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Chinese

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Chicken is fried until the coating is crisp, then tumbled in a pineapple, vinegar, and ketchup sauce. It tastes tangy and sweet, with a juicy center under the glossy coat.

Prep
25 min
Cook
25 min
Total
50 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
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Crispy chicken pieces with pineapple chunks and bell pepper in a shiny orange-red sauce

Why you’ll love it

  • A short fry sets the coating before the wet sauce goes on.
  • Pineapple juice carries the sweet-sour flavor without a bottled mix.
  • Bell pepper is cooked just long enough to soften, not collapse.
  • The sauce is thickened in the pan so it clings instead of pooling.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Pat the chicken dry and toss it with the cornstarch and salt.

  2. 2

    Pour the vegetable oil into a heavy pot and keep the oil below the halfway mark. Heat it to 350°F over medium heat. If the oil smokes, turn the heat off and let it cool before you continue.

  3. 3

    Fry the chicken in two batches until the coating is pale gold and the center reaches 165°F, about 4 minutes per batch. Drain on a rack.

  4. 4

    Pour off the oil, leaving 1 tablespoon in the pot. Cook the bell pepper and garlic over medium heat for 2 minutes.

  5. 5

    Stir in the pineapple juice, ketchup, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Simmer 2 minutes, until slightly thick.

  6. 6

    Add the pineapple chunks and the fried chicken. Toss for 30 seconds and serve.

Pro tips

  • Drain the pineapple well so the sauce does not get watery.
  • Fry in two batches even if the pot looks big enough for one.
  • Toss the chicken in the sauce just before serving so the crust stays crisp.

Easy substitutions

chicken breasts
boneless chicken thighs, still cooked to 165°F
rice vinegar
apple cider vinegar
brown sugar
white sugar

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Reheating

Reheat uncovered in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, until the chicken is hot.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
440
Protein
34 g
Carbs
40 g
Fat
16 g
Fiber
2 g

Moderate · Stovetop · Dairy-Free, High Protein

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients