Sweet and Sour Prawns is a classic dish to order from a Chinese takeaway. However, we make our own healthier version that includes fresh prawns, crunchy vegetables, sweet pineapple and all tossed in an easy homemade sweet and sour sauce. A really quick and easy takeaway alternative that will save you calories and money.
Don't you just love being able to create your own restaurant quality dishes at home? We do! Not only does it save us some money (and the hassle of having to leave the house), but we can make it healthier too. This homemade sweet and sour sauce couldn't be easier, and you can pack the dish with vegetables too.
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Why you will love it
- Ready in under 10 minutes
- An easy one pot dish
- Only 220 calories per portion
- A healthier alternative to takeaway
- Easily adaptable and could be made with chicken
Step by step
One: Add the oil to a pan and once hot, add the onion and pepper and gently cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
Two: Add the prawns, pineapple and homemade sweet and sour sauce and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Three: Serve with rice.
Healthy takeaway alternatives
If you have picked yourself up a copy of my book, Hungry Healthy Happy ,then you might recognise this recipe, as it is in there along with lots of other healthy takeaway alternatives. I have had so much great feedback from that recipe that I thought I would share it here too, as I know it's going to be popular.
But here we are sharing an amazing takeaway style sweet and sour sauce recipe with it.
If you haven't got a copy of my book yet, then what are you waiting for? It's available on Amazon and in all good book stores.
Homemade sauce
If you are going to go to the effort of making your own copycat takeaway favourite, then you might as well make the sauce yourself too. I mean, you could just buy ajar of sweet and sour sauce, but that wouldn't really warrant a recipe.
It really is worth making your own sauce, as you can totally taste the difference. Just a few store cupboard essentials go in to making this - passata, honey, apple cider vinegar, cornflour and water and ready in just 5 minutes. Check out our Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce recipe.
A lot of sweet and sour sauce recipes use ketchup, but we find that is too sweet and ketchup comes with loads of other added ingredients too. So we used passata and a little bit of honey. It's a little bit sweet, but you can add more or less honey depending on how sweet you like it.
What to serve this with
Rice is always a classic side dish when it comes to sweet and sour prawns. However, why not mix it up a bit and try our Healthy Egg Fried Rice.
FAQs
No, not at all. Once you have the veggie base and your homemade sauce you can adapt it to suit your tastes. You could swap the prawns for chicken, extra vegetables or even tofu.
I wouldn't recommend reheating this, as we used cooked prawns in this dish, which are heated through again. So, to reheat the whole dish would mean reheating them again. With prawn we always like to be cautious, so I wouldn't recommend it. This dish takes just 10 minutes to make though, so it's quick enough to make from fresh.
Extra tips
• Feel free to use any veg you have that needs using. Chunky vegetables like courgette and aubergine would work well, although not very traditional.
• If you don't like prawns, you could make this with just extra vegetables, chicken or even tofu.
• We wouldn't recommend reheating this dish.
More healthy takeaway recipes
If you’ve tried this Sweet and Sour Prawns recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Sweet and Sour Prawns
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
- 1 Onion - small; diced
- 1 Red bell pepper - diced
- 1 Yellow bell pepper - diced
- 200 g (7 oz) King prawns - (jumbo shrimp)
- 200 g (7 oz) Pineapple chunks
- 2 servings Homemade sweet and sour sauce
Instructions
- Add the oil to a pan and once hot, add the onion and pepper and gently cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.1 tablespoon Sesame oil, 1 Red bell pepper, 1 Yellow bell pepper, 1 Onion
- Add the prawns, pineapple and homemade sweet and sour sauce and cook for a further 3 minutes.200 g King prawns, 200 g Pineapple chunks, 2 servings Homemade sweet and sour sauce
- Serve with rice.
Notes
- Feel free to use any veg you have that needs using. Chunky vegetables like courgette and aubergine would work well, although not very traditional.
- If you don't like prawns, you could make this with just extra vegetables, chicken or even tofu.
- We wouldn't recommend reheating this dish.
Jill
Please could you provide the recipe detailing quantities for the homemade sweet and sour sauce. This recipe sounds delicious but I’m not sure how to make the sweet and sour sauce. Thank you.
Jill
Dannii
Hi Jill,
The recipe for the homemade sauce can be found here
Hope you enjoy it :)
Nadia
Mmm looks delicious! Haven't had sweet and sour in years! Love how healthy you've made this with lots of veggies ;)
Melissa | Bits of Umami
This shrimp with your healthier egg fried rice actually sounds like a dream come true. I want it all right now!
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks
I almost never eat Chinese in a restaurant or for take out for that very reason! I'm loving your sweet and sour prawns and the healthier option of cooking at home. I really need to get one of those magical cookers too!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom
I couldn't agree more! If you can make Chinese food at home, do it! I am loving this prawns recipe! looks so good! and love the Redmond Multicooker! I have one that's similar!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt
Yum! I love this shrimp dish. I hardly ever make Asian food at home, but you've inspired me!