Crispy chicken nuggets with onions, bell peppers, and pineapple tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce. This Sweet and Sour Chicken is better than Chinese takeout and takes less than 30 minutes to make!
You may also like Beef Stir-Fry with Onions and Peppers, another Chinese takeout favorite.
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Ingredients you’ll need
Notes and substitutions
- Egg white: It binds the starch to the chicken. Without the yolk, the chicken turned out crunchier.
- Starch for the batter: All-purpose flour makes a robust, golden-brown crust, while cornstarch makes it lighter. Use potato starch or rice flour in place of cornstarch.
- Baking powder: It creates bubbles in the batter for a light and crispy coating, like in Okoy or Ukoy (Shrimp and Vegetable Fritters). It does make a huge difference, so don't skip it.
How to make this recipe
(1)Make the sauce by combining vinegar, ketchup, sugar, ½ cup water, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Set it aside.
(2)Season chicken with salt and pepper and mix in egg white. You can add more flavor by marinating them for 15 minutes with soy sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder. (3)Combine flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Coat the chicken evenly.
(4)Heat an inch of oil in your wok or skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the chicken for about two minutes on both sides until golden brown. Drain them on paper towels and remove the oil.
(5)Cook onions, peppers, and pineapple over high heat for two minutes, until slightly blistered. Season with salt and pepper. (6)Lower to medium heat and sauté ginger and garlic for 30 seconds in a bit of oil. Toss them all together.
(7)Add scallions and the sauce. Let it thicken for about a minute. (8)Turn off the heat and toss them together with the chicken. Add ground pepper, as desired.
Sweet and Sour Chicken must be enjoyed right away, so it stays crisp. It will lose its crunch if it sits in the sauce too long.
Frequently asked questions
Adding egg white and baking powder gives the chicken a light, crispy coating that doesn't separate from the meat. The sauce should be tangy, not cloyingly sweet, and have that signature reddish color.
I prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they have more flavor and stay juicy after frying. As in this recipe, chicken breasts can also be used.
Yes, you can certainly double-fry. It will make the chicken crunchier. To avoid overcooking, let them cool first before frying again.
Yes! Marinating the chicken for even 15 minutes can make all the difference. Season with salt and pepper, then add a tablespoon of soy sauce and ½ teaspoon each of garlic and onion powder.
More about sweet and sour
If you'd like to know more, here are frequently asked questions on sweet and sour recipes, including extra tips, troubleshooting, and more.
Watch how I make it here
Other chicken recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Equipment
- A wok or skillet
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 3 tablespoons cane or white vinegar sub:rice or apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the chicken:
- 12 ounces boneless, skinless thighs or breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 egg white lightly beaten
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch sub:potato or rice flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- salt and pepper to taste
For the stir-fry:
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium white or yellow onion cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ red bell pepper about 1 cup; cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ green bell pepper about 1 cup; cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup pineapple chunks fresh, frozen, or canned; cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 stalks scallions 1½-inch sections
- Oil (canola, avocado, or other vegetable oils) for shallow-frying and sautéing
Instructions
- Make the sauce by combining vinegar, ketchup, sugar, ½ cup water, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Set it aside.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and mix in egg white.
- Combine flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Coat the chicken evenly.
- Fry the chicken over medium-high heat for about two minutes on both sides until golden brown. Drain them on paper towels and remove the oil.
- Cook onions, peppers, and pineapple over high heat for two minutes, until slightly blistered. Season with salt and pepper.
- Lower to medium heat and sauté ginger and garlic for 30 seconds in a bit of oil. Toss them all together.
- Add scallions and the sauce. Let it thicken for about a minute.
- Turn off the heat and toss them together with the chicken. Add ground pepper, as desired.
Sandra
I love the organization of the recipe directions - laying out the different prep stages before going into the cooking portion. It made everything easy to follow. I'm a slow cook so I knew everything would take me more than 30 minutes to complete but the prep time took me an hour and cooking took me another hour. I made the recipe with gluten-free flour (King Arthur's GF All-Purpose) and it was all delicious, the next time I make it though I'll save it for the weekend. Thank you for the recipe.
Nora
Hello Sandra! The pleasure is all mine. I'm so glad you liked the recipe and intend to make it again. Thanks for the info on the gluten-free alternative. Thanks so much for your comment and I appreciate you noticing the layout.=) Did you find the process shots helpful or easy to understand? I'm debating whether to make the process shots side by side or in groups of four, but I'm concerned it might look too small when viewed on the phone - what do you think?
Sandra
You're welcome! I found the process shots easy to understand on my phone.
jomelyn
This recipe is very delicious and mouth-watering.
Bim
Prepared this for dinner today, my family loved it. They said it’s better than the one we order sometimes from the restaurant. Thank you Nora.
Nora
Thank you! I'm so happy to hear this. =)