Description
Sweet and sour chicken, one of the most popular Chinese takeout dishes, is made of puffy, golden brown pieces of fried chicken nuggets with pineapple chunks, onion, bell pepper, carrot, and a side of iconic red, sweet and sour sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, beaten (reserve 2 tablespoons for the batter)
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- â…” cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¾ cups water
- 2 tablespoons beaten egg (reserved from marinade)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1¼ cup water
- ¾ cup pineapple juice
- ¾ cup white vinegar
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1¼ cup granulated sugar
- â…› teaspoon salt
- 3–5 drops plant-based red coloring
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (mix with 3 tablespoons water to make slurry)
- ½ bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
- ¼ small yellow onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup pineapple, cut into chunks
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Butterfly the chicken breasts so that they are about ½ inch thick, then cut the chicken against the grain into finger-size strips.
- Marinate: Place the prepared chicken into a large mixing bowl and add the vegetable broth, salt, and egg; mix and marinate for 10 to 15 minutes or overnight.
- Make Batter: Whisk together self-rising flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, then add water and egg, mixing until no dry clumps remain, and finally stir in oil and vinegar.
- Coat: Add the prepared batter to the marinated chicken and mix until the chicken pieces are all well coated.
- First Fry: Gently add chicken pieces one at a time into 350°F oil and fry for 4 to 5 minutes until they float and turn pale golden on all sides.
- Rest: Remove from the oil and allow the chicken to drain and cool on paper towels for about 5 minutes.
- Second Fry: Add the chicken back into the oil at 350°F and fry for another 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown and crispy on the outside.
- Cook Veggies: In a pot of boiling water, add bell peppers and carrots for about 15 seconds, then add onions for an additional 5 to 10 seconds and drain well.
- Start Sauce: In a saucepan, mix water, pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, salt, and plant-based red coloring; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Thicken Sauce: Slowly drizzle in the cornstarch slurry while stirring, then increase heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thickened and glossy.
- Assemble: Toss together the fried chicken pieces, the blanched veggies, and pineapple chunks; serve immediately with the sauce.
Notes
If you don’t have self-rising flour, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour with ¼ teaspoon fine salt and 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder. The additional baking powder in the batter encourages a smoother, airier, and crispier fry.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Deep Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 670 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 1330 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.05 g
- Carbohydrates: 92 g
- Fiber: 4.4 g
- Protein: 47 g
- Cholesterol: 153.3 mg