Sweet And Sour Chicken Recipe

Sweet and Sour Chicken with crispy chicken, pineapple and bell peppers just like your favorite takeout place without the food coloring.

Sweet and Sour Chicken is a classic Chinese takeout option most of us are too afraid to make at home. Something about woks and cooking with pineapple make it intimidating for most, but it is so much easier to make than you would think.

Of the classic Chinese Recipes that most people ask for on my blog the one I hear about the absolute most is sweet and sour chicken. I totally get it, it isn’t even just the recipe, but THAT SAUCE. When I was a teenager and I made this sauce for the first time I also actually started learning how to use chopsticks. So for a solid month (I kid you not, my mom was not thrilled with this), I used chopsticks for every meal and had a tiny little bowl of Sweet and Sour Chicken Sauce to dip everything into it.

When it comes to making a good Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe there are a few tips I love to give out.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken with crispy chicken, pineapple and bell peppers that tastes just like your favorite takeout place without the food coloring.

Prep: 15min

Total: 25min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 602 kcal, Carbohydrate 92 g, Protein 41 g, Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 190 mg, Sodium 588 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 65 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts (cut into 1” chunks)
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 1/4 cup flour
• canola oil (for frying)
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• 1 red bell pepper (cut into 1” chunks)
• 1 green bell pepper (cut into 1” chunks)
• 1/2 yellow onion (cut into 1” chunks)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 4 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)

Instruction:

1. To make the sauce, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce and garlic into a small bowl.
2. Pour enough canola oil into a dutch oven or frying pan that is comes up from the bottom about an inch to an inch and a half.
3. Heat the oil on medium high to high heat, you’re looking for the chicken to cook and brown in about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the cornstarch to a large ziplock bag.
5. Add the chicken pieces to the large ziplock bag and shake until all the pieces are well coated.
6. Dip the pieces into the egg, then into the flour before adding to the hot oil. Add chicken in batches so as not to have more than a single layer of it in the oil at a time.
7. Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes, until cooked through and crispy.
8. Remove to a cookie sheet (no paper towels!) and continue cooking the remaining batches of chicken pieces.
9. When done cooking remove all but a tablespoon of the oil.
10. Add the bell peppers, onion and pineapple and cook for 1-2 minutes, until crisp-tender.
11. Add the sauce back in and stir to coat the pieces and cook for 30 seconds to help the garlic warm through.
12. Add the chicken pieces back in and stir until the sauce has thickened and bubbling.
13. Serve immediately, with optional garnishes of sesame seeds or green onions.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

You can pull this Sweet and Sour chicken together in about thirty minutes. It is a tasty dish all by itself, but you can serve it over rice or Chinese noodles.

Prep: 10min

Total: 30min

Yield: 4

Nutrition Facts: servingSize None, calories 354 calories, Sugar 21.7 g, Sodium 880.6 mg, Fat 5.9 g, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Carbohydrate 40.2 g, Fiber 2.6 g, Protein 34 g, Cholesterol 105.2 mg

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup fresh pineapple juice
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 1/4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 2-3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 1 medium onion large dice
• 1 green pepper seeded large dice
• 1 red pepper seeded large dice
• 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
• 2 pinches crushed red pepper
• Salt to taste
• Optional: Cooked Rice or Chinese noodles

Instruction:

1. In a small saucepan, combine pineapple juice, garlic, water, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. On low heat, simmer until thickened; whisking frequently. Cover and remove from heat.
2. In a large Ziploc bag, combine chicken and 1/3 cup corn starch. Shake until coated. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, shaking any access cornstarch off the chicken. Cook until nicely browned on all sides and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat if needed, so the chicken does not over-brown or stick to the pan. Remove the chicken to a plate.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the peppers to the skillet and cook for additional 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low; add the chicken back to the pan with the peppers and onions and cook for 1 minute. Add sauce to skillet, pineapple chunks, crushed red pepper, and salt to taste. Gently stir to combine and heat until warmed. Serve over cooked rice or Chinese noodles.

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN RECIPE | SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN RESTAURANT STYLE | BY SPICE EATS

FAQ

What is the batter made of in sweet and sour chicken?

How to make sweet and sour sauce from scratch?

What is Chinese sweet and sour made of?

Why is my sweet and sour chicken soggy?