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Chinese

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Coat marinated chicken thigh in egg and cornflour, deep-fry it twice until crisp, then toss it in a glossy ketchup, vinegar and pineapple sauce with onion and capsicum; about 45 minutes for 4.

Sweet and sour chicken is a favourite at Malaysian Chinese tai chow restaurants: crisp, double-fried pieces of chicken thigh tossed at the last minute in a glossy red sauce of tomato ketchup, chilli sauce, vinegar and sugar, with pineapple, onion, capsicum and tomato. Frying the chicken twice keeps the coating crunchy under the sauce, and tossing it just before serving keeps it that way.

Sweet and sour chicken: crisp chicken pieces in glossy red sauce with pineapple, onion, green capsicum and tomato, with a bowl of rice Start cooking mode

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 500 g boneless chicken thigh, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) pieces
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 60 g cornflour
  • 60 g plain flour
  • 750 ml cooking oil, for deep-frying

Sauce

  • 5 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 2 tbsp chilli sauce
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 120 ml pineapple juice or water
  • 1 tsp cornflour, mixed with 1 tbsp water

Vegetables

  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 onion, cut into wedges
  • 1 green capsicum, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) pieces
  • 1 tomato, cut into wedges
  • 150 g pineapple chunks, fresh or canned

Method

  1. Toss the chicken with the soy sauce, salt and pepper and leave it for 15 minutes. Stir in the beaten egg until every piece is coated.
  2. Mix the cornflour and flour in a bowl. Toss the chicken in it, pressing so the coating sticks, then shake off the excess.
  3. Heat the oil in a wok to 170°C (340°F). Fry the chicken in 2 batches for 5 minutes each, until light golden and cooked through, and drain on a rack. Heat the oil to 190°C (375°F) and fry all the chicken again for 1 minute until crisp. Drain well.
  4. Mix the ketchup, chilli sauce, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and pineapple juice in a jug.
  5. Pour the oil out of the wok, wipe it and heat 1 tbsp fresh oil over high heat. Fry the garlic and onion for 1 minute, add the capsicum and stir-fry for 1 minute more. Pour in the sauce, bring it to the boil, add the tomato and pineapple and simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the cornflour mixture and cook for 30 seconds until glossy.
  6. Turn off the heat, add the chicken and toss quickly to coat. Serve at once with steamed rice.

Tips

  • Keep it crisp: toss the chicken in the sauce only when everyone is ready to eat; the coating softens within 10 minutes.
  • Less oil: air-fry the coated chicken at 200°C (400°F) for 14 minutes, turning once, instead of deep-frying.
  • Fish or prawns: use 500 g firm white fish fillet or peeled prawns and fry them for 3 minutes in the first fry.
  • Sweetness: the sauce is tangy-sweet; add 1 tbsp more vinegar for a sharper taste or 1 tbsp more sugar for a sweeter one.

Questions

How do I keep sweet and sour chicken crispy?

Fry the chicken twice, the second time hotter, and toss it in the sauce only at the last moment. Serve it straight away.

Can I make sweet and sour chicken without deep-frying?

Yes. Air-fry the coated chicken at 200°C for about 14 minutes, turning once, or shallow-fry it in a little oil, then toss it in the sauce.

Can I use chicken breast?

Yes, but breast dries out faster. Cut it into slightly larger pieces and fry it for 1 minute less.

Does this recipe use food colouring?

No. The red colour comes from tomato ketchup and chilli sauce.

Is this sweet and sour chicken halal?

The recipe is pork-free and lists no alcohol. It is not halal-certified: use halal-certified chicken and check that the soy sauce, chilli sauce and ketchup are halal-certified, since some sauces contain alcohol.

A Dada Cooking original recipe. Quantities are metric first, with US amounts in brackets.