Sweet and Sour Chicken

4.53 from 82 votes
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Sweet and sour chicken is a popular Chinese recipe. This healthy and crispy sweet and sour chicken recipe is so delicious with sweet and sour sauce. It's better than takeout!

Sweet and sour chicken with sweet and sour chicken sauce.
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Sweet And Sour Chicken Recipe

Sweet and sour chicken is one of the most popular Chinese recipes.

Chinese sweet and sour is a cooking style that is easy, delicious and everyone’s favorite.

The dish comes complete with crispy fried chicken cubes with mouthwatering sweet and sour sauce. It goes well with steamed rice, fried rice or chow mein.


Sweet And Sour Sauce

Ingredients for sweet and sour chicken.

How do you make sweet and sour chicken sauce?

You will need the following simple ingredients to make the sauce:

  • Ketchup.
  • Chili sauce.
  • Plum sauce.
  • Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce.
  • Chinese rice vinegar.
  • Sugar.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.

My recipe is healthy with no red food coloring in the sauce.

You can make the sweet sour sauce in advance, store in an air-tight container and keep in the refrigerator.


How To Make Sweet And Sour Chicken

Chinese sweet and sour chicken in a bowl.

The recipe is easy and simple. First, cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes.

Then make the sweet and sour chicken batter and coat the chicken with the batter.

Next, deep fry the chicken and stir fry with the sweet sour sauce.


Cooking Tips

For the best sweet and sour chicken, please following my cooking tips below:

  • The combination of plum sauce, Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce and Chinese rice vinegar make the sauce tastes like the best Chinese restaurants.
  • DO NOT double the sauce. The sauce should lightly coat the chicken cubes so the chicken remain crispy and not soggy.
  • Use baking powder in the batter. The baking powder makes the batter light and airy and the chicken will be extra crispy and crunchy.
  • DO not use red coloring in the sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add pineapple to the recipe?

Yes, you sure can. Just opt out the tomatoes in the recipe and replace with pineapple.
You may use fresh pineapple or canned pineapple with syrup. If you use canned pineapple, remember to discard the syrup before cooking.
Cut the pineapple into bite-sizes pieces before cooking.

Can I use air fryer to fry the chicken?

Yes, you can use air fryer. Just lightly coat the chicken with the batter and air fry in an air fryer.

How many calories per serving?

This recipe is only 345 calories per serving.

Sweet and sour chicken recipe with sweet and sour sauce, without pineapple.

What To Serve With Sweet And Sour Chicken

Serve this dish with steamed rice or other rice and noodle dishes. For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on FacebookPinterest, and Instagram for new updates.


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4.53 from 82 votes

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and sour chicken is a popular Chinese recipe. This healthy and crispy sweet and sour chicken recipe is so delicious with sweet and sour sauce. It's better than takeout!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2 People
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Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
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Ingredients  

  • 8 oz. (230g) boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size cubes
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, optional
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into squares
  • 1 small tomato, cut into wedges, optional
  • 1 stalk scallion, cut into 2-inch (5cm) lengths
  • oil, for deep frying

Batter:

  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons Lingham brand hot sauce , or other chili sauce
  • 1 teaspoon plum sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon Chinese rice vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 3 dashes white pepper powder

Instructions 

  • Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized cubes and marinate them with 1 tablespoon of wine for 10 minutes. In a bowl, mix the batter, then add the chicken cubes to it. In a separate small bowl, mix the Sweet and Sour sauce and set aside.
  • Heat cooking oil in a wok and deep-fry the chicken cubes, shaking off any excess batter before frying. Once golden brown, transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Discard the remaining cooking oil, leaving only 2 tablespoons in the wok.
  • Add the garlic to the wok and sauté until light brown, then add the green bell peppers. Stir-fry until fragrant. Pour in the sweet and sour sauce and bring it to a boil.
  • Toss in the chicken and tomatoes, then add the chopped scallions. Stir quickly, then dish out and serve immediately with steamed white rice.

Video

Notes

Watch the cooking video on this page for step-by-step guide.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 345kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 871mg, Potassium: 819mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 966IU, Vitamin C: 71mg, Calcium: 103mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Rasa Malaysia

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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Recipe Rating





89 Comments

  1. Sylvia says:

    5 stars
    I used your recipe to bake the cake a few times and everyone loved it . Even my uncles and father finished the cake in a day

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Sylvia, thanks. All my recipes are very good, you should try more! :) Thanks for the 5 stars.

  2. John Lerno says:

    You sure have every recipe around your truly amazing 👏 🤩 can’t wait to try this out.

    1. janellejtan@gmail.com says:

      Hi John, thanks for liking my recipe!

  3. Jaya says:

    5 stars
    Just made this today, delicious. Such a great recipe, everyone really enjoyed it.

    1. Bee Yinn Low says:

      Hi Jaya, thanks for trying my recipes, I am so glad you love it! :)

  4. Shekhar says:

    5 stars
    The best tasting sweet and sour recipe I have found in many years. I have been using it for a long time now. Nothing compares to it.

    1. janellejtan@gmail.com says:

      Hi Shekhar, thanks for your wonderful comment and 5 stars rating. I am so glad you enjoyed my recipe. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipes/