This recipe for Keto Sweet and Sour Chicken is sponsored by Biochem. Thank you for supporting the brands that make EPIC Cast Iron Keto recipes possible.
This Easy Keto Sweet and Sour Chicken is totally better than takeout with no refined sugar, junky oils, or gross additives. Just clean ingredients and 50 minutes is all you need!
Who doesn't love Chinese food? I know I do but even before going keto it was hard to come by quality Chinese restaurants that offered gluten free dishes and made without additives like MSG. We've found a few spots around PDX that offers delicious Thai and Chinese food, and even a few with low carb options, but none that offer my favorite:, Sweet and Sour Chicken.
Alas, after playing around in the kitchen I think we've come up with a pretty stellar low carb sweet and sour chicken recipe that you're going to love!
We've partnered with our friends over at Biochem to use their Whey Protein Isolate + Joint powder as the breading for the chicken. Whey protein as breading? YES, it's so good! Whey protein is the perfect "flour" for breading chicken as it gets super crunchy and golden and allows you to cook it long enough that the chicken is cooked through without the breading burning. You can't say that for almond flour or pork rinds.
With Biochem's Whey Protein Isolate + Joint you're not only getting a quality whey protein but you're also getting a healthy dose of collagen - 3 types actually, which support joint comfort, flexibility and mobility. I just hit 30 and it seems like joints are pretty much downhill from here, kidding kidding, but I do find myself at the chiropractor more often these days so I've been supplementing with collagen to keep my joints in shape. How fun that the collagen can now become fried chicken, I mean what could be better than that?
Let's get to the most important parts of this recipe...
How to bread the chicken
To bread the chicken you're going to use 3 simple ingredients:
1. Biochem Whey Protein Isolate + Joint
2. Salt
3. Eggs
That's it, really! Yes, you can use plain whey protein isolate if you already have it on hand, but we love using this option from Biochem for all of the added joint benefits I mentioned.
To coat the chicken you're going to dip the pieces in the beaten egg, dredge through the Whey Protein Isolate + Joint that's mixed with the salt, then immediately place the chicken into the hot oil.
Don't dredge all of the chicken, place on a plate, then place in the oil as the breading will stick to the plate. You want to go directly into the oil, make sense? Also, be sure to not overcrowd the skillet. You'll need to cook the chicken in batches.
The oil should be about 350° F but don't fret if you don't have a thermometer. Just heat the oil over medium high heat then reduce to medium heat while frying.
We choose to use avocado or algae oil for this recipe as they are the best oils for frying. Coconut oil will also work but I find that it leads to a greasy final dish. Don't attempt to use olive oil as the smoke point is far too low for deep frying.
How to thicken the sweet and sour sauce
Ok, so I know that I'm going to get the question of the sauce being too runny. Here's the thing - with no thickeners like xanthan gum you have to bring the sauce to a simmer for it to thicken. Be patient.
If you have xanthan gum on hand you can add a little sprinkle to the sauce to make it thicker faster, otherwise a few minutes of simmering the sauce and it will be thick.
How to stir fry the peppers and onions
For this recipe we're using both green peppers, red peppers, and onion. I've went with a yellow onion but any will work. The key here is to only stir fry them until they're slightly soft. You don't want mushy peppers and onions in the final dish.
Remember that the sauce has to simmer with the peppers and onions and then the chicken as well so you're only going to stir fry them for 5 minutes.
A note on the sweet and sour sauce
Yes, you can sub all of one style of erythritol but the combo of regular and brown leads to a balanced flavor here. You can also sub garlic powder for the garlic cloves if that's what you have on hand. Soy sauce can be used in place of tamari if you're not gluten free. You can also use coconut aminos if you're soy free.
What to serve with this Low Carb Sweet and Sour Chicken
Obviously cauliflower rice is a go-to but broccoli rice works well as does shirataki rice. It's also great just as-is!
What is the nutritional information for this Keto Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe?
As always, you can find the full nutritional breakdown including the carb count (total carbs and net carbs) at the bottom of the recipe card. You can find the serving size / yield at the top of the recipe card. You should always double check your specific ingredients as different brand's ingredients may have different values.
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Originally posted on castironketo.net
