Description
Whip up Sweet Sour Chicken for a quick dinner that’ll have your family asking for seconds. Crispy chicken pieces bathed in a tangy sauce bring restaurant-style flavor straight to your kitchen table.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Coating:
- 1 cup corn starch
- 2 large eggs
Sauce:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Mix 1 cup corn starch and ½ tsp sea salt in a large bowl. Whisk 2 eggs in a separate bowl for coating your chicken pieces.
- Dunk each 1-inch chicken piece into the egg wash, then thoroughly roll through the corn starch mixture until completely covered.
- Pour ¼ cup vegetable oil into a large skillet. Heat to 350°F over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and looks slightly rippled.
- Carefully place coated chicken pieces into the hot oil, cooking for 4-5 minutes per side until they turn a deep golden brown. Ensure internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Transfer fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil and maintain crispiness.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup ketchup, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp garlic powder until smooth.
- Pour sauce into the same skillet used for frying. Simmer at medium heat for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Return chicken pieces to the skillet. Gently toss to coat each piece completely with the sweet and tangy sauce.
- Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, ensuring the chicken is heated through and sauce clings nicely to each piece.
- Transfer to a serving plate immediately. Optional: Sprinkle with green onions or sesame seeds for extra flavor and presentation.
Notes
- Always use fresh chicken pieces cut to similar sizes for even cooking and consistent texture.
- Pat chicken completely dry before coating to help cornstarch adhere better and create a crispier exterior.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular soy sauce with tamari and ensure cornstarch is certified gluten-free.
- If watching calories, consider baking the chicken instead of deep-frying, which reduces oil absorption while maintaining a crisp coating.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 475 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 840 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg