Description
A delicious and crispy Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe featuring tender chicken pieces fried to perfection and coated in a tangy, flavorful sauce with vibrant bell peppers, pineapple chunks, and onions, finished in the oven for a perfect finish. Serve with white or vegetable fried rice for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 eggs, whisked
- ¾ cup cornstarch
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Sauce
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup reserved pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Stir Fry
- 1 yellow onion, cut into cubes
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into squares
- 1 orange bell pepper, cut into squares
- 1 8 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained, juice reserved
- Green onions, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare sauce: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk together all the sauce ingredients—sugar, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, reserved pineapple juice, soy sauce, mustard powder, and garlic powder—and set aside.
- Prepare chicken: Cut the chicken into 2-inch pieces and pat completely dry. Season with salt and pepper evenly on all sides.
- Coat chicken in egg: Whisk the eggs vigorously in a medium bowl until air pockets form and the color is uniform. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat thoroughly with the egg.
- Heat oil and coat chicken in cornstarch: Heat 1 cup of vegetable oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it reaches 365 degrees Fahrenheit. Just before frying, coat the first batch of chicken with cornstarch, then briefly dip each piece back into the whisked eggs for a double coating.
- Fry chicken: Fry the chicken in batches, leaving space so the pieces don’t stick together and edges stay crispy. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until each side is light brown and crisp. Adjust heat as needed to maintain the oil temperature.
- Drain chicken: Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove fried chicken pieces and place them on wire racks lined with wax or parchment paper to keep the bottoms crisp and to drain excess oil.
- Sauté vegetables and pineapple: Remove all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add the onions, red and orange bell peppers, and pineapple chunks. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until vegetables start to soften.
- Add sauce and simmer: Pour the prepared sauce into the skillet with the vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and then add the fried chicken pieces, gently tossing to coat them well with the sauce.
- Bake the dish: If your skillet is not oven-safe, transfer the contents into a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld and chicken to finish cooking.
- Toss and bake again: Remove the skillet or casserole dish from the oven and gently toss the chicken to evenly coat with sauce. Spoon additional sauce over the top and bake for another 10 minutes uncovered.
- Garnish and serve: Remove from oven, spoon extra sauce on top as desired, garnish with sliced green onions, and serve hot with white or vegetable fried rice.
Notes
- Ensure the oil is hot enough before frying so the chicken coating crisps immediately and stays intact.
- Peanut oil can be substituted for vegetable oil to add a nutty flavor that complements the recipe.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or 2 teaspoons of hot sauce to the sauce for a spicy twist.
- Try Firecracker Chicken or General Tso’s Chicken for spicy and flavorful variations.
- To make perfectly cooked rice, boil 2 cups of water with 2 chicken bouillon cubes, add 1 cup rinsed white long grain rice, boil again, cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, then let stand covered for 10 minutes off heat.
- Store leftovers in airtight containers; chicken keeps up to 3 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen (store chicken and rice separately).
- Reheat chicken in the microwave or oven at 350°F covered for 20 minutes, rice can be microwaved or oven-reheated in foil for 10 minutes.
