This sweet and sour chicken is a recipe everyone in the family will love to have again and again. The chicken is coated in a delicious batter and then pan-fried to perfection. This is a healthy alternative to the restaurant-style deep-fried version of sweet sour chicken.
Table of Content
Sweet and sour chicken is a common Chinese food dish that has become very popular in Asian restaurants and for Chinese takeout. It consists of bite-size pieces of chicken that are deep-fried and then coated with a sweet and sour sauce.
The flavor of sweet and sour, with a hint of spicy, is what makes this dish so special. And you can even use this sauce on its own as a dipping sauce with spring rolls.
The truth is that this dish is very easy to make at home with just a few ingredients. And with my recipe, you won't even need to deep fry the chicken!
Why make this chicken?
- This is the healthier version of the deep-fried chicken found in most restaurants.
- And most of the ingredients in this recipe are simple pantry staples or easy to find.
- Best of all, it takes 15 to 20 minutes to make this dish. And you can serve it over rice or noodles and a side of veggies for a complete meal.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. In fact, it is a great recipe to freeze in the freezer for a few months.
- The process is just 3 easy steps -
- Marinate chicken - 5 mins
- Pan-fry chicken (not deep fry) - 10 mins
- Make the sauce - 5 mins
- To make this vegetarian you can use baked cauliflower florets as well.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Chicken - I am using boneless skinless chicken thighs. But it is best to use skinless chicken breast for quick and easy Asian cooking like this. Thighs usually take about 4 to 5 minutes to a crisp, while bite-size chicken breast pieces take only 2 to 3 minutes.
- Veggies - I am using fresh chopped shallots, fresh garlic cloves, and freshly grated ginger. Though for the marinade, you can use garlic powder as well.
- Flour - I have used a combination of rice flour and corn starch. The rice flour gives the chicken a crispy coating while the cornstarch helps thicken the sauce.
- Oil - It is important to use oil with a high smoking point when cooking Asian dishes like this. You can use vegetable oil such as canola oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed, or even coconut oil. Avoid olive oil as it is not meant for high-heat cooking.
- Soy - I used light low-sodium soy sauce because it is less salty and healthier.
- Spicy - Sriracha and hot paprika give the sauce its spiciness. You can also use chili sauce instead.
- Sweet - The ketchup and brown sugar give the sauce its color and sweetness.
- Sour - The tomato paste and vinegar both contribute to the sourness in the sauce.
- Optional ingredients - Often, you will see some restaurants that serve this dish sauteed with red or green bell peppers, pineapple chunks/pineapple juice, green onions, or other similar vegetables. You can also sprinkle some sesame seeds on top for garnishment.
Sweet and sour chicken recipe
- Marinate - In a large bowl, marinate the chicken will all the marinade ingredients. Set aside.
Pro tip - You can leave the chicken to marinate for a few hours. And if you leave it overnight, I suggest you add the egg and flour just before pan frying.
- Pan fry - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil.
- Then, half the chicken pieces, one at a time, with a tong.
- Wait for two minutes, then flip each piece over and cook another minute.
- Continue to cook the chicken pieces until crisp on both sides.
- This should take about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Remove them from the pan and set them aside while you do the next batch.
Pro tip - Cook the chicken in batches so you do not crowd the pan and make sure the pieces do not get stuck to each other.
- Sauce - To the same pan, over medium heat, add the remaining oil and saute the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Then, add all the sauce ingredients and bring it to a boil.
- Combine - Return the chicken pieces back to the pan and coat them with the sauce.
Pro tip - If necessary, add 1 to 2 tablespoon of water to prevent it from becoming too thick. - Garnish - Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.
Tips for success
- Measure all the ingredients correctly so you have a balanced sauce.
- Add less salt to the dish as some of the sauces are already salty. But, remember to taste and adjust the seasoning at the end.
- Also, do not add too many pieces of chicken to the pan to prevent them from sticking to each other.
- Cook the chicken on high heat but cook the sauce on a low simmer to prevent the sugars from burning.
- You can add more chilly sauce to make it spicier. You can even add whole red dry chilies.
- And if you don't have rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar is a better choice than lemon juice.
- This chicken can be served over steamed rice or noodles. You can even add boiled, drained noodles directly to the wok to make sweet and sour chicken noodles.
What does sweet and sour chicken taste like?
While the name suggests that the chicken should be sweet and sour the truth is that all the ingredients are so perfectly balanced that the dish is absolutely delicious - neither too sweet nor too sour! Just perfect!
Is sweet and sour chicken the same as orange chicken?
They are similar. Sweet and sour is made with vinegar while orange chicken uses orange juice in the marinade and sauce. The appearance of the first is redder from the tomato sauce while the latter is more orange from the orange juice glaze.
What is the difference between kung pao chicken and sweet and sour chicken?
Kung pau chicken is very popularly known as Chinese spicy chicken. Even if you choose a less spicy version it will still contain a fair amount of spiciness. Sweet and sour is not necessarily very spicy but can be made spicy.
Can I use this sweet and sour sauce to dip?
Yes, you can use this sauce ingredient to make a dipping sauce too.
- In a saucepan, over low heat, combine all the sauce ingredients.
- In another small bowl, combine with a whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch with ½ cup water, orange juice, or pineapple juice.
- Add to the sauce in the saucepan and cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil and becomes thick and glossy.
- Serve immediately.
Printable Recipe
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save GrowCalories: 398kcal
Gluten-Free
Healthy
Low Calorie
Adjust Servings Here: 4 servings
Description
This sweet and sour chicken is a recipe everyone in the family will love to have again and again. The chicken is coated in a delicious batter and then pan-fried to perfection. This is a healthy alternative to the restaurant-style deep-fried version of sweet sour chicken.
Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
- 1 lb (0.5 kg) Chicken breast (cut into 2-inch cubes)
- 1 small Onion (finely dinced)
- 1 large Garlic (minced )
- 2 tablespoon Cilantro or Chinese parsley (chopped)
- 2 - 4 tablespoon Cooking oil
Marinade
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce (low sodium)
- 2 large Garlic cloves (grated)
- 3 inch (8 cm) Fresh ginger (grated)
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 tbs Rice flour (or more cornstarch)
- 1 large Egg white
- 1 teaspoon Paprika (I used sweet smoked )
Sweet sour sauce
- 2 tablespoon Ketchup
- 2 tablespoon Tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha (or chili paste)
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon Brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon Vinegar (white)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- Marinate - In a large bowl, marinate the chicken will all the marinade ingredients. Set aside. Pro tip - You can leave the chicken to marinate for a few hours. If you leave it overnight, I suggest you add the egg and flour just before pan frying.1 lb Chicken breast, 2 - 4 tablespoon Cooking oil
- Pan fry - In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add the oil. Then, half the chicken pieces one at a time with a tong. Wait for two minutes, then flip each piece over and cook another minute. Continue to cook the chicken pieces until crisp on both sides. This should take about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove them from the pan and set them aside while you do the next batch. Pro tip - Cook the chicken in batches so you do not crowd the pan and make sure the pieces do not get stuck to each other.½ teaspoon Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon Black pepper, 2 tablespoon Soy sauce, 2 large Garlic cloves, 3 inch Fresh ginger, 2 tablespoon Cornstarch, 2 tbs Rice flour, 1 large Egg white, 1 teaspoon Paprika
- Sauce - To the same pan, over medium heat, add the remaining oil and saute the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Then, add all the sauce ingredients and bring it to a boil.1 small Onion, 1 large Garlic, 2 tablespoon Ketchup, 2 tablespoon Tomato paste, 2 tablespoon Soy sauce, 2 tablespoon Brown sugar, 2 tablespoon Vinegar, ¼ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black pepper, 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- Combine - Return the chicken pieces back to the pan and coat them with the sauce. Pro tip - If necessary add 1 to 2 tablespoon of water to prevent it from becoming too thick.
- Garnish - Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.2 tablespoon Cilantro or Chinese parsley
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Measure all the ingredients correctly so you have a balanced sauce
- Add less salt to the dish as some of the sauces are already salty. But, remember to taste and adjust the seasoning at the end.
- Do not add too many pieces of chicken to the pan to prevent them from sticking to each other.
- Cook the chicken on high heat but cook the sauce on a low simmer to prevent the sugars from burning.
- You can add more chilly sauce to make it spicier. You can even add whole red dry chilies
- If you don't have rice wine vinegar - apple cider vinegar is a better choice than lemon juice.
- This chicken can be served over steamed rice or noodles. You can even add boiled, drained noodles directly to the wok to make sweet and sour chicken noodles.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 398- kcalCarbohydrates: 24- gProtein: 28- gFat: 21- gSaturated Fat: 3- gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3- gMonounsaturated Fat: 13- gTrans Fat: 0.01- gCholesterol: 73- mgSodium: 1839- mgPotassium: 648- mgFiber: 1- gSugar: 8- gVitamin A: 430- IUVitamin C: 10- mgCalcium: 32- mgIron: 1- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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