Sweet & Sour Chicken Recipe

Prep chicken

Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch bite-sized pieces. Pat dry with paper towels.

In a medium bowl combine soy sauce (2 tbs), Shaoxing wine, egg, kosher salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes or refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

Make batter

In a shallow bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch (0.5 cups) and baking powder. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup cold water until a smooth, slightly thick batter forms. The batter should coat the back of a spoon; add an extra tablespoon water if too thick.

Coat chicken

Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off. Toss pieces briefly in a light dusting of additional 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional) then dip each piece into the batter, ensuring an even coating.

Fry

Heat 1 cup neutral oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C) or a small piece of batter sizzles and browns in ~30 seconds. Fry the battered chicken in batches (do not crowd) for 3–4 minutes per batch, turning so pieces brown evenly, until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain. Maintain oil temperature between batches.

Prep vegetables

While chicken is frying, core and cut the bell peppers into 1-inch pieces. Peel and cut the onion into 1-inch wedges. Drain pineapple chunks and reserve 1/2 cup pineapple juice for the sauce (use from the can if needed).

Make sauce

In a small bowl whisk together pineapple juice (1/2 cup), rice vinegar (3 tbs), ketchup (3 tbs), brown sugar (3 tbs), soy sauce (1 tbs), and hoisin (1 tsp) until sugar dissolves. Mix the cornstarch slurry by whisking 1 tbs cornstarch with 2 tbs cold water until smooth.

Stir-fry vegetables

Wipe out excess oil from the skillet leaving about 1 tablespoon for stir-frying. Heat over medium-high, add minced garlic and grated ginger and sauté 20–30 seconds until fragrant. Add onion and bell peppers and stir-fry 2–3 minutes until they begin to soften but remain crisp-tender. Add pineapple chunks and stir 30 seconds to warm them through.

Finish sauce

Pour the prepared sweet-and-sour sauce into the pan with vegetables and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, until sauce thickens to a glossy coating. Taste and adjust: add 1/2 tsp sugar if more sweetness is desired, or 1/2 tbs rice vinegar if more tang is needed.

Add the fried chicken pieces to the skillet with the thickened sauce and vegetables. Toss gently to coat the chicken evenly, cooking together for 1 minute to reheat chicken and marry flavors.

Transfer to a serving plate or bowl. Garnish with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds if using. Serve immediately over steamed rice or noodles.