Quick & Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken

Quick & Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken. Crispy chicken coated in a sticky sweet and tangy sauce. A popular Chinese dish that is easy to make at home. Ready in 30 minutes. I also share how to air fry the chicken in the Notes section below.

5 from 16 votes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 12

Total Time 27

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Chinese

Servings

Calories per serving 724 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
1 red bell pepper diced (or sub with green, orange or yellow bell peppers)
½ cup pineapple diced
½ yellow onion sliced
¼ cup cornstarch or sub with potato starch
⅓ cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Sauce:

⅓ cup ketchup
½ cup brown sugar or white sugar
¼ cup white vinegar or rice vinegar/apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon water cold
1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch or sub with potato starch

Optional garnish:

½ teaspoon sesame seeds toasted
1 green onion finely chopped

Instructions

Cut chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, about 1.5 x 1.5-inch pieces. Transfer into a large bowl. Season chicken with salt and garlic powder and mix well. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine sauce ingredients. Set aside.
Then add cornstarch to the chicken and toss in the starch with tongs until each piece is evenly coated.
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Once oil is hot enough (test with wooden chopstick and look for bubbles), add coated chicken.
Fry on each side for 4-6 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Remove chicken from pan with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate or a cooling rack. Cooked chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 F or until juices run clear.
Discard excess oil from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon of the oil.
On medium heat, fry onions, red bell pepper and pineapples for 30 – 45 seconds.
Pour in sauce and let it simmer to thicken and reduce, a couple minutes.
Once thick, add back in fried chicken and mix to coat evenly. Remove off heat.
Optional: Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Notes

Air Frying Instructions for Chicken:

1. Lightly spray air fryer basket with oil.

2. Lay coated chicken into air fryer basket in a single layer giving each piece enough space. You may need to air fry in batches if needed. Lightly spray coated chicken with oil. 3. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 12-14 minutes until golden crispy brown. The amount of time depends on your air fryer. I have a Philips Air Fryer and I air fried mine at 400 degrees at 14 minutes for a crispy texture. If you’re using a different machine, check your chicken at 12 minutes and if it needs more crispiness, air fry for another couple minutes until you reach your desired texture.

4. Resume steps 8 onwards.

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