Sweet and Sour Chicken
Tender sweet and sour chicken with a crispy batter and a quick homemade sauce. Serve it with white or fried rice for a complete meal.
Sweet & Sour Chicken
Sweet and sour chicken is one of those dishes that looks complicated but is actually very simple once you understand the steps. The key is getting the chicken crispy and making a sauce that is balanced, smooth, and glossy. When you know how it works, you can make it taste even better than takeout.
The first secret is velveting the chicken. This step keeps the meat tender so it stays juicy after frying. The second secret is the batter. When you mix cornstarch with self rising flour, you get that light, puffy, crispy coating everyone loves. And the final secret is double frying. It takes just a few extra minutes, but it makes a huge difference in texture.
The sauce is quick too. It is simply sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and water cooked with a little cornstarch to thicken it. Once it starts to bubble, it turns shiny and smooth. You can make it as sweet or as tangy as you like, which is something you cannot control when you order out.
This dish is great for beginners because every step teaches you a useful cooking skill. You learn how to velvet meat, how to mix a batter, how to fry safely, and how to make a classic Asian style sweet sauce. And honestly, it is fun to make. The chicken gets golden and crispy, the sauce smells amazing, and the final plate looks like something that came from a restaurant.
Serve it with white rice or fried rice and you will have a complete meal that is simple, delicious, and totally doable at home.
Prep and Cook Time
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
For the Chicken
• 1 large chicken breast
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 cup self rising flour
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup water
• Oil for frying
For the Sauce
• One half cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• Three fourths cup water
• One fourth teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
• 6 teaspoons white vinegar
• A few drops of red food coloring (optional)
Instructions
Cut the chicken breast in half and then into finger sized pieces.
Place the chicken pieces in a plastic bag.
Add egg white, cornstarch, and oil to the bag, close it, and mix to velvet the chicken.
In a mixing bowl, combine self rising flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and white pepper.
Add egg and water to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
Add the chicken to the batter and mix well.
Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375°F.
Deep fry the chicken pieces. Hold each piece for a second before letting go so they do not stick.
Remove the chicken and let it rest for a couple of minutes before double frying for extra crispiness.
To make the sauce, combine sugar and cornstarch in a pan and whisk until smooth.
Add water, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar to the pan.
Add food coloring if you choose and bring the sauce to a boil while whisking.
Once the sauce is thick and glossy, remove from heat.
Serve the chicken with white or fried rice and pour the sauce over the top or serve it on the side.
Notes/Tips
• Double frying makes a huge difference. The first fry cooks the chicken, and the second fry makes it extra crispy. Do not skip it if you want that real takeout texture.
• Velveting keeps the chicken juicy. The egg white and cornstarch mixture protects the meat while it cooks so it stays tender instead of drying out.
• If your batter feels too thick, add a splash of water. If it feels too thin, sprinkle in a little more flour.
• Keep the oil hot. If the temperature drops, the chicken will absorb oil and lose its crispiness. Let your fryer recover heat between batches.
• Taste your sauce. You can make it sweeter, tangier, or lighter depending on what you like. Add more vinegar if you want a stronger tang or more sugar for extra sweetness.
• Skip the food coloring if you want a natural look. It will not change the flavor at all.
• Serve right away for the best crunch. The longer fried foods sit, the softer they get, so plate the chicken just before eating.
• Try it with chicken thighs. They stay extra juicy and work perfectly for this recipe.
