Craving some Asian food, but short on time? Ditch the takeout menus and dust off your microwave! No need for deep-frying or splattering oil. This recipe is a game-changer for busy weeknights or whenever that sweet and sour craving hits. Using precooked chicken nuggets, you can make this dish in just minutes!
Table of Contents
Ingredients to make Sweet and Sour Chicken in the Microwave
- Air-Fryer Chicken Nuggets – I find the Tyson brand is perfect for this dish.
- Frozen Onions and Peppers – diced onion, green, and red peppers.
- Pineapple – Canned pineapple chunks make this easy.
- Sweet and sour chicken sauce – The sauce is super easy to make and is a flavorful combination of rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, pineapple juice, water, and cornstarch.
- Salt & Pepper – to taste
- Cooked white rice – For serving to soak up that glorious sauce.
How do you make Sweet & Sour Chicken in the Microwave?
Prepare the white rice ahead of itme according to this recipe. If you want a change, you can also make fried rice in the microwave easily.
Drain the can of pineapple, but save the juice for use in the sauce.
In a microwave-safe dish, add a couple of tablespoons of water and the frozen peppers and onions. Heat for six minutes on HIGH in the microwave.
Drain the water and set aside.
On a microwave-safe plate, heat the nuggets according to the package in the microwave (or the air fryer if you have one). For this recipe, I heat up about 10 nuggets as this will serve 2-3 people.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch and water until it’s completely combined.
Whisk in the rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, and leftover pineapple juice.
Heat the sauce for 2-3 minutes on HIGH, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. If it’s still not thickened, heat an additional minute.
Add the pineapple and chicken and sauce to the onions and peppers and mix together.
Heat for 2-3 more minutes on HIGH.
Serve immediately over white rice.
Microwave Sweet & Sour Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 8 ounce can pineapple chunks , drained, juice reserved
- 10-12 Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- 10 oz frozen bag of onions and peppers
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the white rice ahead of itme according to this recipe. If you want a change, you can also make fried rice in the microwave easily.
- Drain the can of pineapple, but save the juice for use in the sauce.
- In a microwave-safe dish, add a couple of tablespoons of water and the frozen peppers and onions. Heat for six minutes on HIGH in the microwave.
- Drain the water and set aside.
- On a microwave-safe plate, heat the nuggets according to the package in the microwave (or the air fryer if you have one). For this recipe, I heat up about 10 nuggets as this will serve 2-3 people.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl whisk together 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch and water until it's completely combined.
- Whisk in the rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, and leftover pineapple juice.
- Heat the sauce for 2-3 minutes on HIGH, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. If it's still not thickened, heat an additional minute.
- Add the pineapple and chicken and sauce to the onions and peppers and mix together.
- Heat for 2-3 more minutes on HIGH.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately over white rice.
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