Maya Sari
A Crispy and Citrusy Delight on Your Table
The classic sweet and sour, creamy sweet, is the crispy bites of the tenderest chicken in perfect marriage with a tangy-sweet sauce.
Add some bright vegetables and optional pineapple chunks, and even this dish can brighten up your dinner table, instantly transporting you to your favorite Chinese takeout spot.
Best? You can have it whipped up in just 25 minutes.
Introduction
I had Sweet and Sour Chicken and a number of dishes for the first time in a small restaurant that was family run, where the preparation of each was art.
It inspired me to create something similar, which I could comfortably reproduce at home for the family members.
After successive trials and adjustments, I mastered that with just the right portion of flavors, texture, and simplicity.
Check my other recipe Chicken Wings (with Sesame Honey And Lemon!)
Ingredient:
1 red or yellow paprika, diced
1 large red or white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, bruised
Vegetable oil (for frying)
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
Spring onions for garnish
For the Chicken:
500 grams chicken filet, diced (for deep frying)
1 cup cornstarch
1 egg
1 teaspoon white pepper
For the Sweet and Sour Sauce:
1 tablespoon Chinese white or dark vinegar
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
Step 1: Getting ready the chicken.
Combine chicken, a pinch of salt, and white pepper in a bowl. Coat chicken with cornstarch, then dip in beaten egg to cover fully. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or wok and fry chicken in batches until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
Step 2: Stir-fry vegetables.
Drain excess oil from the wok, leaving about a tablespoon. Stir-fry chopped garlic until fragrant. If desired, add bell pepper, onions, and pineapple chunks; cook for 2–3 minutes until crisp-tender.
Step 3: Preparation of Sweet and Sour Sauce
Combine dark vinegar, white vinegar, ketchup, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and sesame oil in a bowl. Mix well. Thicken in the vegetable pan with cornstarch slurry, stirring until glossy and evenly coating the vegetables.
Step 4: Combine and Serve
Toss fried chicken in the pan with the sauce for 1–2 minutes to coat. Serve on a plate, topped with chopped spring onions.
Tips to cooking sweet and sour chicken perfectly
To make it crunchier: Double fry the chicken. Let the pieces cool for a minute or two before frying again until golden brown.
Adjust Sweetness and Sourness: Feel free to play around with the proportion of ketchup, sugar, and vinegar in the sauce to your taste buds’ liking
Vegetables: Substitute or add your preferred ones: zucchini, carrots, or broccoli really works for this recipe
Services Recommendations
You can serve the Sweet and Sour Chicken with fluffy white rice, fried rice, or noodles. Finish it off with steamed greens or an easy cucumber salad on the side.
It’s a beautiful balance of textures and flavors-crispy chicken, delicate veggies, and the perfect sauce, with a tanginess that’s sweet.
Good for recreating the takeout-style or hosting a dinner, everybody will be seconding this dish.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 red or yellow paprika, diced
- 1 large red or white onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, bruised
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
- Spring onions for garnish
- Sugar to taste
- Salt to taste
For the Chicken
- 500 grams chicken filet, diced (for deep frying)
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 egg
For the Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese white or dark vinegar
- 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Combine chicken, a pinch of salt, and white pepper in a bowl. Coat chicken with cornstarch, then dip in beaten egg to cover fully. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or wok and fry chicken in batches until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
- Drain excess oil from the wok, leaving about a tablespoon. Stir-fry chopped garlic until fragrant. If desired, add bell pepper, onions, and pineapple chunks; cook for 2–3 minutes until crisp-tender.
- Combine dark vinegar, white vinegar, ketchup, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and sesame oil in a bowl. Mix well. Thicken in the vegetable pan with cornstarch slurry, stirring until glossy and evenly coating the vegetables.
- Toss fried chicken in the pan with the sauce for 1–2 minutes to coat. Serve on a plate, topped with chopped spring onions.
