Sweet & Sour Chicken Recipe

Prepare chicken

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Season evenly with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.

Place the seasoned chicken in a bowl and add the beaten egg. Mix to coat evenly.

In a shallow dish, combine 3 tbs cornstarch and 1 tbs all-purpose flour. Dredge each egg-coated piece in the dry mix, pressing lightly so the coating adheres. Set coated pieces on a rack or plate.

Heat 1 cup neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering (about 350°F / oil should sizzle when a small piece of coating is dropped in). Working in a single layer and not overcrowding, fry chicken pieces 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature 165°F). Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

While chicken cooks, prepare vegetables and pineapple: cut bell peppers, onion, slice carrots, drain pineapple and reserve 3 tbs juice to add to the sauce.

After removing the last batch of chicken from the pan, discard excess oil leaving about 1 tbs in the pan (or wipe pan and add 1 tbs oil if pan is dry). Return pan to medium-high heat.

Add carrots to the hot pan and stir-fry 1–2 minutes until they begin to soften. Add onion and both bell peppers and stir-fry 2–3 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Stir in pineapple chunks and cook 30–45 seconds to heat through. Push vegetables to the side of the pan to make room for the sauce step.

In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tbs pineapple juice, 3 tbs rice vinegar, 3 tbs ketchup, 3 tbs granulated sugar, 1 tbs soy sauce, and 1/4 cup water until sugar is mostly dissolved.

In a separate tiny bowl, make a slurry by stirring 1 tsp cornstarch into 1 tbs cold water until smooth.

Pour the sauce mixture into the pan with the vegetables and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring to combine.

Once simmering, stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook 30–60 seconds until the sauce thickens to a glossy consistency. Taste and adjust balance: add up to 1 tsp sugar for more sweetness or 1 tsp vinegar for more tang, if desired.

Return the fried chicken pieces to the pan and toss gently to coat with the sauce and combine with vegetables and pineapple. Cook 1–2 minutes more until everything is hot and evenly glazed.

Turn off heat. Garnish with sliced green onions if using. Serve immediately over steamed rice or noodles.