Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
This Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe tastes just like your favorite Chinese takeout. Made with crispy, bite-sized pieces of chicken, bell peppers, and pineapple, all coated in a flavorful sweet and sour sauce. Serve over steamed rice or noodles for a takeout-style meal loved by the whole family.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs chopped into 1-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chicken broth plus more as needed
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil plus more for frying the chicken
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ red onion roughly chopped
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can canned pineapple chunks drained
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch + two tablespoons water (cornstarch slurry)
Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, season the chicken pieces with black pepper, salt, and garlic powder. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, flour, chicken broth, vegetable oil, egg, vinegar, and baking powder. If the batter is too thick (it should have the consistency of a thin pancake batter), add a tablespoon of chicken broth at a time until it reaches the right thickness.
- Over medium-high heat, preheat a large skillet with tall sides or a Dutch oven filled with 3 inches of vegetable oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Toss the chicken in the batter, then remove one piece at a time, allowing any excess batter to drip off. Carefully fry the chicken in several batches. Fry for about 5-6 minutes until the chicken is crispy but still pale. Remove the chicken from the oil and place them on a baking rack with a sheet pan underneath to catch the excess oil. Repeat until all of the chicken has been fried.
- Reheat the frying oil (adding more to the pan if necessary). Fry the chicken a second time in 2-3 batches until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken to the baking rack and set aside.
- Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell peppers, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until they start to soften.
- Mix together the sweet and sour sauce - Combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice, sugar, and white vinegar in a small bowl. Pour into the pan with the vegetables and stir-fry for another 2 minutes then add the pineapple.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the water and cornstarch to make the cornstarch slurry. Slowly pour it into the pan with the sauce and vegetables. Allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- Finally, add the fried chicken to the pan and stir-fry for 2 minutes to coat the chicken evenly with the sauce.
- Serve hot over rice, garnished with green onions if desired.
Notes
Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-2 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a teaspoon or two of oil until heated through and crispy, about 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 615kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 1725mg | Potassium: 716mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 1284IU | Vitamin C: 76mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 3mg
