You’ve come to the right place if you’ve ever wondered how to make sweet and sour chicken. This dish is simple and can be made in a matter of minutes. It’s a healthier alternative to takeout, and you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to prepare. The key is to prepare the sauce first. After mixing all the ingredients, add the chicken and stir-fry until well-coated. Bake it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, flipping it every ten minutes to ensure that the sauce is evenly cooked.
Although the sweet and sour chicken can be eaten right once, leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for five days. To avoid rubbery chicken, reheat it on the stove rather than in the microwave. While the sauce will continue to absorb the flavors of the chicken in the microwave, it will lose its softness. Use medium heat and stir regularly while reheating sweet and sour chicken.
If you’re creating sweet and sour chicken, make sure the sauce is rich and flavorful. An excellent sweet and sour sauce should be rich and tangy with just the proper amount of sour, and it should also have a somewhat tangy but not overly sweet flavor. Instead of apple cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar can be used. You’ll want to add water and cornstarch to the sauce after blended the ingredients. Cook for a few minutes to thicken the sauce.
Sweet and Sour Chicken Nutrition Facts
What is Sweet and Sour Chicken?
Sweet and sour chicken originated in China in the 18th century or before. After Chinese migrant gold miners and railroad employees turned to food and drink as commerce, it spread to the United States in the early twentieth century.
This meal comprises chicken that has been cornstarch battered and then coated with a sweet and sour sauce composed of ketchup, chili sauce, plum sauce, sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Instead of plum sauce, some variations of Ku lo sauce include vinegar (such as apple cider vinegar). The sauce is stir-fried with veggies like tomato, cucumber, pineapple, and onion in a big skillet. The deep-fried chicken pieces are then stir-fried briefly with the vegetables over medium-high heat to keep the crispiness.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken?
This Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe is so amazing. You’ll want to make it all the time. A sweet and sticky sauce coats the chicken, then cooked to perfection.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup cornstarch
- Three eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- Six tablespoon ketchup
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
Instructions
- Start by cutting the chicken into bite-sized pieces and seasoning them with salt and pepper.
- Place the cornstarch in one shallow bowl and the eggs in another shallow bowl. Beat the eggs lightly.
- Take each piece of chicken and dredge it in the cornstarch. Then dip it in the egg. Transfer that to a skillet with oil that has been heated over medium-high heat. And yes – you dip in the cornstarch and then the egg – this is slightly different from many other recipes.
- Cook the chicken in batches, just until it is browned. The chicken will bake in the oven, so this is just to brown and crisp up the chicken, not cook it through. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish.
- In a bowl, combine your sauce ingredients – sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic powder. Pour this mixture over the chicken in the baking dish.
- Bake the chicken at 325ºF for an hour, stirring it every 15 minutes.
- Serve the sweet and sour chicken over rice, and be prepared never to want to get it for take-out again!
Is Sweet and Sour Chicken Actual Chicken?
Sweet and Sour Chicken is produced by batter-frying chicken and then tossing it in a sweet and sour sauce that is quick and easy to make. You’ve probably had this meal if you like Chinese food but don’t live in China. In other words, it’s more Western than Chinese.
Shanghainese black vinegar was used in the original recipe, and it’s supposed to be black, not orange. However, ketchup sometimes replaced the vinegar along the route, turning orange in the UK. That dish is now known as Hong Kong-style Sweet and Sour Chicken.
How Healthy is Sweet and Sour Chicken?
Sweet and Sour Chicken has a lot of health benefits and nutrients:
- Contributes to the immune system, cell division, red blood cell creation, tiredness and fatigue decrease, and information processing abilities.
- Aids in defense of your cells against the harmful effects of ‘free radicals.’
- Contributes to protecting your cells from free radical damage, the support of your immune system, and the maintenance of appropriate thyroid function.
- Contributes to all your cells’ normal function, energy production, bones and teeth health, and children’s expected growth.
- Contributes to the production of energy, mental health, and nervous system function, and it decreases exhaustion and fatigue and possibly, prevents cancer.
- Contributes to your mental performance, energy production, and fatigue reduction.
What is Sweet and Sour Sauce?
In Chinese culture, the sweet and sour sauce is a tangy, syrupy sauce that combines sweet (tomato sauce or pineapple) and sour flavors (vinegar). It’s usually slathered on chicken or pig before being deep-fried. While sweet and sour foods might be heavy in calories and saturated fat, it is not the sauce to blame. Sweet and sour sauce recipes vary and have evolved.
White vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, pineapples, Chinese brown sugar, soy sauce, tomato sauce, and even ketchup are common ingredients in sweet and sour sauces nowadays. Deep-fried fish and meat can be dipped in sweet and sour sauce, and it can also flavor vegetarian and meat-based recipes directly in the wok or sauté pan. The sweet and sour sauce is neither healthy nor harmful, and it can be included in a balanced diet.
Many sweet and sour sauces are salt-free, low sodium, preservative-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and vegan. So, it would help if you did not have any difficulty finding one to suit your needs.
Adverse Effects of Sweet and Sour Sauce
If you’re on a low-sodium diet or have a salt sensitivity, you might want to avoid soy sauce. Consult your doctor about the best way to reduce your sodium intake.
Some sweet and sour sauce recipes may contain soy and gluten. If you have a soy allergy or need a gluten-free diet, read the labels or ask the waitress before you buy. As soy- and gluten-free option, you might make your own sweet and sour sauce at home with liquid aminos.
Conclusion
You’ll need a skillet or a large baking dish to make sweet and sour chicken. Using a large skillet is the best option, and browning the chicken in batches is recommended. The chicken chunks will then be ready for the following step in your recipe. Many meals go nicely with sweet and sour chicken, from fried to stir-fried. In reality, numerous restaurants serve these meals with sticky Chinese lemon chicken and rice noodles.
You’ll require a sauce. This sauce consists of sour and sweet components that must be combined in a big mixing basin or measuring cup. Because of the ketchup, the sauce will be a muted red color, and it can be tweaked to taste, or ketchup can be added. Ketchup also includes a savory umami flavor that gives the sauce more depth.
