SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN
One of our absolute favorite foods for dinner is sweet and sour chicken. The problem, of course, is that w
hen you buy it from the Chinese place, you’re getting sub-par chicken and other ingredients that just aren’t as fresh as if you cooked it yourself. Over the years, I’ve developed an extremely easy sweet and sour chicken recipe that’s easy enough for anyone, and just as good- if not better- than the kind that you get at the store. All you have to do is follow my simple recipe, and you’ll never go to the store for sweet sour chicken again.
HOW TO MAKE EASY SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN
The hardest part of the whole recipe is getting the sauce just right. Of course, you don’t want it to be too runny, because you want it to stick to the chicken, but you also don’t want it to be too thick either. There’s an ancient Chinese secret to getting it just right- patience. I’ve thrown a couple surprise ingredients in there that you wouldn’t necessarily expect- but it’s to get that perfect flavor that you’ve come to expect in your sweet and sour chicken. Take the time to properly coat your chicken too, it’s important to get a solid coat on your chicken pieces, because you want the breading to absorb some sauce so that it tastes delicious. Of course, if you’d like it to be even healthier, you could forgo the flour (except the small amount for thickening your sauce) all together, and try it “naked”. We like it better breaded of course, but it’s just as good without the bread coating. Another little trick we use to get juicier chicken is to use dark meat, but chicken breasts work just as well, simply substitute them into the recipe.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR YOUR SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN
PREP TIME: 15-30 minutes
COOK TIME: 5-7 minutes for each batch of chicken, and 15-30 minutes for the sauce
SERVES: 4
Ingredients:
2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (or chicken breasts if you prefer)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground white pepper
2 sparkling water
4 cups plus 3 tbsp of all purpose flour
1 cup of water
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar (you can substitute stevia, but we prefer sugar)
2/3 cup pineapple juice
1 cup pineapple chunks
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
How To Make This Easy Chicken Recipe:
1. Cut all your chicken into equal chunks, about 1 inch apiece. Take the time to make them all pretty equal, because you’ll want them to cook evenly.
2. Pour two cups of flour into a bowl, and add two cups of sparkling water. This forms the batter for your chicken. Place your chicken chunks into the batter.
3. In a completely separate bowl, pour your other two cups of flour. To the flour, add two teaspoons of salt, and your ground white pepper, and mix it up well. This forms the coating for your chicken. Make sure to coat your chicken well.
4. To ensure proper coating, coat your chicken in the batter made from sparkling water, and then in the seasoned flour mixture- you’re going to want to do it twice. Place the chicken on a flat surface and let it sit to soak into the chicken.
5. In a cup, and add one cup, three teaspoons of flour, mixing well. Take a medium sauce pan, and add 1/3 cups ketchup, 3/4 cups sugar, and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, as well as 2/3 cups of pineapple juice, and begin heating on medium-high. When this mixture starts to bubble gently, add the water/flour mixture, stirring well.
6. Reduce the heat from medium-high to medium, and add your pineapples, onions and bell peppers. At this point, you’re going to add 2 cups of oil to a large skillet and begin to heat it up over medium heat.
7. When your oil has reached about 350 degrees, add the chicken, and cook it for 5-7 minutes, or until it’s completely cooked. When you’ve completely finished cooking the chicken, your sweet sour sauce should be completed.
8. Plate this dish with rice, adding chicken, and pouring the sauce on top.
WHY SERVE THIS EASY SWEET SOUR CHICKEN RECIPE?
Not only is this dish perfect for pretty much any family environment, you and your family will absolutely love the way it tastes. It’s a very filling, nutritionally sound dish that provides all the essential nutrients that your family needs- protein, vitamin C, and lots of veggies for the kids. Plus, they’ll absolutely love it.