Gluten-free sweet and sour chicken
Crispy cornstarch chicken tossed with juicy pineapple and peppers in a glossy sweet and sour sauce.
- Celiac
- Pregnancy
- Toddlers
- Dairy-free
- Alpha-gal
- Heart health
- Gluten-free
- Crohn’s and colitis
- High cholesterol
- Kid-friendly
- Sheet pan
- One pan
- Gluten-free dairy-free
- Gluten-free Chinese
- Gluten-free Asian
Ingredients
- 600 g chicken thighs, boneless, cut in bite-size pieces
- 6 tbsp cornstarch, divided
- 3 tbsp gluten-free tamari
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp honey
- 300 g pineapple chunks, fresh, juice reserved
- 1 red bell pepper, cut in chunks
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 scallions, sliced
Method
- Toss the chicken with half the cornstarch until coated.
- Brown the chicken in the oil in a wide skillet until crisp at the edges.7 min timer
- Lift out the kids' share of chicken and pineapple before the sauce goes in.Kids’ plate comes out here
- Stir in the garlic and ginger until fragrant, about half a minute.
- Add the pepper, pineapple, tamari, vinegar, ketchup, honey and reserved juice, then simmer until glossy.4 min timer
- Return the chicken, toss to coat and scatter scallions over.
Kids’ plate: Chicken bites and pineapple
On the plate: Crispy plain chicken bites and pineapple chunks, sauce on the side for dipping.
Make it a game: Stack pineapple chunks under the chicken bites to build a little tower before each dip.
Set it aside at step 3, before the grown-ups’ sauce or spice goes on.
Why it works
- Celiac disease: All the savour is gluten-free tamari, cornstarch and rice vinegar, with no wheat anywhere in the pan.
- Kid (4–12): Mild crispy chicken and sweet pineapple, with the tangy sauce kept separate for dipping.
Celiac check: watch for hidden gluten in soy sauce, stock, malt vinegar and seasoning blends, and oats that aren’t certified. Gluten gives food ideas, not medical advice: always check labels for allergens and cross-contact.
Cooking for more than one diet?
Add everyone you cook for, with their allergies, diets and ages. Gluten checks this recipe for each of them and tells you what to change for anyone who can’t eat it as written. It’s free.
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This recipe also fits: Pregnancy recipes, Toddlers recipes, Dairy-free recipes, Alpha-gal recipes, Heart health recipes, Gluten-free recipes, Crohn’s and colitis recipes, High cholesterol recipes, Kid-friendly recipes, Sheet pan recipes, One pan recipes, Gluten-free dairy-free recipes, Gluten-free Chinese recipes, Gluten-free Asian recipes.