Homemade Sweet and Sour Chicken

While we love a takeaway and treat ourselves to one of some kind every Friday night, it’s simple to cook a cheaper and healthier version of many favourite dishes at home. So this easy homemade sweet and sour chicken recipe is a fakeaway that’s ideal for weeknights and weekends alike.

With shallot, garlic, pepper, pineapple and lean poultry there’s plenty of nutritional value, and the main advantage for me is that there’s no need for deep frying. Meaning you don’t need special equipment – and the house doesn’t smell unpleasant afterwards. Instead, you’re left with the much more appealing and subtle aroma of a delicious dish.

Soy sauce, rice vinegar, sweet chilli sauce, honey and ginger paste combine to create a slightly sticky sauce that coats the fried chicken pieces beautifully. All you need to do with those is coat them in cornflour before frying in sesame oil (which further adds to the flavour). It’s so simple. Use chopped fresh ginger instead if you prefer here.

Serve with rice – or noodles if you prefer – and you have a ‘fakeaway’dish fit for a casual dinner party. Add some prawn crackers on the side if you like for the full-on experience. Ta da!

This homemade sweet ‘n’ sour chicken recipe serves 2

Homemade sweet and sour chicken ingredients

• Sesame oil, for frying
• Chicken breasts, 2, cut into chunks
• Cornflour, 50g
• Shallot, 1, chopped finely
• Pepper, any colour, chopped into small strips
• Garlic, 2 cloves, crushed or chopped finely
• Ginger paste, 1 tsp
• Soy sauce, 30ml
• Rice vinegar, 30ml
• Sweet chilli sauce, 30ml
• Honey, 30g
• Tomato ketchup, 1 tbsp
• Pineapple, about 150g, canned or fresh, in chunks

Equipment

• Sharp knife
• Chopping board
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring jug
• Wok
• Wooden spatula

How to make Chinese sweet and sour chicken

• Once it’s chopped, place the chicken in a bowl and sprinkle over the cornflour. Season with salt and pepper and mix well so it’s coated all over.
• Heat a generous splash of sesame oil in a wok and when it’s ready, add the chicken. Reserve the cornflour and bowl it’s in for a little later on. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 7-8 minutes until each chunk of chicken is golden all over.
• Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside. Add a little more oil, then stir-fry the shallot and pepper for a few minutes in a hot wok. Meanwhile, add 150ml boiling water to the cornflour in the bowl and stir well, then add the soy and sweet chilli sauces, vinegar, honey and ketchup before stirring again to combine.
• Reduce the heat, then add the garlic and ginger before stirring.
• Add the chicken to the wok once more along with the sauce you’ve just made and the pineapple. Cook for a few minutes until the chicken has a slightly syrupy coating.

Serve with egg fried, boiled or steamed rice, or noodles.

Related recipes:

• Sticky honey and lemon chicken
• Ham & egg fried rice
• Chicken tikka masala
• Turkey chow mein
• Homemade pizza dough
• Singapore noodles

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