Sweet & Sour Chicken Recipe

Prep chicken

Trim excess fat from chicken thighs and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl and season with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tbsp light soy sauce. Toss and let rest 10 minutes.

Make batter

In a medium bowl whisk 1 cup cornstarch, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder until combined. In a small bowl beat 1 egg with 3 tbsp cold water. Pour egg mixture into dry ingredients and stir briefly to form a thick batter—add an extra tablespoon cold water if too stiff. Batter should coat but not be soupy.

Coat chicken

Heat 3 cups neutral oil in a wok or heavy pot to 350°F (175°C). Working in batches to avoid crowding, toss seasoned chicken pieces in the batter to fully coat. Shake off excess lightly and carefully lower pieces into hot oil.

Fry

Fry chicken 4–6 minutes per batch until golden brown and crisp, turning occasionally for even color. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined tray and let rest while you fry remaining chicken. Temperature should stay close to 325–350°F; reduce heat slightly if oil smokes or browns too quickly.

While chicken fries: core and cut bell peppers into roughly 1-inch squares. Slice scallions thin on the diagonal. Drain pineapple chunks and reserve juice for sauce if desired.

After all chicken is fried, remove excess oil from the wok leaving about 1 tbsp for stir-frying. Over medium-high heat add the diced red and green bell peppers and stir-fry 1–2 minutes until bright but still crisp. Add pineapple chunks and cook 30–60 seconds to warm through.

Make sauce mixture: In a bowl or measuring cup combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 4 tbsp rice vinegar, 3 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1/2 cup water (or use up to 1/4 cup pineapple juice from the can plus water to 1/2 cup). Stir until sugar mostly dissolves.

Bring sauce to simmer: Pour the sauce into the wok with the vegetables and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring.

Thicken: Mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp cold water to make a slurry. Slowly add the slurry to the simmering sauce while stirring; cook 1–2 minutes until sauce becomes glossy and coats the back of a spoon. If sauce becomes too thick, add 1–2 tbsp water.

Combine with chicken: Add the fried chicken pieces to the wok and toss to coat evenly with the sauce and vegetables. Cook together 1 minute to marry flavors and ensure chicken is hot.

Finish & serve: Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle sliced scallions on top. Serve immediately with steamed rice or noodles.