Sweet and sour chicken

Perfectly golden sweet and sour chicken is a delicious dinner recipe that is so easy to make at home and is guaranteed to be better than your favorite takeout place.

Ingredients and Substitutions

For a classic sweet and sour chicken recipe, the chicken is usually coated in batter and then fried until crisp and golden. However, once mixed with the sweet and sour sauce, the coating absorbs the sauce and softens. To keep the chicken crispy, I suggest coating it in a cornstarch mixture (like in my orange chicken recipe). I have given you both methods below so you can choose which way you would like to prepare the chicken.

• Chicken. I used boneless chicken thighs but boneless skinless chicken breasts will also work.
• Salt.

For batter: This is the classic sweet and sour chicken coating.

• Flour.
• Cornstarch.
• Baking powder. 
• Baking soda. 
• Water. 

For crispy cornstarch coating: This is a crispier coating that doesn’t absorb the sauce and get soggy.

• Eggs. 
• Flour. 
• Cornstarch.
• Baking soda.

Sauce ingredients

• Red bell pepper. 
• Green bell pepper. 
• Red onion.
• Garlic.
• Sugar.
• Ketchup.
• Rice Vinegar. Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar can be substituted.
• Soy sauce. Coconut aminos, Tamari sauce or low sodium soy sauce can be substituted.
• Water. I know pineapple juice is traditionally used but I don’t find it makes a huge difference to the sauce. Feel free to use pineapple juice instead of water though.
• Corn starch.
• Garnishes: Thinly sliced green onions/spring onion, sesame seeds.

How to make sweet and sour chicken

1. Make the sauce: In a large skillet, wok or frying pan, fry the bell peppers, red onion and garlic until the peppers are starting to soften and caramelize around the edges. Allowing the peppers to caramelize slightly will add more flavor to the final dish. Pineapple is often used but I’m not a fan of it so I leave it out. If you’d like to add it, add 1 cup of pineapple chunks to the pan with the peppers. Mix the sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, water and cornstarch together. Pour the sauce into the wok and allow to simmer for a few minutes until thickened.
2. Coat the chicken:
   For the battered chicken: Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with salt. Make the batter by whisking the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and water together until smooth. Dip the chicken pieces into the batter and coat completely.
   For the cornstarch-coated chicken: Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Toss all the chicken into the eggs and mix well. Dip the chicken pieces into the flour mixture and coat completely.
3. Fry the chicken: Heat a large pot of vegetable oil/canola oil over medium high heat. Once hot, fry the chicken in batches until golden brown, crisp and cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and set over a wire rack to drain.
4. Assemble and serve: Toss the chicken into the sauce and stir to coat then immediately serve over rice or noodles.

How to store sweet and sour chicken

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

FAQ

Better than takeout recipes