This restaurant-style baked keto sweet and sour chicken is breaded, crispy, and coated in a flavorful, sticky sweet and sour sauce. There's no reason to order take-out when you can make something just as delicious at home - but without all the carbs, grains, and gluten!

I've always loved Chinese food, but don't eat it very often because it's usually loaded with gluten, carbs, and other undesirable ingredients.
While I love Beef And Broccoli, Teriyaki Chicken, and Orange Chicken, my favorite thing to get when eating Chinese food has always been sweet and sour chicken.
I've made many homemade sweet and sour chicken recipes, but none of them tasted like the kind you get at the restaurant - until now!
It's just like the American version I grew up on and love! It's breaded, crispy, and coated in a flavorful, sticky sweet and sour sauce.
🐓 Chicken
For the chicken, we’re basically starting with a version of my Chicken Nugget recipe.
We're just doing it backward! We dredge the chicken in the breading, then the eggs 🙂
Start by cubing 2 Lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Breading
Step #1: Crust the pork rinds.
For the breading, crush around 3oz (1 regular-sized bag) of pork rinds.
I like to pour them into a plastic baggie and crush them with a rolling pin, but a mallet or anything flat and hard will work!
You can also place them in a dry blender or food processor and blend until they’re finely crushed.
Be sure the pork rinds are very finely crushed. If they’re not, they won’t stick to the chicken very well.
Step #2: Add ½ Cup of blanched almond flour to the pork rinds, along with some salt and pepper, and mix well.
Step #3: Add the chicken pieces to the baggie and coat the chicken evenly with the pork rind/flour mixture.
Step #4: Whisk together 4 large eggs in a large shallow bowl and heat ¼ Cup of avocado oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
Step #5: Once the oil is hot, dredge the chicken in the eggs and place them in the hot oil in a single layer.
Do not overcrowd the pan and cook in batches if needed. Add more avocado oil if it starts to run low.
Step #6: Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until nicely browned.
Do not worry about it cooking through at this time. Once browned, place in a large casserole dish and set aside.
Sweet and sour sauce
Step #1: In a medium-sized saucepan, whisk together ¾ cups of Keto-friendly sweetener, 4 Tbsp. low-carb ketchup, ½ Cup of vinegar, 1 Tbsp. coconut aminos, ½ tsp. garlic powder, and ½ tsp. sea salt.
Step #2: Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Then, pour the sauce over the chicken and stir so all the chicken gets coated.
For the sweetener, any keto sweetener will work. I prefer xylitol, an allulose/monk fruit blend, or pure allulose because they dissolve beautifully and have zero aftertastes!
If using pure allulose, you'll need to add an extra tablespoon or two because it's not as sweet as other sweeteners.
Erythritol-based sweeteners don’t dissolve as well as other sweeteners. So if you using erythritol, make sure it’s powdered.
Baking
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.
Serve hot with cauliflower rice and garnish with green onions.
For the cauliflower rice, I like to add some coconut aminos (or gluten-free soy sauce), sauteed onion and garlic, and 2 scrambled eggs to make cauliflower fried rice.
Storage instructions
- Store: Leftover low-carb sweet and sour chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in a hot skillet until heated through. You can use the microwave, but the breading would be soggier.
- Freeze: Freeze the chicken in a single layer. Once solid, transfer to a freezer bag. Freeze sauce separately.
💭 Top tips
- Do not skip the pork rinds and only use almond flour. If you use only almond flour the chicken will not be crispy.
- Be sure not to overcrowd the pan when browning the chicken or it will not get crispy.
- The oil is only good for two batches. If you need to use another batch, allow the oil to get hot before using.
- For the sweetener, any keto sweetener will work. However, erythritol-based sweeteners don’t dissolve as well as other sweeteners. So if you using erythritol, make sure it’s powdered.
- As a gift to my readers, I’ve teamed up with BESTI KETO SWEETENERS to give you guys 10% off! Simply use the code “CRAVEABLE” at checkout.
Or if you're looking for more recipes, Wholesome Yum's Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry looks pretty delicious too!
If you’ve tried this Keto Sweet And Sour Chicken or any other recipe on the blog please let me know in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Keto Sweet And Sour Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 Lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs
- ¼ tsp. Ground Pepper
- 1 tsp. Sea Salt
- 3.25 oz. Pork Rinds
- ½ Cup Blanched Almond Flour - finely ground
- 4 Large Eggs Eggs - beaten
- ¼ Cup Avocado Oil - +more as needed
Keto Sweet And Sour Sauce:
- ¾ Cup Keto Sweetener - see notes below
- 4 tablespoon Sugar-Free Ketchup
- ½ Cup White Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Aminos
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp. Sea Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Cut the chicken into cubes. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, if needed, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Add the pork rinds to the bowl of a food processor and process until very finely crushed. Depending on the size of your food processor you might need to process them in batches. Alternatively, place the pork rinds in a large resealable baggie. Seal, removing as much air as possible, and crush with a rolling pin or mallet until very finely ground. Set aside.
- Add the ½ Cup of blanched almond flour to the pork rinds, along with 1 tsp. of sea salt and ¼ tsp. pepper and mix well. Add the chicken pieces to the baggie and coat the chicken evenly with the pork rind/flour mixture.
- Whisk together the eggs in a large shallow bowl. Then, heat ¼ Cup of avocado oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
- Once the oil is hot, dredge the chicken in the eggs and place in the hot oil in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan and cook in batches if needed. Add more avocado oil if it starts to run low.
- Cook the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until nicely browned but not cooked through. Once browned, place chicken in a single layer in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and repeat with remaining chicken.
- Pour the sweet and sour sauce over chicken. Stir to combine.
- Bake for 1 hour stirring every 20 minutes.
- Serve over cauliflower rice and garnish with green onions if desired.
Keto Sweet And Sour Sauce:
- Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Add Your Own Notes
Video
Notes
- Find the link to the full video here: Sweet & Sour Chicken YouTube Video!
- Do not skip the pork rinds and only use almond flour. If you use only almond flour the chicken will not be crispy.
- Be sure not to overcrowd the pan when browning the chicken or it will not get crispy.
- The oil is only good for two batches. If you need to use another batch, allow the oil to get hot before using it.
- For the sweetener, any keto sweetener will work. I prefer xylitol, an allulose/monk fruit blend, or pure allulose. If using pure allulose, you'll need to add an extra tablespoon or two because it's not as sweet as other sweeteners. Erythritol-based sweeteners don’t dissolve as well as other sweeteners. So if you using erythritol, make sure it’s powdered.
- As a gift to my readers, I’ve teamed up with BESTI KETO SWEETENERS to give you guys 10% off! Simply use the code “CRAVEABLE” at checkout.
Nutrition
NET CARBS = Total Carbs - Fiber - Allulose - Xylitol
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary. Sugar alcohols, xylitol, and allulose are included in the total carbs and fiber.
Looking for more information on the keto diet? Check out my
J. Chaplin says
Can I use regular flower and sugar? This recipe works for me because of an allergy to corn and corn derivatives. Thanks for the recipe and any advice that you can give
Cassidy Stauffer says
Hi J. Chaplin!
While I haven't tried it so I can't say for sure, I think regular flour should work fine in place of the blanched almond flour😀 ...and I have tested this with regular sugar so I know that will work!
I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe!!!
XO,
Cassidy
Fairlight says
I can't do eggs. It appears it isn't for binding pork rinds to the chicken since it goes on after. --What is the main purpose of the egg (then I may be able to find something else)?
Cassidy Stauffer says
Hi Fairlight,
The purpose of the eggs is to give the chicken a crispy outside, however, they still help in binding the pork rinds even though they go on first. I'm not exactly sure what would work in place of the eggs. You could try lightly coating them in melted butter or oil then adding the pork rinds? This is how I coat my Chicken Parm recipe and it seems to work well. However, I've never tried it in this recipe and the chicken might not be as crispy. Sorry I don't have a definite answer! If you give it a shot please let me know how it goes!
XO,
Cassidy
Fairlight says
I forgot to come back and comment. Thank you for your follow up! My family does Chinese dinner for New Years Eve and because of some new diet restrictions I was going to have to miss out. I was so excited to find your recipe! I did a little reading and tried vegan mayo as my binder. Well...all I have to say is I have some work to do on my breaded and fried skills. It might have worked well, but I think my personal skills were lacking. That said, with or without the breading actually attached to the chicken or just scooped up from the pan with the chicken, my kiddos love it and it is going on our regular rotation as something yummy that we all can eat! Thank you! (now to explore the rest of the website)
Rachael says
Bangin! Thank you Cassidy! You’re awesome!
Cassidy Stauffer says
Awesome Rachael, thank you!!! I'm so happy you liked it 😄
-Cassidy
Ryan says
Wow! This chicken recipe is fantastic! I only eat chicken and vegetables. I'll definitely try this someday. Thanks for sharing!
Lisa @ Allergy Free Vintage Cookery says
Looks delicious! Please come share at the Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love link party:
http://allergyfreecookery.blogspot.com/2013/05/allergy-friendly-lunchbox-love-51013.html
I would love to find this chicken in my lunchbox 🙂
Laura says
Holy YUM!!! I made this tonight for dinner and it was so easy and so delicious.