Sweet and Sour Chicken is the perfect balance between sweet and sour! Crispy chicken in a sweet and sour sauce with pineapple, peppers and onions makes a delicious dish!
Cooked Rice of your choice for serving*estimated nutritional calculation based on 1 cup of long grain white rice per serving
For Breading the Chicken
1/2cup cornstarch
1cup all purpose flour
2tspsalt
3 eggsbeaten
1/2cupcanola oil * for frying the chicken *this is just an estimate- you can use more or less
Sweet and Sour Sauce
1cupbrown sugar
1/2cupwhite sugar
6tbspketchup
6tbspsoy sauce *low sodium
6tbspcider vinegar
6tbspcornstarch
4tspminced garlic*I love the ease of bottled minced garlic
2tsppineapple juice or more to taste*use juice from the can
Instructions
Breading/Frying the Chicken
In a medium sized bowl, add your eggs and beat them. Set aside.
In another medium sized bowl, add your flour and salt. Mix well. Set aside.
Place your chicken pieces in a zip top bag, or large bowl and add your cornstarch to the bag or bowl. Toss your chicken in the cornstarch making sure all of the pieces get covered and make sure they don't stick together.
Take the cornstarched chicken and drop it into your bowl with the beaten eggs. Toss the chicken in the eggs, making sure the chicken is covered. If you want to work in small batches that is just fine.
After the chicken pieces are covered in egg, take the chicken and put it in the bowl of flour. Toss your chicken in the flour making sure it gets evenly coated and try and make sure the chicken doesn't stick together.
Heat your 1/2 cup of canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. You will know your oil is ready for frying when you sprinkle a bit of water in the hot oil and it sizzles and pops. You can use less or more oil for frying as needed.
Working in batches fry your chicken pieces, turning them to make sure they are evenly cooked/fried. Check the largest piece of chicken in each batch to make sure the chicken is done. It needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°. Place your cooked chicken on some paper towels or a plate while you cook the rest of the chicken.
Clean out your large skillet, removing the oil and any chicken bits that are left behind. Add 1 tbsp. of canola oil to your pan and heat it over medium heat. If your oil from frying wasn't too full of chicken breading you can leave 1 tablespoon of that in the pan and use the same oil.
Add your onions, peppers and pineapple to the oil and let them cook for about 3-5 minutes until they are crisp-tender or to your liking.
Add your sweet and sour sauce to your pan with the peppers, onions and pineapple and reduce your heat to medium-low. Stir the sauce until it simmers and thickens. . See recipe notes if it doesn't thicken.
Once the sauce has thickened, add in your cooked, crispy chicken and give it a good stir making sure the chicken is fully covered in the sweet and sour sauce.
Serve over hot rice and top with chopped green onions (optional).
Notes
If your sauce doesn't thicken (or you want it thicker), mix 1 tbsp. cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of COLD water. Mix it well then add this cornstarch slurry to the sauce, mixing it well. Let the sauce simmer and cook for a few minutes. If it still isn't thickened, do it all over again until it has reached the thickness you like.This chicken can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheats great in the microwave!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.