This sweet and sour chicken recipe is made with delicious, tender pieces of chicken coated in a sweet, sticky homemade sauce. This recipe is made with simple, everyday ingredients and is an easy meal perfect for weeknights. Skip the takeaway and make this family-favourite at home instead!
My honey soy chicken recipe is not only one of my personal favourite recipes on this site that I make again and again, but it’s also one of the most popular from readers! Lately though I’ve been playing with adapting it to other flavours as the method of cooking the chicken creates the perfect takeaway style chicken without needing to deep fry anything.
I’ve therefore decided to adapt it to create a family favourite Chinese takeaway classic, and make sweet and sour chicken. The sauce is super simple to make from scratch, and is the same as I use in my sweet and sour meatballs recipe.
The result is a chicken dinner that is quick and easy to make, is better for you than takeaway, and is also going to be much kinder to your weekly budget!
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Key Ingredients
This sweet and sour chicken is a great weeknight dinner idea as it uses simple, everyday ingredients.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken thigh fillets – I always prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat for this recipe as it gets super tender and full of flavour. You can use breast if that’s all you have but the meat won’t be quite as juicy so I do recommend using thigh fillets.
- Spices – to add a little extra flavour to the chicken, I like to season the coating with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Cornflour – also known as corn starch in the US, this is going to coat our chicken and help give it that light and crispy coating.
- Eggs – used to coat the chicken and help give it that coating that makes you think of takeaway without being a heavy batter.
- Tomato ketchup – regular, good-quality tomato ketchup forms the base of the sweet and sour sauce providing both sweetness and tang, which are essential for the classic flavour we’re looking for.
- White vinegar – adds that extra tang for our sour element.
- Brown sugar – adds that caramelised, sweet taste to the sauce.
- Soy sauce – adds a little salty, savoury flavour that balances the sweetness of the sauce.
- Can pineapple pieces in juice – pick up one of the smaller cans of pineapple chunks, making sure it’s in juice not syrup for this recipe. You will use the juice in the sauce and then throw the chunks into the dish to finish.
- Capsicums – also known as bell peppers, are classic in sweet and sour chicken, but you can use any stir fry veg you like.
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Step-By-Step Instructions
Just like with my honey soy chicken recipe, you only need one pan to make this easy sweet and sour chicken making clean up so much easier!
Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and the reserved pineapple juice and set it aside. This is your sweet and sour sauce.
Step 2: Add the chopped chicken to a large zip-lock bag and sprinkle over the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cornflour. Seal the bag and toss until the chicken is evenly coated.
This is my preferred method for coating the chicken as it ensures a really even coating, but if you don’t have a zip lock bag or even just a freezer bag, then you can do this step in a bowl.
Step 3: Heat a little oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. While the oil is heating, crack the eggs into a shallow bowl and whisk. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, dip each piece of chicken into the egg, allowing any excess to drip off, then place into the hot pan.
Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. It’s okay if the chicken isn’t fully cooked through at this stage. Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate lined with a paper towel and repeat with the remaining chicken, adding more oil if needed between batches.
Step 4: Once all the chicken is golden, wipe out any excess oil and any leftover egg bits from the pan with a paper towel and return all the chicken to the pan along with the chopped capsicum and canned pineapple pieces. Pour in the sweet and sour sauce and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Step 5: Cover the pan with a lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 7-8 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce is thick, sticky, and the chicken is cooked through.
👉Tip! Use a meat thermometer to know when the chicken is cooked! Once the internal temperature reaches 75°C / 165°F in the biggest piece, it’s done!
Step 6: Serve the sweet and sour chicken over cooked rice and top with sesame seeds and sliced spring onions.
Storage Instructions
This sweet and sour chicken is at its best when fresh as the sauce does absorb into the chicken coating. However if you have leftovers, it does still taste delicious reheated, just a little less saucy.
To store, allow it to cool before adding to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat, microwave it for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot and steaming.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Simply swap the soy sauce for tamari or a gluten free soy sauce.
You sure can. Chicken breast will work well, but it can dry out more quickly, so keep an eye on cooking time. I like to use thighs as they stay really juicy when cooked with this method.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More weeknight chicken recipes:
Bang Bang Chicken Skewers
20 Minute Cashew Chicken and Broccoli
Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 600 grams chicken thigh fillets cut into 1.5-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup cornflour/cornstarch
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil or canola oil for cooking
For the sweet and sour sauce:
- ⅓ cup tomato ketchup
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 × 225 gram can pineapple pieces in juice juice reserved
Vegetables:
- 1-2 capsicums/bell peppers diced
To serve:
- Cooked rice
- Sesame seeds
- Sliced spring onions
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and the reserved pineapple juice. Set aside.
- Place the chicken pieces in a large zip-lock bag or bowl. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cornflour. Seal the bag (or stir in the bowl) and toss until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs.
- Working in batches, dip each chicken piece into the egg, letting any excess drip off, then place into the hot pan. Avoid overcrowding.
- Fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden and crispy (it doesn’t need to be fully cooked yet). Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken, adding more oil if needed.
- Wipe out any excess oil from the pan. Return all the chicken to the pan along with the chopped capsicum and pineapple pieces. Pour over the prepared sauce and stir to coat.
- Cover with a lid, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 7-8 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce is thick, sticky, and the chicken is cooked through.
- Spoon the sweet and sour chicken over cooked rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced spring onions.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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