Sweet And Sour Chicken

This saucy, sticky sweet and sour chicken recipe is the weeknight dinner you need. It's an easy and shortcut way to get off the takeaway train and on to the "dinner winner" train.

We're starting with a super basic shopping list of ingredients because no one has time for lengthy lists and multiple shops. We get that chicken extra crispy and then we snuggle it into a simple sweet and sour sauce that gets made in the same pan. Did you hear me? This is a one-pan sweet and sour chicken. And of course, all the ingredients are from Aldi. Because as I mentioned... no one has time for multiple shops!

Sweet N Sour Chicken
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Okay. Let me just say right off the bat... this is not in any way claiming to be "authentic". What Savvy Bites is all about is making every single recipe approachable for everyone of any budget and any skill level. So this recipe has a minimal list of ingredients and some quick and easy shortcut techniques.

Ingredients

1. chicken
2. cornflour
3. garlic
4. onion
5. ginger
6. cider vinegar (or regular)
7. soy sauce (dark or light is fine)
8. ketchup
9. demerara sugar
10. tin of pineapple slices or pieces (keep the juice)
11. mixed peppers
12. vegetable oil for frying the chicken
13. Rice for serving

How to (Step by step)

Let's be honest, when we're talking about sweet and sour chicken, our biggest concern is keeping those tender juicy chunks of chicken nice and crispy. In order to do that we start with the coating for the chicken.

• Place the cornflour in a medium bowl and season it well with salt and pepper. The bonus about using cornflour is that it keeps this chicken dinner completely gluten-free without having to make any adjustments to the ingredients. Because cornflour is really dry it ensures a very crispy coating on the chicken.
• In a high sided skillet heat the vegetable oil and gently fry the cornflour chicken on all sides until golden brown. It's okay if your chicken isn't cooked all the way through at this stage. It gets put into the sauce to finish cooking.

• After you've fried the chicken, you will likely (hopefully) have brown bits stuck to the bottom of your skillet. These bits are a flavour explosion, so we want to make sure we get them scraped up. To do that add in the sliced onion. The moisture from the onion will soften those bits and make them easy to scrape up with a spatula or wooden spoon.
• Next up, add in the chopped bell peppers to get them softened. Once the onions are soft and the peppers are in the pan, add the sauce in. To make the sauce, simply add all the ingredients to a bowl or measuring jug and whisk. Pour the sauce into the skillet and let it come to a gentle simmer. When adding the pineapple, reserve the juice and add some in according to your tastes.
• The sauce will thicken as it simmers and once you add the chicken back in.
• Add the chicken back to the sauce. Continue to simmer in the sauce until the chicken is through. This should only be about another 5-6 minutes.

How to tell if the chicken is cooked

To tell if your chicken is cooked remove the largest piece from the sauce and either cut it in half and make sure the it's white and cooked through or use a meat thermometer and make sure the temperature is at least 74ºC. This is a good guide to use for cooking temperatures.

Do you need batter?

Many sweet and sour chicken recipes you'll find call for you to make a batter for the chicken. While this may be a little more authentic, we've skipped this step and opted for the cornflour route in order to 1. cut the list of ingredients required. 2. Save time because we're not mixing batter and dipping chicken. 3. Skipping the batter makes this a much healthier recipe because we skip the deep frying that a batter would require. And this recipe is all the better for skipping this step. We're left with juicy and crispy chunks of chicken with no cleanup and less fat.

Substitutions & variations

Not too sure about chicken. No problem.

Skip the chicken and opt for pork instead. If using pork, follow the recipe and use pork loin instead of chicken breast.

Sweet n sour meatballs are always a great option. Try using turkey mince to keep it extra lean.

If you're not a fan of pineapple swap if for cherry tomatoes which will bring the required sweetness to the dish.

No demerara sugar? No problem. Substitute brown sugar for the same amount. Light or dark brown both work well here.

Important tips

• Use boneless skinless chicken breast in this recipe for the best and easiest cooking. Dice the chicken into 1-inch cubes. If using pork, dice it the same size.
• Don't add all of the pineapple juice to the pan right away. You may end up with a sauce that's not quite thick enough.
• Cut the peppers roughly the same size as the chicken so that everything looks even in the bowl and all the peppers cook at the same time.

How to store

Honestly, this truly is best enjoyed when served and eaten right away. That being said, I'm no stranger to a leftover sweet and sour chicken situation and I personally am here for it. Is it as crispy as the day before? Of course not. But somehow when you've made it your self and it involves that sweet and sour sauce, you don't really care that the chicken isn't as crispy as it was or that your rice has soaked up all that sauce. It just kinda feels right.

So, store the chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

How to reheat

The best way to reheat this chicken is not in the microwave, but in a skillet on the hob. Microwaving this chicken will steam it rather than fry it and crisp it back up. Use a drop of oil in the pan. If you find that the sauce has become too thick, just add a drop of water to the pan and stir it all up until it's hot.

More easy dinners from Savvy Bites

• 15 Minute Crispy Chilli Beef
• Egg Fried Rice
• Crispy Chinese Lemon Chicken

So there you go. Takeaway, fakeaway, and all manner of sticky saucy chicken goodness. Go on. Get after it!

Sweet And Sour Chicken Recipe

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• Author: Deborah Thompson
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

Saucy, sticky, crispy, sweet and sour Chicken! Just like your favourite takeout, but made easy at home. Serve with steamy rice. All ingredients from Aldi.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 500g boneless skinless chicken breast
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 50 ml vegetable oil for frying the chicken
• 1 0nion, thinly sliced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped

For the sauce

• 6 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 6 tablespoons demerara or brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• tin of pineapple pieces, drain and reserve the juice *see notes

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Instructions

1. Place the cornflour in a medium bowl and season it well with salt and pepper.
2. In a high sided skillet heat the vegetable oil and gently fry the cornflour chicken on all sides until golden brown. Remove the chicken to a plate lined with a paper towel. It’s okay if your chicken isn't cooked all the way through at this stage. It gets put into the sauce to finish cooking.
3. After you've fried the chicken, you will likely (hopefully) have brown bits stuck to the bottom of your skillet. These bits are a flavour explosion, so we want to make sure we get them scraped up. To do that add in the sliced onion. The moisture from the onion will soften those bits and make them easy to scrape up with a spatula or wooden spoon.
4. Add in the chopped bell peppers to get them softened. Once the onions are soft and the peppers are in the pan, add the sauce in.

To make the sauce

1. Add all the ingredients to a bowl or measuring jug and whisk. Pour the sauce into the skillet and let it come to a gentle simmer. When adding the pineapple, reserve the juice and add some in according to your tastes.
2. The sauce will thicken as it simmers and once you add the chicken back in.
3. Add the chicken back to the sauce. Continue to simmer in the sauce until the chicken is through. This should only be about another 5-6 minutes.

Notes

• Reserve the pineapple juice and add in as much until you reached the desired consistency.
• Use boneless skinless chicken breast in this recipe for the best and easiest cooking. Dice the chicken into 1-inch cubes. If using pork, dice it the same size. 

• Category: Easy Dinner
• Method: Fry
• Cuisine: Chinese-inspired

Keywords: Sweet and sour chicken, takeaway at home, fakeaway, chicken and rice, sticky chicken

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