This sweet and sour chicken recipe is the perfect quick and easy dinner option. It combines tender chicken pieces with a tangy-sweet sauce and colourful vegetables, and it's a dinner everyone loves.
You'll also love my Chinese lemon chicken, quick and easy sticky chicken and 30-minute peanut butter chicken.
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⭐️ Why this recipe works
- Texture: Frying the chicken in cornstarch gives it a crispy exterior while keeping the inside tender and juicy.
- Versatile Sauce: The homemade sauce made with ketchup, soy sauce, and brown sugar is easy to adjust for sweetness and tanginess.
- Quick Cooking: Using boneless chicken breasts ensures the dish cooks quickly and evenly.
- Crowd-Pleaser: This recipe appeals to both kids and adults with its familiar and comforting taste.
🧾 Ingredients overview
- Chicken breast: Provides a lean protein base.
- Cornstarch: Coats the chicken for a crispy texture.
- Vegetable oil: Used for frying the chicken.
- Onion: Adds a sweet and savoury depth to the dish.
- Red and yellow peppers: Bring a sweet flavour and vibrant colour.
- Ketchup: Forms the base of the sweet and sour sauce.
- Cider vinegar: Adds tanginess to the sauce.
- Brown sugar: Sweetens the sauce with a caramel-like flavour.
- Soy sauce: Provides a salty, umami richness.
- Fresh ginger: Adds a spicy, aromatic note.
- Garlic: Enhances the overall flavour with its pungent aroma.
- Pineapple pieces: Contributes sweetness and tropical flavour to the dish.
For precise measurements and additional ingredients, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
👩🏻🍳 Here's how to make it
Sweet And Sour Chicken recipe step-by-step
- Coat the Chicken: Place the cornstarch in a medium bowl and season it well with salt and pepper. Toss the chicken pieces in the cornstarch mixture until evenly coated.
- Fry the Chicken: In a high-sided skillet, heat the vegetable oil and gently fry the cornstarch-coated chicken on all sides until golden brown. Remove the chicken to a plate lined with a paper towel. It's okay if the chicken isn't cooked all the way through at this stage.
- Sauté the Onion: After frying the chicken, add the sliced onion to the skillet. The moisture from the onion will soften the browned bits stuck to the bottom, making them easy to scrape up with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Add Bell Peppers: Once the onions are soft, add the chopped bell peppers to the pan. Stir-fry until the peppers begin to soften.
- Prepare the Sauce: In a bowl or measuring jug, combine ketchup, cider vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Whisk until smooth.
- Cook the Sauce: Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet with the vegetables. Let it come to a gentle simmer, adjusting the pineapple juice according to taste.
- Thicken the Sauce: As the sauce simmers, it will begin to thicken. Once it reaches the desired consistency, add the chicken back to the skillet.
- Finish Cooking the Chicken: Continue to simmer the chicken in the sauce until it is cooked through, about another 5-6 minutes.
- Serve: Serve the sweet and sour chicken over a bed of steamed rice or noodles, garnished with green onions if desired.
📖 Variations
- Chicken Thighs: Substitute chicken breasts with thighs for a juicier option.
- Vegetarian: Use tofu or tempeh instead of chicken.
- Gluten-free: Use tamari or a gluten-free soy sauce alternative.
- Fruit Variations: Use mango or peaches instead of pineapple for a different fruity twist.
💡 Chef's Guide: Expert Tips
Drawing on a decade of experience in Michelin-starred kitchens and Cordon Bleu training, I have compiled my top tips for recipe success.
- Double Fry the Chicken: For extra crispy chicken, fry it twice; once for initial cooking and again for a crispier exterior.
- High Heat for Vegetables: Cook vegetables on high heat for a short time to keep them crisp and colourful.
🍯 Storing and reheating leftovers
- Fridge: Store the cooled sweet and sour chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, or microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until hot. *The chicken will lose some of its crispiness when being reheated.
❓Recipe FAQ's
If the sauce is too thin, you can mix a little cornstarch with water and add it to the simmering sauce to thicken it.
Ensure the chicken is fried at a high enough temperature and not overcrowded in the skillet.
Yes, you can bake the chicken in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes until golden and cooked through, or cook it in a non-stick skillet with minimal oil.
To keep the chicken crispy, add it to the sauce just before serving.
Looking for other Asian chicken recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Sweet And Sour Chicken please let me know in the comments below, and please leave a star rating while you're there!
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Sweet And Sour Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 500 g (1 lb) boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 2.5 cm cubes
- 6 tablespoons (⅓ cup) cornstarch
- 50 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil for frying
- Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetables:
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
Sauce:
- 6 tablespoons (⅓ cup) ketchup
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 6 tablespoons (⅓ cup) demerara or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 432 g (15 ¼ oz) tin pineapple pieces, drained (reserve the juice)
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken:
- Place the cornstarch in a medium bowl, season well with salt and pepper.
- Toss the chicken pieces in the cornstarch mixture until evenly coated.
Cook the Chicken:
- In a high-sided skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
- Gently fry the chicken pieces on all sides until golden brown. Remove the chicken and place it on a plate lined with paper towels. Note: The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this stage.
Cook the Vegetables:
- After frying the chicken, add the sliced onion to the skillet. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet using a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Add the chopped bell peppers and cook until they start to soften.
Prepare the Sauce:
- In a bowl or measuring jug, whisk together the ketchup, cider vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, grated ginger, and grated garlic.
- Pour the sauce into the skillet and bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Add the pineapple pieces, reserving the juice. Adjust the sauce consistency by adding pineapple juice to taste.
Combine and Cook:
- Add the partially cooked chicken back into the skillet.
- Simmer the mixture for another 5-6 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
Notes
- Pineapple Juice: Add the reserved pineapple juice to adjust the consistency of the sauce according to your preference.
- Chicken: Using boneless, skinless chicken breast ensures ease of cooking. You can substitute it with diced pork, keeping it the same size.
Nutrition
Meet the Chef!
Hi, I'm Debs, a Cordon Bleu-trained chef dedicated to helping you create unforgettable meals on a budget. Discover more about my journey and dive into a world of foolproof recipes designed for those who love to eat well without overspending.
Sue
Hello,
We cooked this recipe twice but two different ways, both delicious, the first time was without the onions and peppers because I didn’t have any peppers but still turned out delicious with rice, as it’s only the two of us we had enough left to have the rest but with the onions and peppers, I added more cider vinegar, soya sauce and tomato ketchup to make more sauce, this time we had it with home made chips, very tasty indeed, thank you for helping us all have home made tasty food instead of shop bought, it certainly makes a difference.
Deborah Rainford
Amazing! The sauce is so so good. Good idea to make extra. So happy you liked the recipe. And thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and a rating. It's so appreciated. 🙂
Lisa
So easy and so tasty! The whole family loved this recipe the first time I made it a week ago, back on the menu for tonight.
Deborah Rainford
So happy to read this Lisa! And thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a rating.
Mark
My wife made this tonight. Taste sensation. Many thanks.
Deborah Rainford
Thanks so much, Mark! So happy you loved the recipe!
Bex
My partner and I loved this recipe! It is so simple and quick, using everything we already had in. It went down so well that I’m making it again this evening for the second time this week! Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes! ☺️
Deborah Thompson
Thanks so much, Bex! And thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and a rating. It's so appreciated!
Neil
Hi. Sorry if this is a stupid question, ( I am a man 🙂 ) . As I am now not working but my wife is, I have become head chef of the family and have just found your website. I see that the recipes have a scale (1x 2x 3x). Does this mean that if I want to cook enough for three I need to click the 3x then all of the ingredients get scaled up accordingly?
Thanks,
Neil
Deborah Thompson
Hi Neil,
There are no stupid questions when it comes to cooking! All the recipes will state how many people they serve or how many portions they make at the top of each recipe. This sweet and sour chicken recipe makes 4 servings so you would only need to scale it up if you are looking to feed more than 4 people. If you ever have any questions about recipes (the ones on this website or others) or cooking in general, please don't hesitate to drop me a line. I love answering cooking questions and helping people make kitchen life easier! Happy cooking!