Sweet And Sour Chicken Recipe (2024)

Posted on Tue 28th June 2011

Ahh, Sweet and Sour Chicken, one of the heavyweights of the Chinese takeaway world. But forget soggy chicken in a box - the very best sweet and sour chicken dishes should strike just the right balance between crisp chicken and sticky deliciousness. Try out this recipe - we guarantee you'll be impressed with yourself.

Most popular

• 300g chicken thighs / belly pork / pork shoulder steaks
• 1 egg
• 1 large bowl seasoned corn flour

The Marinade

• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• Light Soy sauce

The Sauce

• 4 tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 4 tablespoons vinegar
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• Dark soy sauce

Optional Vegetables

• 1 onion
• 1 tin of pineapple or 200g fresh pineapple
• 1 green pepper

1. Cut the meat into large dices roughly 2cm3 and place in a large prep bowl.
2. Marinade in the sesame oil, sugar, light soy sauce and salt & pepper.
3. Add the egg to the marinated meat and mix well.
4. Add the seasoned corn flour and massage into the meat until each piece of meat separates. Continue to add flour until a dry ‘dusty white' consistency is reached.
5. If using any of the optional vegetables, cut into large dice and place in separate prep bowls.
6. Mix the tomato ketchup, vinegar and sugar and a dash of dark soy sauce in a small prep bowl.

1. Deep fry the marinated meat at 170°C until golden brown (roughly 6-7 minutes)
2. Remove and strain off any excess oil on some kitchen towels.
3. On a separate hob heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok - high heat.
4. Add any optional vegetables, turn the heat down to medium heat, and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
5. Immediately add the sauce mixture.
6. Once the sauce starts to boil, throw the meat into the wok and give it one big stir before taking the wok off the heat.
7. Serve immediately on a large plate / sizzling dish

Pro tip:The secret to a fantastic sweet and sour dish is to make sure the meat turns out incredibly crispy. And don't forget, it's all about having just the right amount of sauce that lovingly coats those crispy meat pieces.