Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
For the Chicken
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Heaping teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅔ cup water
- 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for cooking
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins or boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut crosswise on slight bias into 1-inch (2.5-cm) chunks
For Finishing the Dish
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
- 1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch 1-inch (2.5-cm) chunks
Instructions
- Make the Sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 8 minutes. In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch with 1½ tablespoons cold water, then whisk the mixture into the sauce. Cook for 1 more minute, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare the Batter & Coat the Chicken: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Add the water and 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil, whisking until a smooth batter forms. Add the chicken pieces and toss until evenly coated.
- Pan-Fry the Chicken: Line a plate with a few layers of paper towels. Heat 1 inch (2.5 cm) of vegetable oil in a deep-sided medium skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering (about 350°F/175°C). Pro tip: The larger the skillet, the more oil you'll need; the smaller the skillet, the less oil you'll use, but you may need to fry in more batches.Working in batches, use two forks to carefully lower the battered chicken, one piece at a time, into the hot oil, spacing the pieces apart to prevent sticking. Fry for about 2 minutes per side, turning once, until golden brown and crispy. (Cut a piece open to check for doneness and adjust the timing or heat if needed. Try to keep the oil at a steady temperature—if it drops too low, the chicken can turn out greasy; too high, and it may burn before it’s cooked through.)Transfer the chicken to the paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Discard the oil safely (see note below).
- Stir-Fry the Vegetables: In a clean large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and onion, stir-frying for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly tender but still crisp.
- Finish & Serve: Reheat the sauce over medium heat until hot. Put the cooked chicken in the pan with the vegetables. Off the heat, gradually pour the sweet and sour sauce over everything and toss to coat—you may not need all of it. Alternatively, for maximum crispiness, you can serve the sauce on the side for dipping instead of tossing the chicken and veggies in it. This keeps the coating extra crunchy and allows everyone to control how much sauce they use. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately ¼ cup of the oil is absorbed into the chicken tenders when frying.
- To safely discard cooking oil after frying, let the oil cool slightly, then carefully pour it into a heatproof metal can or disposable foil pan. Allow it to cool completely before discarding it in the trash.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.