Sweet and Sour Chicken – Just Like Takeout! (VIDEO)

Sweet and Sour Chicken: Recipe Instructions

1. Cut and Marinate The Chicken

The first step in making Sweet and Sour Chicken is cutting the chicken into 2″ pieces. Cut the chicken into uniform pieces so they cook evenly when we fry them.

Next, place the sliced chicken into a bowl with light soy sauce, kosher salt, white pepper, egg, and flour. Mix well with your hands and let marinate for at least 20 minutes.

2. Mix the Sweet and Sour Sauce

Next, mix the sauce by combining chicken stock, ketchup, brown sugar, distilled white vinegar, and cornstarch.

Sweet and Sour Chicken is one of those dishes where once you start cooking, it GOES FAST — therefore, I like to have my sauce pre-mixed and ready to go.

3. Dredge the Chicken

Mix together flour, cornstarch, kosher salt, white pepper, and baking powder in a large bowl.

Before you begin dredging, I recommend you mix the chicken one more time to re-distribute the wet batter and let any excess drip off the chicken.

Individually coat the chicken pieces in the dry seasoning mix so that there are no dry spots. Be sure to pack the dry mix in to the chicken with your hands (I like squeezing it in) to properly coat the chicken so the batter sticks.

4. Fry (and double fry) the Chicken

Heat a few quarts of neutral oil over high heat until the temperature reaches 350F.

Carefully fry the chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. I highly recommend a thermometer to accurately measure your oil temperature, as you do not want the oil temperature to drop below 325F.

Remove the chicken then bring the oil temperature back up to 350F and fry a second time for an additional 1-2 minutes until the chicken is dark golden brown and crispy!

5. Cook the Onions, Peppers, and Pineapples

In a wok or large pan over high heat, add 1 tbsp of neutral oil and cook the peppers and onions for 1 minute. Add pineapple and cook for another 30 seconds.

6. Finishing Cooking and Serve!

Add the premixed sauce and combine with peppers and onions until the sauce has thickened slightly. Add back the chicken and toss to combine and enjoy your Sweet and Sour Chicken!

Storage and Reheating

You can keep this in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The texture of the chicken will change as it’s refrigerated but the flavor will be even better as it sits and melds!

I like to reheat Sweet and Sour Chicken in a hot pan or wok – I give it a quick stir-fry to get all of the chicken warmed up and revitalize some of the texture.

What to Serve with Sweet and Sour Chicken

If you’re going to make better-than-takeout Sweet and Sour Chicken at home, I recommend you go all-out and recreate your perfect Chinese Take-Out meal!

You can’t have take-out without making my crispiest Egg Rolls! You’ll also need some kind of carb – I would make Chicken Fried Rice (if you want shrimp instead, try Shrimp Fried Rice)and Shrimp Lo Mein (if you need a chicken option, try Chicken Lo Mein) to go with Sesame Chicken. Take-out isn’t complete without a comforting bowl of soup -try my Egg Drop Soup or Hot and Sour Soup! If you want another chicken dish to make, try General Tso’s Chicken!

Cooking With a Wok (Alternatives)

By now, you know that I LOVE cooking with my wok! It is my #1 most recommended kitchen tool, as I believe it is perfect for high-heat cooking and results in restaurant quality Chinese food!

If it is your first time cooking with a wok, make sure to read my “How To Season a Wok” post. There is a video included that shows exactly how to season your brand new wok and how to maintain it so it lasts for years.

If you cannot or do not want to use a wok, you can use a large pan, cast iron, or even a dutch oven.

My KEY TIP would be to avoid crowding your pan – crowding can lead to your Sweet and Sour Chicken not cooking thoroughly and becoming mushy. If you think your dish will be crowded, use a larger pan, cast iron, or dutch oven, OR cook in batches.