Sweet and Sour Chicken is a delightful blend of tangy and sweet flavors, with tender chicken pieces coated in a luscious sauce made from pineapple, sugar, vinegar, and spices. The chicken is flash fried then finished in the oven until the sauce is thick and coats all those crispy nuggets.
This delightful chicken dish has a unique and irresistible sweet and sour sauce that you won’t be able to resist. The glaze is a harmonious blend of ketchup, apple cider vinegar, tamari (a soy sauce without MSG), sugar, and garlic powder.
This combination creates a delightful balance of sweetness and tanginess. The addition of diced red, yellow, and green peppers enhances the dish, providing a colorful and vibrant touch to the overall taste.
Ingredients for Sweet and Tangy Glazed Chicken:
For the Chicken:
- Boneless Chicken Breasts: Cut into bite-sized pieces – skinless chicken thighs can also be used.
- Cornstarch: Used for coating the chicken, cornstarch helps create a crispy outer layer when frying.
- Eggs: Whisked with a little milk, eggs act as a binding agent for the cornstarch coating, ensuring it adheres well to the chicken.
- Olive Oil: Used for frying the chicken, olive oil adds a subtle richness and helps achieve a golden-brown color.
- Red, Yellow, and Green Peppers: Diced peppers add a burst of color, texture, and flavor to the dish, enhancing its overall appeal.
The Sweet and Tangy Glaze: A Perfect Harmony
Sauce Ingredients:
- Ketchup: The foundation of the glaze, ketchup contributes sweetness and a rich tomato flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This ingredient brings tanginess and a hint of acidity, balancing the sweetness of the glaze.
- Tamari (Soy Sauce without MSG): Offering an umami kick, tamari provides depth of flavor to the glaze without the presence of MSG.
- Sugar: Adding sweetness, sugar complements the tanginess of the vinegar, creating a harmonious balance.
- Garlic Powder: Aromatic and flavorful, garlic powder infuses the glaze with its distinctive taste.
The Glaze: A Sweet and Tangy Symphony
The glaze is the heart of this recipe, blending ketchup, apple cider vinegar, tamari, sugar, and garlic powder. The ketchup provides the base sweetness, while the apple cider vinegar brings the necessary tanginess to the mix. Tamari adds umami and depth without overpowering the dish. Sugar compliments the tanginess of the vinegar, creating a perfect sweet-tart harmony. Lastly, the aromatic garlic powder ties everything together, infusing the glaze with its rich and savory essence.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS:
- Chinese Fried Rice
- White or Brown Rice
SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN RECIPE
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Sweet ‘n Sour Chicken
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN:
- 4 Boneless Chicken Breasts, cut into small bite sized pieces
- 1 Cup (more or less) Corn starch (you won’t use all of it)
- 2–3 Large Eggs, whisked with a little milk
- 1 Red Pepper, diced
- 1 Yellow Pepper, diced
- 1 Green Pepper, diced
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Olive Oil (for frying)
FOR THE SAUCE:
- 1 /3 Cup Ketchup
- 1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Tamari (type of soy sauce w no MSG)
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 Cup Pineapple Chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Coat the chicken: In a large Ziploc bag or shallow dish, place about ½ cup of cornstarch. Take the chicken pieces and coat them with cornstarch by shaking them in the bag.
- Whisk the eggs: In another bowl, whisk the eggs with a little milk.
- Fry the chicken: Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken into the whisked eggs and place it in the hot skillet. Cook for about 1 minute on each side until lightly browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
- Sauté the peppers: In the same skillet, sauté the diced red, yellow, and green peppers for a few minutes until they are slightly softened.
- Prepare the sauce: In a separate bowl, mix together the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, tamari, sugar, and garlic powder to make the sauce.
- Bake the chicken: Place the browned chicken and sautéed peppers in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour the sauce over the chicken and peppers in the baking dish and bake oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, and the sauce has thickened and coated the chicken nicely.
trying to cut back on sugar . has anyone tried to cut the sugar? 1 cup is a lot. i was thinking of 1/4 but i know it is changing the recipe a lot.
Wow. This is AMAZING!!!!!!!
★★★★★
thanks Julie, it’s one of my daughter’s favorites. Leftovers are great too.
I just have some questions. I know this site is called happily unprocessed. I just started my ditch the junk 1 week ago and have been going crazy reading labels. However I have noticed a few recipes on here that I thought were no no’s. Example the Sweet & Sour Chicken says to add ketchup which contains fructose (disguised sugar) and natural flavor and another recipt tyhat calls for bacon which contains nitrates. Can you help me understand.
Hi Michele. Thanks for your question. Yes some of our recipes do contain items you would consider to be processed, however they are few and far between. I’ve tried my hardest to take everyday popular American recipes and healthify them if you will. Some of the older recipes may contain more of these ingredients than the recent ones as we continue to change and eat healthier. But I still feel strongly in my heart that if I include bacon for example in a quiche that serves 8 it is still much healthier than if I ate at McDonalds for breakfast. As far as the ketchup or items that are prepackaged… look for ones that are organic or simply made as they will contain fewer chemicals. The ketchup I use is from Simple Truth and does not contain any additives.