce, resulting in a satisfying and well-rounded dish.
• Add fresh green or yellow bell peppers to the skillet while cooking the chicken to incorporate vegetables into the dish.

Tips for Success

• Ensure the almond flour is finely milled for the best texture.
• Pat the chicken dry before coating to help the pork rind mixture adhere better.
• Crush the pork rinds very finely, almost like panko, for a better coating.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan when frying the chicken; cook in batches to maintain crispiness.
• Allow the sauce to simmer long enough to thicken properly.
• Monitor the chicken closely while baking to prevent burning, especially during the last 15 minutes.

Variations

• Spicy Version: Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the sauce for a spicier kick.
• Vegetarian Version: Substitute the chicken with mashed chickpeas or a vegetarian chicken alternative for a meat-free option.

Prep-Ahead Advice

• The sweet and sour sauce can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• The pork rind mixture can be prepared ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy; amounts per serving may vary.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe successfully recreates the classic sweet and sour chicken experience while adhering to ketogenic principles. The use of crushed pork rinds provides a crispy coating without the need for flour or cornstarch, and erythritol delivers the necessary sweetness without raising blood sugar levels.

Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

tags: #keto #sweet #and #sour #chicken #recipe