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Sweet And Sour Chicken Recipe

Name: Panda Cuisines Sweet And Sour Chicken Recipe
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts), cut into 1-1.5 inch pieces; 1 tbs soy sauce (for marinade); 1 tbs Shaoxing wine or dry sherry (or dry white wine); 1 unit egg (large); 1 tbs cornstarch (for coating); 1 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper (freshly ground); 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying); 0.5 cup pineapple juice (from can or fresh); 3 tbs rice vinegar; 4 tbs ketchup; 3 tbs brown sugar (packed); 1 tbs soy sauce (for sauce); 1 tsp hoisin sauce (optional, for depth); 0.5 cup water; 1.5 tbs cornstarch (for slurry); 2 tbs cold water (for slurry); 1 cup pineapple chunks (canned, drained or fresh); 1 unit red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces; 0.5 unit green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces; 0.5 unit onion (yellow or sweet), cut into wedges; 1 tsp minced garlic; 0.5 tsp minced fresh ginger; 0.5 tsp sesame oil (optional, finishing); 2 stalks green onions, thinly sliced (for garnish); 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)

Inspired by Panda Cuisine

Time50m

Serves4

Make Sweet And Sour Chicken Recipe in just 50m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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For the chicken

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts), cut into 1-1.5 inch pieces

1 tbs soy sauce (for marinade)

1 tbs Shaoxing wine or dry sherry (or dry white wine)

1 unit egg (large)

1 tbs cornstarch (for coating)

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)

2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)

For the sauce

1/2 cup pineapple juice (from can or fresh)

3 tbs Rice vinegar

4 tbs Ketchup

3 tbs brown sugar (packed)

1 tbs soy sauce (for sauce)

1 tsp hoisin sauce (optional, for depth)

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 tbs cornstarch (for slurry)

2 tbs cold water (for slurry)

Vegetables and extras

1 cup pineapple chunks (canned, drained or fresh)

1 unit red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 unit green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 unit onion (yellow or sweet), cut into wedges

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger

1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional, finishing)

2 stalks green onions, thinly sliced (for garnish)

1 tsp sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)

Method

For the chicken

Marinate

In a bowl, combine the chicken pieces with 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs Shaoxing wine, the egg, 1 tbs cornstarch, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Mix until the chicken is evenly coated. Let marinate 15–20 minutes at room temperature or up to 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Heat oil

Pour 2 cups vegetable oil into a heavy skillet or wok to reach about 1/2 inch depth (or use a deep fryer). Heat over medium-high until oil reaches 350°F (175°C) or a small drop of batter sizzles immediately.

Coat and fry

Toss marinated chicken briefly to redistribute the cornstarch coating. Working in batches to avoid crowding, carefully add chicken pieces to the hot oil and fry until golden and cooked through, 4–6 minutes per batch depending on size. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a wire rack or paper towels to drain. Keep warm.

For the sauce

Mix sauce

In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 3 tbs rice vinegar, 4 tbs ketchup, 3 tbs brown sugar, 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tsp hoisin (if using) and 1/2 cup water until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth.

Make slurry

In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch slurry by combining 1.5 tbs cornstarch with 2 tbs cold water until smooth; set aside.

Cook sauce

Wipe out most of the frying oil from the skillet, leaving about 1 tbs to sauté. Heat the skillet over medium heat, add 1 tsp minced garlic and 1/2 tsp minced ginger and sauté 20–30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the prepared sauce mixture and bring to a simmer. Stir the cornstarch slurry briefly then slowly whisk into the simmering sauce. Continue to simmer 1–2 minutes until sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Taste and adjust: add up to 1 tbs more brown sugar for sweetness or 1 tbs more rice vinegar for tang as desired.

Vegetables, assembly and finishing

Stir-fry vegetables

In a separate clean skillet or the same wiped skillet, heat 1 tbs neutral oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion wedges and bell pepper pieces and stir-fry 2–3 minutes until they begin to soften but still have bite. Add the pineapple chunks and stir-fry another 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Combine chicken and sauce

Add the fried chicken to the skillet with the thickened sauce (or add the sauce to the chicken) and toss gently to coat each piece evenly. Fold in the stir-fried vegetables and pineapple, and cook together over low heat 1–2 minutes to meld flavors and reheat everything.

Finish and serve

Drizzle 1/2 tsp sesame oil over the finished dish if using, toss, then transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately over steamed rice or noodles.