AIP Sweet and Sour Chicken

The tangy-sweet flavor combination that most people associate with takeout is not off the table on AIP - it just works differently now. Here the sweetness comes from dates and pineapple. The sour edge comes from apple cider vinegar. No refined sugar, no corn starch, no soy. What remains is a genuinely satisfying dish that happens to be doing something good for you.

Chicken thighs are worth choosing over breast meat here. They stay moist through a longer simmer and they cost less, which matters when you are cooking AIP long-term. Bok choy delivers folate and vitamin C, and the pineapple brings bromelain, an enzyme linked to supporting the body's normal inflammatory response. Neither claim is magic, but both are real.

Dates do something interesting in this sauce - blended with their soaking water, they thicken slightly and add a caramel depth that refined sugar does not offer. If you have never used them as a sweetener, this is a good place to start.

Take a moment when you plate this. The pineapple pieces catch the light. The bok choy stays bright. This is a meal you made from whole food, and that is worth noticing before you eat.

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 2 to 2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces
• 2 large heads baby bok choy, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced
• 3/4 cup pineapple chunks, fresh or canned
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the sauce:

• 1/3 cup pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup dates (about 2 large Medjool), soaked in 1/3 cup boiling water for 10 minutes
• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 1.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic

Method

Make the sauce first. Blend the soaked dates with their soaking water, pineapple juice, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, tapioca flour, ginger powder, sea salt, and garlic until completely smooth. Set aside.

Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with the 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and add them to the pan. Cook without stirring for 2 to 3 minutes to develop some color, then stir and continue cooking until the pieces are mostly cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

Add the chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bok choy and pineapple chunks and stir to combine. Pour the sauce over everything and stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the bok choy is tender. Taste for salt.

Scatter the green onions over the top and serve.

Instant Pot variation

Use the saute function to brown the chicken pieces in the avocado oil, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and cook 1 minute more. Add the bok choy, pineapple, and sauce. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes, then quick-release. Stir well - the sauce will thicken as it sits. Finish with green onions.

*Note: Instant Pot time is estimated and untested in our kitchen. See verify_flags.*

*Adapted from eatbeautiful.net*

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*Provenance: method rebuilt in ARM's own words from source file aip-source-archives/eat-beautiful/aip-sweet-sour-chicken.md. Ingredient list used as factual reference. No third-party text reproduced.*