Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sweet and Sour Chicken has got to be one of the most popular โChinese foodโ menu items in the world! Itโs funny, but whenever I go to a Chinese restaurant, 9 times out of 10, Iโm ordering sweet and sour chicken. I canโt understand why I do, but if youโre a fan of Chinese food then itโs probably the same for you.
Thereโs just something captivating and satisfying about how the sticky, sweet and sour sauce complements the crispy tender chunks of chicken. Now that I think about it, it is quite likely the unique blend of flavours in the sweet and sour sauce, that makes this dish a take-out favourite.
In this recipe, youโll find out how easy it is to satisfy your craving for this tantalizing Chinese dish, by making it at home. Save money and enjoy a deliciously different way to prepare chicken using simple, yet flavourful ingredients.ย
Firstly, Iโll teach you how to cook tender bites of chicken with or without batter. Youโll learn how to perfectly deep-fry the chicken or stir-fry it for a healthier version of this recipe. Iโll also share my secret sweet and sour sauce recipe with you. In the end, youโll know how to make a tasty and versatile homemade sweet and sour sauce from scratch, that works well with not only chicken, but with pork, seafood (check out myย crispy shrimp recipe) and vegetables too!
What part of the chicken should I use in my Sweet and Sour recipe? – breast or thigh?
The part of the chicken you use for this recipe is entirely up to you. I used both skinless, boneless chicken breasts and thighs in this recipe. This is because skinless chicken is healthier than skin-on and boneless chicken cooks quickly. My husband and son prefers chicken thigh meat (dark meat), while I prefer chicken breast (white meat). So the choice of which part of the chicken to use in this recipe, is really up to the personal preference of those consuming it.ย
Although boneless chicken works best to reduce cook time, you can also use bone-in chicken. If cooking โbone-inโ chicken, the cooking time will be longer. You can get guidance on frying โbone-inโ chicken from myย crispy chicken recipe.
Do I have to coat my sweet and sour chicken?
Cooking sweet and sour chicken with a batter or coating is the more ‘authentic’ way to prepare this Chinese-styleย recipe. Adding a batter to the chicken is not only exotic and filling, but is also (in my opinion) more exciting to eat. It allows the sauce to sweetly wrap around each juicy chunk of chicken, while giving you layers of textural goodness with each and every bite!
However, cooking the chicken โwithout batterโ or โnakedโ, is the healthier way to enjoy this sweet and sour chicken recipe. This is because the batter or โcoatingโ adds extra calories to the dish. Also, if you coat then deep-fry the chicken, a large quantity of oil is needed which adds even more calories.ย
How can I make ‘healthy’ Sweet and Sour Chicken?
Here are some tips to make yourย sweet and sour chicken moreย โhealthyโ.
- Use skinless chicken breast or thigh – this reduces your caloric intake.
- Stir-fry or bake the chicken instead of deep-frying.ย
- Use only a small quantity of cooking oilย –ย Use healthy cooking oilsย and try to use only a small quantity when cooking your chicken and sweet and sour sauce.ย
- Use a small quantity of honey or a sugar substitute of choice to sweeten the sauce vs brown sugar.
- Avoid using soya sauce to reduce sodium content.
- Add organic pineapple chunks if possible – Pineapples are healthy because of its powerful nutritional benefits. It’s known to be rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants that makes it immune-boosting, cancer-fighting and aids in digestion and weight-loss. Check out my video to learn how to peel a pineapple, if you’d like to add organic pineapple to your sweet and sour recipe.
- Add bell pepper and avoid over-cooking it. Like pineapples, bell peppers are super healthy. They are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants. Lightly sautรฉ the bell peppers to benefit from the nutrients it contains.
- Use egg whites (only), instead of whole eggs if you plan to add batter to your chicken.
How to make perfect Sweet and Sour Sauce from scratch!
The secret to making perfect sweet and sour sauce from scratch is knowing how to balance the flavours. Iโll share with you how to perfectly balance the sweet and sour flavours so your sauce isnโt under or overwhelming, but made just right! Another concern when making sweet and sour sauce is getting the right colour and consistency. With my recipe, youโll learn how to get the right consistency – not too thick and not too thin, without using cornstarch. Youโll also know how to make sweet and sour sauce and get a rich red colour without using food colouring.
Sweet and Sour Chicken is popularly served with plain white rice but can also be enjoyed with festivals or rice and peas.
How to make the best chinese style Sweet and Sour Chicken from scratch
Ingredients
- 2 large skinless chicken thighs deboned and sliced into 2-inch chunks
- 2 large skinless chicken breast deboned and sliced into 2-inch chunks
- 1 egg or 2 egg whites, whisked (for deep-frying the chicken)
For Chicken
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1/4 tsp allspice powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp white pepper optional
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1/2 tsp thyme leaves dried
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp red hot pepper sauce optional
- 1 cup cooking oil *if deep-frying
- 2 tbsp cooking oil *if stir-frying
Dry Mix Coating
- 3/4 cup flour all purpose
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp baking powder
Sweet and Sour sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame seed oil or cooking oil of choice
- 1/4 medium red bell pepper chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 1/4 medium green bell pepper chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 1/2 medium onion chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 1/2 inch ginger root crushed
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1/2 cup pineapple chunks
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 3/4 - 1 cup water
Instructions
Chicken Prep
- Cut up the chicken in a medium bowl and season it with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, ginger powder, and allspice.
Stir-frying option
- If stir-frying the chicken, cook on medium-high heat in 2 tbsp of oil for 4-6 minutes stirring constantly till cooked through. Set the stir-fried chicken pieces aside, then proceed to make the sweet and sour sauce.
Deep-frying option
- If deep-frying the chicken, pour the whisked egg on the seasoned chicken, then use tongs to combine. Ensure that the chicken is thoroughly coated with the egg.
- In another medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, onion powder, and baking powder and whisk the ingredients with a large fork to combine.
- Add the chicken pieces to the flour mixture and toss until all the pieces are completely coated.
- Add vegetable oil to a large frying pan on medium-high heat.
- When the oil is ready, add the pieces of chicken (the oil is ready when tiny bubbles form around a pinch of lightly sprinkled flour). Fry the chicken for 5-6 minutes, flipping each piece every 2-3 minutes until all sides are golden brown.
- Remove the chicken from the frying pan and let it rest on a thick paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
Preparing the sauce
- In a wide, medium-sized saucepan, heat the oil on medium-high heat for 15 seconds.
- After 15 seconds, add the chopped green and red peppers, chopped onion, crushed ginger and the pineapple chunks, then sautรฉ them for 2 - 3 minutes while stirring.
- Add the honey and the ginger powder, and stir for 30 seconds. Next, add the ketchup, water, and vinegar, and stir for another 30 seconds.
- Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, then let the sauce cook for 1 - 2 minutes.
- If the sauce is too thick, add 1-2 tbsp of water and allow it to cook for another minute. If the sauce is too thin, add 1 tbsp of ketchup at a time, and stir until it has a 'syrup-like' consistency.
- Taste the sauce. If it needs a 'kick' of tanginess, add 1/2 tsp. vinegar. If it isn't sweet enough, add 1/2 tsp. honey or brown sugar.
Combining the chicken with the sauce
- Remove the pot from the burner and add the pieces of fried chicken, tossing quickly until all the pieces are coated in the sauce.
- Serve the sweet and sour chicken immediately on a warm bed of fluffy white rice or with a side-dish of choice.
- Bless up & enjoy it!
- Please remember to come back after you've tried this recipe to give it a Review & Rating! Thanks in advance ๐
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Omg i made this chicken it was DELICIOUS!!! I used a whole perdue chicken n cut it in small pieces. My mother sister friend and kids LOVED IT!!! When I showed my sister the picture of the chicken she asked โ did you make it?!?โ Thanks Roxy Iโll be stalking this website for your dishes!!! The sweet n sour chicken was on point. It was sooooo easy to follow the recipe!!! I would give you more than 5 Stars๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ๐ฏโผ๏ธ๐๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ. Thanks
Omg Sheryll! Don’t mek mi bawl!! lol You’re welcome. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review for me. I’m SUPER happy to hear how well your sweet & sour chicken turned out and how much your family enjoyed it. Please keep stalking my website and giving me your feedback, I love it! NUFF HUGS, KISSES & BLESSINGS my Dear :)))
Omg!!! I finally made this. And I couldn’t help myself from not eating it off. I loved it! It was so good. Chinese restaurant where!! Nope I’ll be making this from now on!!!!
Dwl ๐ โChinese restaurant where?โ You crack me up!! Thanks so much for sharing how amazing your sweet and sour chicken came out. These results make me so happy ๐ฅฐ๐. Who knows, maybe you need to open your own restaurant to share your delicious sweet and sour chicken with others! ๐ Bless up my dear ๐
I’ved use this recipe yesterday and it tasted soo good from now on I’m following ur recipes that
Oh wow! I’m really happy to hear how much you loved my recipe. Thank you for your support and for taking the time to leave this awesome review and 5-Star rating. Lots of Love & Blessings ๐ xox <3
This sweet & sour chicken was absolutely delicious ๐๐. I will definately make it again. Thanks ๐
Yeah!! You’re welcome Dawn :))) I’m so happy to hear how much you you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for your review and 5-Star rating. Bless up!
Roxy girl youโve done it again!! I cooked this Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe yesterday and it was absolutely DELICIOUS!! ๐ girl when I taste it I asked myself is you mek dat? Seriously I was impressed with myself! ๐๐The recipe was so easy to follow I opted for the stir fry healthier version (no batter) I definitely have to make it a point to check in on your website and YouTube channel on a regular basis, cause you surely are gifted. I highly highly recommend yโall try your hand at this recipe. You wonโt be disappointed, Trust me. ๐๐พ๐๐พโค๏ธ๐
Roxy girl,
I must say this is a spot-on recipe. It is not just delicious but easy to make, it tastes like what I would get from a Chinese restaurant. I made it at home, which was the week’s talk. So I have incorporated it into my menu for my catering business, and it has been a massive hit with all my clients who want a Chinese meal. Thank you for posting it, I just stumbled onto your site one day when searching for a sweet and sour sauce recipe, and I am so glad I did. Keep loading more recipes, and you have gained a follower as well as when asked by clients, I have referred them to your site.
Roxy Girl,
I must say this recipe is spot on regarding texture and consistency. As for taste, it is like a flavor bomb that hits the target of my taste buds dead on. When I moved, there wasn’t a Chinese restaurant close to where I lived, so I looked online for a recipe and stumbled onto your site. Man, I am glad I did. It was the talk of the week with the family, and actually, it is one of my son’s favorite things I make he requests it all the time. My son just turned 10, and when I make it, he loves to get into the kitchen with me and cook it. I have incorporated it into my menu for my catering business, and it is a massive hit with all my clients that order a Chinese menu. Whenever I am asked about it, I tell them how easy it is to make and then refer them to your site. Keep it up you truly have a gift given from God almighty I started to follow your Facebook page and your youtube channel as well. Thank you for such an easy and excellent recipe; I look forward to many more.