🍍 Sweet-and-Sour Chicken (Crispy, Tangy & Take-out Style)

Description

Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside — this sweet and sour chicken is a Chinese takeout classic you can make at home. It's perfect for family dinners or weekend indulgence, with a balance of tangy, fruity sauce and golden-fried chicken.

Ingredients

• 🥚 2 large eggs
• 🌽 60 g cornstarch (½ cup)
• 🌾 60 g all-purpose flour (½ cup)
• 🐔 500 g chicken breast, cut into 2 cm chunks (1.1 lb)
• 🧂 3 g salt (½ tsp)
• 🌶️ 1 g white pepper (½ tsp)
• 🛢️ 500 ml vegetable oil for frying (2 cups)
• For the sauce
• 🍍 150 g pineapple chunks (1 cup)
• 🫙 60 ml ketchup (¼ cup)
• 🍯 30 ml honey (2 tbsp)
• 🍚 30 ml rice vinegar (2 tbsp)
• 🫙 15 ml soy sauce (1 tbsp)
• 🌽 8 g cornstarch + 30 ml water (1 tbsp + 2 tbsp) – slurry
• 🌿 Optional: 4 g chopped scallions (1 tbsp) or sesame seeds for garnish

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Batter the chicken – Whisk eggs, flour, cornstarch, salt & pepper. Toss chicken until coated.
2. 2️⃣ Deep-fry – Heat oil to 180 °C (350 °F). Fry chicken in batches 4 min, until golden. Drain.
3. 3️⃣ Make the sauce – In a pan combine ketchup, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, pineapple. Simmer 2 min. Add cornstarch slurry; cook until glossy.
4. 4️⃣ Toss & serve – Add fried chicken to the sauce, coat well. Garnish with scallions or sesame seeds.

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 15 min

🔥 Cook: 20 min

⏳ Total: 35 min

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