This air fryer sweet & sour chicken brings all the flavors of your favorite Chinese take-out but cooked at home in under 30 minutes. It has the perfect blend of sweet + tangy flavors in the sauce. Server over rice or cauliflower rice and you have an easy weeknight dinner.
Air Fryer Sweet & Sour Chicken Recipe
You know we have fallen in love with all of our air fryer recipes because they make weeknight dinners so dang easy! Just like our air fryer sticky Asian beef, this sweet & sour chicken is another Chinese take-out copycat recipe that’s been tweaked just a bit to make it a little less indulgent.
Ingredients needed
For this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts – cut into 1″ cubes
- 2 Tbsp. olive or sesame oil – divided.
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
- 2 Tbsp. liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 2 tsp. sriracha sauce
- 6 Tbsp. ketchup
- 1/2 Tbsp. arrowroot starch (or corn starch)
- dash of red pepper flakes
- 1 bunch of raw broccoli
- rice or cauliflower rice
How to make air fryer sweet & sour chicken
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil. Add the cut chicken breast to the air fryer basket. Season with salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp. of oil – toss to coat.
- Cook at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes, opening to toss about half-way. If not fully cooked at the 15-minute mark, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, add the vinegar, liquid aminos, honey, sriracha, ketchup, arrowroot, and red pepper flakes to a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring to combine. The arrowroot will help the sauce thicken while it cooks.
- Add 1 Tbsp. of oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Chop the broccoli off of the main stalk and add to the skillet and cook just until softened.
- Once everything is done cooking, combine it all (chicken, broccoli, and sauce) and toss to coat thoroughly.
- Serve over rice or cauliflower rice.
Recipe FAQs
Is air fryer sweet & sour chicken gluten-free?
This particular recipe is a gluten-free recipe.
Can I reheat this dish?
Yes, you can reheat this recipe. I would recommend reheating in a skillet over medium heat.
Can I add additional vegetables to this dish?
Of course! Add in as many vegetables as you’d like! Make it your own!
Is air fried food healthy?
Compared to oil-frying, yes, air fried food could be viewed as healthier, especially if using oils that may potentially contain harmful compounds. However, we always encourage an intuitive eating lifestyle where you decide on the foods that make you feel your best.
How can I cook this dish without an air fryer?
If you do not have an air fryer, you can cook this dish by cooking the chicken in a skillet with about 1 Tbsp. of cooking oil. Simply heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the cubed chicken breasts until thoroughly cooked through. If using this method, you could cook the broccoli and other vegetables alongside the chicken in the same skillet.
Recommended kitchen tools for this recipe
Wanderlust and Wellness
- I have all of my air-fryer recommendations, from low to high price, saved in my Amazon storefront. You’ll also find my favorite air fryer accessories, too.
- You can also find my favorite eco-friendly food storage containers in my Amazon storefront, too!
Other Asian-inspired recipes
- Five Spice Chicken Wings – a delicious chicken wing recipe feature Chinese Five Spice
- Weeknight Chicken Stir Fry – an easy weeknight stir-fry dinner recipe
- Sheet Pan Sweet and Spicy Chicken – a hot and spicy sheet pan dinner that cooks in under 30 minutes!
- Air Fryer Orange Beef – better than take-out orange beef!
Some of our air fryer favorites!
- Air Fryer Lemon Dill Mahi Mahi – a fresh Mahi Mahi recipe using the air fryer
- Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp – perfect for dinner or served as a party appetizer
- Gluten-Free Air Fryer Nashville Chicken Bites – one of our all-time favorite recipes!!
Air Fryer Sweet & Sour Chicken
Air Fryer Sweet & Sour Chicken
An easy at-home Asian dish - this air fryer sweet & sour chicken cooks in under 30 minutes and has the perfect balance between sweet + tang.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts - cut into 1" cubes
- 2 Tbsp. olive or sesame oil - divided.
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
- 2 Tbsp. liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 2 tsp. sriracha sauce
- 6 Tbsp. ketchup
- 1/2 Tbsp. arrowroot starch (or corn starch)
- dash of red pepper flakes
- 1 bunch of raw broccoli
- rice or cauliflower rice
Instructions
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil. Add the cut chicken breast to the air fryer basket. Season with salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp. of oil - toss to coat.
- Cook at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes, opening to toss about half-way. If not fully cooked at the 15-minute mark, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, add the vinegar, liquid aminos, honey, sriracha, ketchup, arrowroot, and red pepper flakes to a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring to combine. The arrowroot will help the sauce thicken while it cooks.
- Add 1 Tbsp. of oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Chop the broccoli off of the main stalk and add to the skillet and cook just until softened.
- Once everything is done cooking, combine it all (chicken, broccoli, and sauce) and toss to coat thoroughly.
- Serve over rice or cauliflower rice.
Notes
- If you do not have an air fryer, you can cook this dish by cooking the chicken in a skillet with about 1 Tbsp. of cooking oil. Simply heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the cubed chicken breasts until thoroughly cooked through. If using this method, you could cook the broccoli and other vegetables alongside the chicken in the same skillet.
- Nutritional Disclaimer
Jennifer is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Wanderlust and Wellness since 2016. She creates easy, approachable gluten-free recipes for the everyday home cook; because cooking gluten-free doesn’t mean food has to be complicated or tasteless.
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