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Sweet & Sour Chicken with white rice

How to make the best chinese style Sweet and Sour Chicken from scratch

With this easy and delicious Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe, there's no need for take-out! This recipe teaches you how to make Sweet and Sour Chicken however you like it - with chicken breast or thighs, with batter or without, and how to use simple and flavourful ingredients to make the perfect sweet and sour sauce, from scratch!
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course, Main Dish, Sauce
Cuisine Asian, Chinese, International, Jamaican
Servings 5 people

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 sauté 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 :)
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