Sweet and Sour Chicken with crispy chicken, pineapple, and bell peppers tastes just like takeout without the food coloring. Try this today!
Sweet and Sour Pork and Sweet and Sour Chicken are classic Chinese takeout options many of us are too afraid to make at home. Cooking with woks can be intimidating, but my recipe will prove it is much easier to make than you would think!
Sabrina’s Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts , (about 4 pieces) cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 eggs , beaten
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup pineapple chunks , cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 red bell pepper , cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 green bell pepper , cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/2 yellow onion , cut into 1-inch chunks
- vegetable oil , for frying
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 4 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
Instructions
- To make the sauce, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and garlic into a small bowl.
- Pour enough vegetable oil into a Dutch oven or frying pan so that comes up from the bottom about an inch and a half. Preheat on medium-high heat.
- Add the cornstarch to a large ziplock bag then add chicken pieces and shake until well coated.
- Dip the chicken pieces into the egg, then into the flour before adding to the hot oil. Add in batches so as not to have more than a single layer of it in the oil at a time.
- Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes, until cooked through and crispy.
- Remove to a cookie sheet (no paper towels!) and continue cooking the remaining batches of chicken.
- When done cooking remove all but a tablespoon of the oil, then add peppers, onion, and pineapple. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until crisp-tender.
- Add the chicken pieces and sauce, and stir until the sauce is thickened and bubbling.
- Serve immediately, with optional garnishes of sesame seeds or green onions.
Nutrition
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Table of Contents
About This Recipe
When I first started this blog, of all the Chinese Recipes that people asked for, the absolute top requested was sweet and sour chicken. I totally get it, it isn’t even just the recipe, but THAT SAUCE. When I was a teenager and I made this sauce for the first time I also actually started learning how to use chopsticks. So for a solid month (I kid you not, my mom was not thrilled with this), I used chopsticks for every meal and had a tiny little bowl of sauce to dip everything into it.
Chef’s Note
A word of advice: I don’t put the fried chicken on a paper towel to drain. While it may work to soak up the excess oil, it also causes it to steam and the batter on the chicken gets soft voiding our goal of crispy chicken pieces. You can use a paper towel to wipe off any oil from the cooking sheet after you’ve added them back to the wok.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Pounds Chicken Breasts: Cut into 1-inch chunks. You can use chicken thighs too.
- ½ Cup Cornstarch: This is used to create a base for the egg wash and flour to attach to.
- 2 Eggs and ¼ Cup Flour: These are the coating for the chicken.
- 1 Cup Pineapple Chunks: This is the secret ingredient that makes this recipe! Fresh or a can of drained pineapples both work.
- Vegetable Oil: This is used for frying. You can use a neutral oil like canola or sunflower oil.
- Vegetables: Red and green bell peppers, both cut into 1-inch chunks, add vibrant color and a mix of sweet and slightly bitter flavors. These can be substituted with other peppers or zucchini for a different texture. The onion, also cut into 1-inch chunks, provides aromatic flavor and slight sharpness; red onion or shallots are good alternatives.
- Sweet and Sour Sauce: White and brown sugar bring the sweet base with a hint of molasses; either dark or light brown sugar or coconut sugar can also be used. Apple Cider Vinegar is absolutely critical for bringing the sour flavor. Rice vinegar is a suitable substitute. Ketchup adds the base tomato flavor and natural red color. You can also use equal parts tomato paste. Soy Sauce can be substituted with tamari or coconut aminos which are also gluten-free. Garlic can be substituted with 2 teaspoons of garlic powder if fresh garlic is unavailable.
Kitchen Tools and Equipment
- Wok: Great for high heat, and quick cooking. A wok is a great addition to your kitchen if you love cooking Chinese food or stir fries in general.
- Large Frying Pan: I use a Cuisinart for most of my non-cast iron cooking unless I am going with a stainless steel option, then I choose my All-Clad.
- Frying Spider Strainer: A frying spider strainer is the quickest and easiest way to scoop out items that are fried without wasting too much time or getting too much oil out of the pan. You won’t have pieces burning like you would with a smaller strainer, plus it is SO inexpensive. I use it for almost all of my small fried items.
Can This Be Made Ahead?
This dish is best served fresh. If it isn’t served immediately the coating will soften and become soggy. You can easily store a batch in the fridge for up to 3 days before reheating and serving. Just keep in mind the breading won’t be crispy. The sauce can be kept in the fridge separately from any cooked chicken for up to a week.
How to Store
- Storing: Place the leftovers in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. The chicken will stay fresh for up to 3 days, while the sauce and vegetables can last up to 4 days.
- Reheating: For the best results, reheat the chicken in an air fryer or oven to restore its crispiness. Warm the sauce and vegetables in the microwave or on the stovetop, then combine just before serving.
- Freezing: Freeze the chicken and sauce separately in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and serving.
Alternative Cooking Techniques
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Coat chicken pieces as usual with cornstarch, egg, and flour. Arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket, spray lightly with oil, and cook for 10-12 minutes, shaking halfway through. Air fry the vegetables and pineapple after the chicken. Make the sauce on the stovetop, toss the chicken and veggies into the heated sweet and sour sauce, and serve immediately.
Frequent Questions
For this recipe you want to keep the breading super crispy and light, which cornstarch will help you achieve. I have experimented with coating the chicken in both in a tempura batter and a straight cornstarch coating. I prefer cornstarch for ease of use, but either way, you don’t want something doughy that will absorb your sauce like a sponge.
You can reduce the sugar in half for less sweetness. For less tanginess, cut the vinegar from ½ to ¼ cup of vinegar.
Variations
- Vegan Sweet and Sour Tofu: Replace chicken with firm tofu, patting with with a paper towel it to remove excess moisture before frying. Use soy sauce or tamari for the sauce.
- Garlicky: If you’d really like to add some extra flavor to the flour, season with salt and black pepper and add 2 tablespoons of minced garlic or 1 tablespoon of powdered garlic to the chicken while frying. Add an extra tablespoon to the sauce when mixing.
Related Posts
More Sweet and Sour Recipes
Photos used in previous versions of this post.
I Made it for dinner last night and my husband loved it! Will definitely fix it again.
This was really great! After reading some of the comments I cut the white sugar by half. But otherwise made as directed (used vegetable oil instead of canola oil.). It helps to have all the ingredients chopped and ready to go. I never fry things, so it was a bit more work, but the end result was worth it. Very flavorful sauce, excellent meal! Thanks!!
Can I put these in air fryer? If yes, any input for timing?
I haven’t tested this recipe using an air fryer.
Delicious! My husband said it is the best sweet and sour sauce he has ever had. And, something sweet and sour is what he always orders in a restaurant. Will definitely make this again. Thank you. ?
Delicious! My husband said it is the best sweet and sour sauce he has ever had. And, something sweet and sour is what he always orders in a restaurant. Will definitely make this again. Thank you. ?
The sauce is absolutely delicious. I skipped the egg and flour and just did corn starch and then I fried in avocado oil instead. Such a great flavor. I also used distilled white vinegar instead of apple cider. Tasted great. No complaints even with my modifications! Sometimes, you just don’t have all the ingredients in your house so I made do!
Would frozen onions and peppers work?
I’ve never tested this recipe with frozen onions or peppers. I would be concerned about the taste and crunch being significantly different. Take another look at what I wrote in the blog to see why you’ll want peppers with the onions and my guess is you’ll understand why fresh vegetables are preferred over frozen I think. I certainly understand trying to save time with vegetables already prepared. Life can get busy fast! No judgement here!
I seem to only eat chicken and rice these days (trying to save money and make meal prep easy)
I really fancied take away, thought about sweet and sour chicken, took a look at your recipe and had a look in the cupboard and found all the ingredients! BONUS (this is very important as I wasn’t going to the shops to spend more money)
The only thing I didn’t have was the pineapple and peppers! But given that, it made this dish in 20 mins and it was perfect!!! 10/10 (going to use the same recipe for the sauce, to make chicken wings this weekend!)
I never leave reviews, but too good not to!
Thank you Marie!
I want to make this today for my friend and his wife who just had a baby last week. Is there a specific pan that I should use? Above it was mentioned you use a wok as one of the tools, but then in the directions it says a Dutch oven. I have both, but which should I use?
whichever you prefer will work.
Love this recipe. Using the cornstarch first followed by an egg wash and finished with dipping into flour is time consuming but, OH, sooooo delicious and tender.
HELP: I needed to make it without the onions and garlic for someone with severe allergies. I was game to try. But when I finished I realized that the ketchup has onion powder in it. What can I used instead of ketchup to make the sauce so I don’t cause harm to this person??
You could use tomato paste! You are a thoughtful friend.
Loved, loved, loved this recipe! Simple to make and tastes just like what we’re use to from our local restaurant. No adjustment needed, at least not for us.
Great! Thanks for the 5 star rating!
I feel so proud! I used this recipe to make sweet and sour chicken from scratch- and it was amazing! The chicken was wonderful and the sauce was delicious! I’m not sad the the two of us will have leftovers for tomorrow!!
This has to be the copycat restaurant recipe for the places where they make GOOD sweet and sour chicken. Watching it come together is glorious and beautiful, especially when you cut up those peppers, pineapple and onion. It is a lot of prep, but this is the FLAVOR you are looking for.
Best review ever! Thanks Ryan
Hi
My husband’s favourite takeout , but he is also a diabetic. I am picking up from hospital later and he has asked for this. Any suggestions of that or how to reduce the sugar content without loosing the flavour please thank you X
Oh no, I missed this comment. Hope your husband is doing well. I haven’t tested this recipe using sugar alternatives.
The finished meal was delicious but the prep and frying was nerve racking and a huge mess.. we enjoyed the taste but I probably won’t make it again.
I will Keep and use the sweet sauce recipe again and use it on other dishes.
Love your recipe!!! So simple to follow. My hubby doesn’t like pineapple in dishes so I substitute with some carrots. Absolute keeper! Thanks for sharing this recipe:D
I was gifted a pineapple and immediately knew I wanted to make Sweet-n-Sour Chicken with it. First time to make and first time to use my wok. Very successful recipe! I temped my oil to 375° between batches and all the chicken was perfectly cooked. Very excited to make this again!! Good job, Chef!
Omg was so easy to make and equally delicious
Absolutely delicious and will definitely make it again and again! Very easy and the sweet and sour sauce was perfect!
Yay, Glad to hear Jen
I want to try this recipe but number seven and number eight in the instructions confuse me. Seven says “Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes, until cooked through and crispy”…then eight says “Remove to a cookie sheet (no paper towels!) and continue cooking all the chicken pieces.”
If I have removed the chicken to a baking sheet, what chicken do I continue cooking?
Yes, I am an amateur wannabe cook and it shows.
Sorry for the confusing wording! You’ll want to cook the chicken in batches so as not to have too much of it in the oil at a time; if you crowd the chicken in the oil too much then it won’t cook evenly. So the first batch should be cooked through and removed to the pan, then start cooking the next batch. Hope that helps clear things up for you!
The perfect sweet and sour chicken!! ?. Made it already multiple times and recipe saved to my favorites??. Best of all… my kids love it ??.
Thank you for this delicious recipe! Sweet and sour chicken is my favorite and I love that I can now make it at home!
One of my favorite ways to eat chicken! This is a go-to recipe in our house! We never have any left over. SO TASTY and the recipe is super easy to follow!
Outstanding sweet and sour chicken.Semper Fi A Marine Corps Vet Ooorah.
Made this “Sweet & Sour Chicken” One word, Fantastic. It turned out great!
Thank you for this recipe. Though I like deep fried food, I tend to shy away from deep frying due to the smell and mess. But I do like sweet & sour chicken and this one sounded doable to me, so I made this last night for my family and found was fairly easy to make – and it turned out pretty good and looked just like the picture. Here are a few comments: 1.) I followed the recipe exactly, except that I put in only half the white sugar as some comments said the sauce was too sweet. That was a good decision as I wouldn’t have wanted it to be any sweeter than it was. 2.) The chicken came out with a surprisingly beautiful, crispy coating – just like the restaurants. But in the end it was very bland tasting. Even the sauce couldn’t help the chicken’s lack of flavor. Suggest first tossing the raw chicken pieces with a bit of seasoning before cooking, and/or adding seasoning to the coatings, for example salt & pepper, maybe also a little garlic & onion powders, and a perhaps a small bit of ground red pepper. 3.) The sauce seemed thin. I tried adding about 2-3 tbs. of cornstarch and cooked a little longer to thicken it up, but it wasn’t enough as the sauce was still a bit too thin when served. 4.) And though the sauce taste was good, it was very simple, sweet, and very light on flavor. I would have liked a bit more complexity. Not sure what would do it. Maybe more soy? Chinese seasoning? 5.) I did find that it was very messy to prepare!!! Had to cook the chicken in three batches and by the time I was finished, my kitchen was a greasy, flour-y disaster! 6.) Some commenters said that the recipe took longer to make than the total 50 minutes noted at top of recipe. I agree. My prep & cook time was closer to two hours mostly due to having to cook the chicken in multiple batches and deal with the mess it created. 7.) Recipe says it serves four. We have a family of three adults with good appetites, and we had plenty of leftovers for another one or two nights. So I’d say it actually serves 6-8. Overall, a very good recipe, but if I made it again, I would make the adjustments above. However, it did confirm my aversion to deep frying, so for that reason only, I would probably order out next time.
This dish tasted great, but took way more than 25 minutes to prepare. My kitchen is a wreck! ? at least it tasted good.
Does it have to be served immediately or can I take it in a casserole dish for a potluck?
If it isn’t served immediately the coating will soften and become soggy.
This was delicious will definitely make again
I made this tonight and my family really enjoyed it! I used fresh green and orange peppers as well as the onions and garlic from my garden. Delicious! I will definitely cook this again.
Best recipe ever. I tried different sweet and sour recipes and the chicken never comes out crispy enough. This recipe was just perfect. Everything balanced each other and my family ate it all up!
So excited for this quick recipe, it is very easy to follow along! Thank you for sharing it.
You’re bouncing all around with the recipe and it’s truly confusing. Definitely ruined the anniversary dinner! ?
You’re bouncing all around with the recipe and it’s truly confusing. Definitely ruined the anniversary dinner! ?
This is the best chicken jam recipe
I’ve ever met. Everything is good except the amount of sugar. Had to add plenty of chicken stock, chili, lime juice, soy sauce trying to fix it. I do not believe that sugar here in Finland is more sweet than somewhere else, but this beautiful dish tastes now like “double sweet & nothing else” chicken.
It tasted sooooo good ???
The best sweet and sour chicken I’ve ever had, and we made it on on the first try! I had a little over 2 pounds of chicken strips that I cut into thirds. They ended up being the perfect size. I left out the white sugar (didn’t want it too sweet), used regular Kikkoman Soy (doubled), 4 times the garlic and doubled the onion. I worried about the garlic not being cooked enough but it was fine. The vegetables were spot on at 3 minutes. This made a lot of food and I was hoping for leftovers but my family of 3 (1 is a very picky eater) ate all of it and asked if we could have this again. That’s a big deal at my house. TRY THIS RECIPE! It’s easy, quick and the taste is so much better than takeout.
Thank you Sharon. I plan on making this for dinner tonight. I will be following your directions. I can imagine the smell and taste. I really appreciate your providing/sharing your twist to the recipe.
Happy holidays!
I made this tonight. Instead of frying the chicken breast, I air fried it instead . I need to watch my sugar and used Splenda white sugar and Splenda brown sugar. My whole family loved it. My best sweet and sour recipe yet .
Best sweet and sour chicken I have ever had
Thank you so much for the recipe
Very happy
This turned out amazing, better than from a restaurant.
I made this tonight. Instead of frying the chicken breast, I air fried it instead . I need to watch my sugar and used Splenda white sugar and Splenda brown sugar. My whole family loved it. My best sweet and sour recipe yet .
Although this recipe is absolutely delicious, it takes about an hour to complete not the 25 minutes in the recipe. I’m not slow at cooking but no way could I complete this in 25 minutes
Very good but I had to double the cornstarch and flour to have enough.
I tried this recipe which I followed to the letter and found that it was waaaay too sweet. What a disaster.
Excellent exactly as is !
Hands down one of the best recipes! You will never order take out again! I have made this multiple times exactly as written and it is perfect! Delicious!
The best and delicious! My husband loves it. Way better than in a Chinese restaurant. Thank you for sharing. God bless.
Good but a little heavy on the vinegar for me.
Personally it was way too sweet and I didn’t even use the full amount of sugar in the recipe. The pineapple soaked up the sugar and it was overtly sweet. I feel like the recipe could use less sugar and still have that sweet and sour feel. Also I think more soy sauce wouldn’t hurt but I’d add it after tasting the original recipe if you find it too salty. Id also add extra garlic if you’re fond of it. The rest was good but imo there is too much sugar when the sweetness of ketchup and pineapple is already present. I would just make these changes but overall it was ok.
I agree even my kids found it too sweet, yes my pineapple was very ripe but I could have completely done without the white sugar
Best sweet-and-sour chicken ever better than the Chinese restaurant!!
Absolutely delicious
This was great! I did need an extra cup of flour when breading the chicken but I think I used more chicken also.
Very delicious!!
Wonderful, flavorful fast and easy! Well the prep took a bit longer but heightened my anticipation.
I used pork trimmings from a loin/center cut pork. I added zucchini and carrots for color.
When we were finished there was nothing left on our plates.
Thank you for posting this recipe.
I loved this although my family found it a little too sweet. The prep time took quite a bit longer than suggested but was delicious
I followed your recipe for sweet and sour chicken and it tasted great!
Absolutely delicious