Quick & Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken

Crispy chicken coated in a sweet, tangy, sticky sauce! This quick and easy Sweet and Sour Chicken is made with simple ingredients and is restaurant-quality! The whole family will love it and saving you money on takeout! I also share how to air fry the chicken in the Notes sections below.

5 from 19 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 or chicken breast
1 medium red bell pepper or green/yellow/orange bell peppers, diced
½ cup pineapple diced
½ onion sliced
¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch
⅓ cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon sesame seeds optional garnish
1 green onion finely chopped for garnishing

Sweet and Sour 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 potato starch

Instructions

In a small bowl combine sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
Dice chicken thighs into 1.5-inch pieces. Transfer to a large bowl. Season the chicken with salt and garlic powder.
Then add cornstarch to the chicken and toss until each piece of chicken is evenly coated in starch.
Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Fry chicken on each side for 4-6 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Cooked chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 F or until juices run clear. If the chicken isn't crispy, increase to medium-high heat.
(To air fry the chicken, refer to the Notes section below for instructions).
Remove and transfer fried chicken onto a wire rack or paper-towel lined plate. Reserving 1 teaspoon or 5 ml of the oil in the pan and discard the rest.
Reduce to medium heat and sauté onions, red bell pepper and pineapples for 30 – 45 seconds.
Pour in sauce and simmer to thicken it, about 30-60 seconds.
Toss in fried chicken and mix to coat evenly. Remove off heat. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Notes

How to air fry the chicken

Lightly spray air fryer basket with oil.

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.

Air fry at 400 degrees F for 12-14 minutes until golden crispy brown. The amount of time depends on your air fryer.

Note: 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.

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