Description
Whipping up sweet and sour chicken will make your dinner table dance with flavor, bringing Chinese-American classic takeout right to your kitchen without the delivery wait. Crispy chicken pieces coated in tangy sauce guarantee a crowd-pleasing meal that’s ready faster than you can dial for takeout.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 eggs
Sauce and Seasoning:
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Coating and Produce:
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 green onions
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
Instructions
- Slice 1.5 lbs of chicken breasts into precise 1-inch cubes, maintaining uniform size for balanced cooking.
- Crack 2 eggs into a medium bowl and whisk thoroughly until completely blended.
- Pour ½ cup cornstarch into a separate shallow dish for coating your chicken pieces.
- Dunk each chicken cube first into the whisked eggs, then roll generously in cornstarch to create a crisp exterior.
- Pour ¼ cup vegetable oil into a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until oil shimmers and feels hot.
- Gently place coated chicken cubes into the sizzling oil, cooking 3-4 minutes per side until achieving a rich golden-brown color.
- Transfer chicken to paper towel-lined plate, allowing excess oil to drain completely.
- Combine ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup ketchup, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 minced garlic clove, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper in a mixing bowl.
- Dice 1 red bell pepper into small, consistent pieces.
- Slice 2 green onions into delicate thin rings.
- Pour sauce mixture into the same skillet, heating over medium temperature.
- Stir sauce continuously for 2-3 minutes until it visibly thickens.
- Add chicken, bell pepper, and 1 cup pineapple chunks to the skillet.
- Gently toss ingredients to ensure complete sauce coverage, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Sprinkle chopped green onions across the top and serve immediately over steamed rice.
Notes
- Keep chicken pieces uniform in size to guarantee even cooking and a consistent golden-brown exterior.
- Pat chicken dry before coating to help cornstarch adhere better and create a crispier texture.
- For a gluten-free version, replace soy sauce with tamari and use cornstarch as your coating agent.
- Drain fried chicken on a wire rack instead of paper towels to maintain maximum crispiness and prevent soggy bottoms.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 405 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 870 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg