Sweet and sour chicken

Sweet and sour chicken is crispy chicken tossed in a sauce of ketchup, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and pineapple juice, thickened with cornstarch in one minute. With pre-fried karaage, heated for 10 minutes at 200°C straight from frozen, it is ready in 25 minutes, with peppers, onion and pineapple.

25 min13 ingredients 5 steps
Pui dulce-acrișor, bucăți de pui karaage crocant în sos lucios roșu cu ananas, ardei roșu și verde, ceapă și susan, pe farfurie de ceramică crem, cu un bol de orez alb
Pui Karaage — ~26 bucățele pe farfurie

Instructions

  1. Heat the chicken in the oven ⏱ 10 min

    Heat the oven to 200°C. Spread the karaage straight from frozen on a lined tray, in a single layer, and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the crust is crisp and the center hot. Do not thaw it first, the crust goes soft.

  2. Make the sauce

    While the chicken heats, mix the ketchup, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and pineapple juice in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Separately, dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water. Taste the sauce: if it is too sour add sugar, if it is too sweet add a teaspoon of vinegar.

  3. Stir-fry the vegetables briefly ⏱ 3 min

    Heat the oil in a wok or a large pan over high heat. Add the onion and peppers and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the garlic, ginger and pineapple and cook for another minute. The vegetables should stay crisp, not soft.

  4. Thicken the sauce ⏱ 1 min

    Pour the sauce over the vegetables and bring it to a boil. Stir the cornstarch once more, pour it in and stir constantly for one minute, until the sauce turns glossy and coats the spoon. Turn off the heat.

  5. Toss the chicken and serve

    Add the hot chicken to the pan and toss it 3-4 times in the sauce, just enough to coat. Sprinkle with sesame and spring onion and serve right away, with steamed white rice. The chicken keeps its crust in the sauce for 5 minutes at most.

Good to know

The secret of the crust: the sauce is made separately and the chicken goes in only at the end. If you cook ahead, keep the sauce and the chicken apart and mix them right before eating. The Chicken Karaage bag holds 600 g, about 26 pieces, exactly enough for this recipe. For a more aromatic version, with garlic in the marinade, use Chicken Tatsutaage. If you want it spicy, try Korean karaage with gochujang, and leftover chicken goes into karaage bao or miso ramen with karaage. Instead of rice, Yakisoba noodles work too. All our chicken is in the Meat collection.

Frequently asked questions

What is sweet and sour sauce made of?

Ketchup, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and pineapple juice, thickened with cornstarch. The base ratio for 4 servings is 4 tbsp ketchup, 3 tbsp vinegar, 3 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce and 150 ml pineapple juice, with one tablespoon of cornstarch.

How does the chicken stay crispy in sweet and sour sauce?

Make the sauce separately, thicken it with cornstarch and toss the hot chicken in it for a few seconds, right before serving. If the chicken simmers in the sauce, the crust goes soft within 5 minutes.

Can I make sweet and sour chicken without pineapple?

Yes. Replace the pineapple juice with orange juice or with 100 ml water and one extra tablespoon of sugar, and skip the pineapple chunks. It stays sweet and sour, just less fruity.

Can I heat karaage chicken in the air fryer?

Yes, straight from frozen, 8-10 minutes at 190°C, shaking the basket halfway. It comes out as crisp as in the oven and faster, without heating the big oven.

What do you serve sweet and sour chicken with?

Classically, with steamed white rice, which soaks up the sauce. It also works with wok-fried noodles or, for a lighter meal, with shredded cabbage salad and sesame dressing.

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13 ingredients 5 steps ~25 min