Sweet and sour chicken is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Chinese food. Maybe not, but it’s definitely up there with Kung Pao chicken and fried rice. Did you know that it’s actually very easy to make? It might not be easy for a complete newbie, but it’s definitely doable!
The traditional Chinese recipe is a little bit different from other recipes you will find online. It requires some Asian ingredients that you won’t find in your local grocery store. If the traditional taste is what you’re after, don’t get the sweet and sour sauce from the shop. Instead, make it yourself! The taste and consistency will be totally different, and you’ll enjoy it even more knowing you made it yourself.
How to make Sweet and Sour Chicken?
Cut up some chicken tenders.
Mix flour with pepper, onion powder, and red pepper flakes.
Coat your chicken pieces in the flour mixture.
Heat oil in a pan.
Fry the chicken pieces until they’re golden brown.
Mix chicken broth, orange juice, distilled white vinegar, granulated sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes to make the sweet and sour sauce.
Add the sauce to the pan, and let it reduce and thicken.
Once the sauce has thickened, you can serve your sweet and sour chicken with a side of rice, garnished with green onion and sesame seeds.
What can I serve sweet and sour chicken with?
This dish is not as much about the chicken as it is about the sauce. Some people leave the chicken aside while they choose a side dish to soak up the sauce. Rice is the perfect side dish for that purpose; it’ll allow the sweet and sour flavors to unfold and provide a vessel for the sauce. Noodles work well too!
Can I use store-bought sweet and sour sauce?
Store-bought sweet and sour sauce will not have the same taste or consistency. Freshly made sauce always ends up tasting better, so I would recommend to make it yourself from scratch. It’s also worth mentioning that store-bought sauce is durable for a reason. The ingredients that make it durable are not great for your health, so, if you can skip it, do it!
What to do if the chicken is releasing too much water?
If your chicken is releasing a lot of juice, it’s probably because there are too many pieces on one pan. Fry your chicken in batches to allow each piece to cook through without steaming.
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground black pepper (⅛)
- ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1½ pounds chicken tenders (cut into pieces)
- 2 tbsp oil
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cut up some chicken tenders.
- Mix flour with pepper, onion powder, and red pepper flakes.
- Coat your chicken pieces in the flour mixture.
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Fry the chicken pieces until they’re golden brown.
- Mix chicken broth, orange juice, distilled white vinegar, granulated sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes to make the sweet and sour sauce.
- Add the sauce to the pan, and let it reduce and thicken.
- Once the sauce has thickened, you can serve your sweet and sour chicken with a side of rice, garnished with green onion and sesame seeds.
