Sweet and Sour Chicken (Crispy Takeout Style)
Sweet and sour chicken — crispy double-fried chicken tossed in a glossy tangy-sweet sauce with bell peppers and pineapple. The takeout classic, crunchier and brighter than delivery.
Prep Time20m
Cook Time15m
Yield4 servings
CuisineChinese-American
Ingredients
- Chicken thigh 500g, cubed
- Cornstarch ½ cup
- Egg 1
- Light soy sauce 1 tbsp (marinade)
- Salt ½ tsp
- Neutral oil for deep frying
- Sauce: ketchup 4 tbsp
- Rice vinegar 3 tbsp
- Sugar 3 tbsp
- Light soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Water ¼ cup
- Cornstarch 1 tsp
- Red + green bell pepper 1 each, cubed
- Onion ½, cubed
- Pineapple chunks 100g (optional)
Steps
- Marinate chicken with soy sauce and salt 10 min; beat in egg, then coat in cornstarch.
- Fry at 170°C 4 min until cooked; remove. Raise to 190°C and fry 1–2 min more until deep golden and crisp (double-fry = lasting crunch).
- Simmer sauce (ketchup, vinegar, sugar, soy, water, cornstarch) 1–2 min until glossy and thick.
- Quick stir-fry peppers and onion 1 min; add pineapple.
- Add chicken and toss fast to coat in sauce; serve immediately over rice so it stays crisp.
Tips
Double-fry and sauce at the last second — that’s the only way to keep takeout crunch. Balance the sauce: taste for equal sweet and tang, adjust vinegar/sugar. Cornstarch (not flour) gives the lightest crisp coat.
