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This deliciously tangy Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe is an ideal chicken recipe for the whole family. A sticky, sweet dish that everyone will love!
This Chinese takeaway-style Sweet and Sour Chicken is made with simple ingredients at home.
It’s quick, easy and packed full of flavour. No need to get a takeaway to get your Sweet & Sour fix!
Why you’ll love this Homemade Sweet and Sour CHicken recipe
⭐️ Simple ingredients & healthier than a takeaway
⭐️ Delicious sweet, tangy flavour
⭐️ Easy preparation and cooking
Sweet and Sour Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – Cut these up into bite-sized pieces. You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer, but they may take a little longer to cook
- Onion – Peel and chop 1 onion up or use pre-chopped frozen for a time-saving shortcut
- Tomato puree – Go for a good quality one if possible
- Honey – We’re using 4 tablespoons for added natural sweetness
- Light soy – You can use dark soy if it’s all you have, but the colour of the finished sauce will be very different. The flavour may also be quite salty
- Garlic – 4 cloves or 4 teaspoons of the lazy kind. You can also use paste
- Ginger – 2 inches or 2 teaspoons of the lazy kind. You can also use paste if you prefer, or take out a small portion of fresh from the freezer and grate into the pot
- White wine vinegar – Not white vinegar, or malt vinegar, these are very different!
- Dark brown sugar – This does need to be dark brown to give that rich flavour
- Peppers – I use red, yellow and orange peppers for their sweetness but any colour will work. You can also cheat by using frozen peppers, but bear in mind these tend to be cut up quite small
- Tinned pineapple (in JUICE) – Make sure the pineapple is in chunks. If you buy the rings, you can just cut them up. You’ll be using the juice before you use the fruit itself in the cooking process
- Cornflour – This makes up the ‘slurry’ to thicken the sauce
- Optional – Chilli flakes for a bit of heat if you like that, and a squeeze of lime at the end for extra zing
- Water – You don’t need this if you’re cooking this Sweet and Sour Chicken in slow cooker, but you will for this hob version. About 100ml should do it but add a little more if you want it saucier!
How to make Sweet and Sour Chicken
1. Fry the chicken pieces as per the recipe below.
2. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook, followed by rest of the ingredients, as per the recipe below.
3. In a separate bowl, make a cornflour ‘slurry’ to thicken the sauce.
4. Add the paste into the pan, along with the rest of the pineapple juice and some water. Cook until the sauce is thickened and glossy.
Substitutions
- Soy sauce – Tamari is a gluten free alternative.
- Brown sugar – If you only have light brown sugar, you could use this, however it won’t have such a deep flavour or colour.
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat fully in the microwave or on the hob before serving. The sauce will be a lot thicker when reheated, add a splash of water to thin a little if you like.
In the freezer Wait until it’s totally cold and then put into a freezer-proof container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before reheating in the microwave or on the hob.
Serving suggestions
This goes really well with Egg Fried Rice and prawn crackers. You could also have this with noodles if you prefer.
More Chinese-inspired recipes…
Slow Cooker Beef
Chinese Style Beef and Broccoli {Slow Cooker Fakeaways}
Family Dinner Ideas
Easy Pork Yuk Sung {Chinese Lettuce Wraps}
Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Peking Style Duck
Under 15 minutes
Sticky Beef Mince Stir Fry {15 Minute Meal}
FAQs
Sweet and sour style dishes date back centuries from China, as well as the Philippines and Korea.
The original recipe was Shanghainese and used black vinegar. It’s not meant to be orange, but black. But somewhere along the way, ketchup replaced the vinegar and it turned orange in the UK. Now that dish is called Sweet and Sour Chicken—Hong Kong style. (Source: Conde Naste Traveller)
This is my take on that UK style takeaway dish, made at home.
This is a trick to thicken the sauce (called a ‘slurry’) without ending up with floury lumps.
First you add cornflour to a small bowl, mug or jug, then use a little liquid from the dish (a spoonful or two) to mix the cornflour into a paste consistency.
If you just sprinkle cornflour straight into the dish, it will form lumps that are almost impossible to get rid of. I promise this step is worth the extra dirty bowl!
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Sweet and Sour Chicken {Easy Recipe!}
Ingredients
- 700 g Chicken breast, Cut into large chunks
- 1 Onion, Peeled and cut into large chunks
- 4 Garlic cloves, Peeled and crushed
- 2 Inches of ginger, Finely chopped or grated
- 3 tbsp Tomato puree
- 3 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 4 tbsp White wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp Honey
- 2 tbsp Dark brown sugar
- 3 Peppers, Cut into large chunks
- 435 g Tinned pineapple (in JUICE), In chunks
- 3 tbsp Cornflour
- 100 ml Water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper , To taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil into a large saucepan, then add the chicken pieces when hot. Stir for 8-10 mins until the chicken is almost cooked through.
- Add the onions, garlic and ginger and stir for another 4-5 mins until they've softened a little.
- Add the tomato puree, soy sauce, white wine vinegar, honey, sugar and salt and pepper. Stir well.
- Add the peppers and cook for a further 5 minutes to soften a little, but still keep a little crunch.
- Drain the pineapple (keeping the juice to one side) and add it into the pan.
- Put the cornflour in a small bowl and add a little of the reserved juice to make a slurry/thick paste. Tip it into the pan and add the rest of the juice and 100ml water.
- Bring the liquid to a boil and serve when the sauce is thickened and has coated everything well.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Quick, easy and delicious. This is going on my Friday night recipe list!