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Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken

Crispy golden chicken tossed in a tangy sweet and sour sauce with pineapple and colorful bell peppers, delivering classic takeout flavor at home.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese-American
Calories: 420

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • vegetable oil for frying
Sweet and Sour Sauce
  • 0.5 cup ketchup
  • 0.33 cup rice vinegar
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 0.5 cup pineapple juice
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
Vegetables
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 cup pineapple chunks
  • 0.5 onion chopped

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • Large skillet or wok
  • Tongs
  • Paper towels

Method
 

  1. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season lightly with salt and pepper.
  2. Place cornstarch in one bowl, beaten eggs in another, and flour mixed with salt in a third bowl.
  3. Dip chicken pieces into cornstarch, then egg mixture, then lightly coat with flour.
  4. Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
  5. Fry chicken in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 4–5 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.
  6. In a bowl whisk together ketchup, rice vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, minced garlic, and cornstarch.
  7. Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet and stir-fry onion and bell peppers for 2–3 minutes.
  8. Add pineapple chunks and pour in the sauce mixture. Cook until sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
  9. Add fried chicken pieces and toss until evenly coated with sauce.
  10. Serve immediately and garnish with sesame seeds or sliced green onions if desired.

Notes

For extra crispiness, toss the chicken in the sauce just before serving.