Sweet and sour chicken is a beloved dish that offers the perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and savory flavors. This Chinese-American classic features crispy, golden-brown chunks of chicken coated in a sticky, flavorful sauce made from a blend of vinegar, ketchup, sugar, and soy sauce. It’s a dish that’s easy to prepare, satisfying, and perfect for a family dinner or special occasion.
The key to great sweet and sour chicken is in the chicken’s texture. Boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh pieces are cut into bite-sized cubes, then coated in a light batter before being deep-fried until crispy. The result is a crunchy exterior that contrasts perfectly with the juicy, tender chicken inside.
The sweet and sour sauce is what really makes this dish shine. The sauce is a delightful combination of sugar, vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce, creating a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. Pineapple chunks, bell peppers, and onions are often added to the dish, giving it a burst of color and additional sweetness that complements the sauce. These vegetables not only add flavor but also texture, making the dish even more satisfying.
Once the chicken is fried, it’s tossed in the sweet and sour sauce until well-coated, allowing the crispy chicken to absorb the sauce’s delicious flavors. The result is a dish that’s both tangy and sweet, with the crispy chicken providing the perfect base for the vibrant, flavorful sauce.
Sweet and sour chicken is best served with steamed white rice or fried rice, which helps soak up the extra sauce. It also pairs wonderfully with vegetables like steamed broccoli or sautéed green beans for a complete, balanced meal.
This dish can be customized to your liking by adjusting the sweetness or tanginess of the sauce. You can also add extra veggies or make it spicier by incorporating chili flakes or hot sauce.
Whether you’re cooking for yourself or feeding a crowd, sweet and sour chicken is a flavorful and easy dish that’s sure to become a favorite.
Ingredients
- 200 grams chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pineapple chunks canned or fresh
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the cornstarch and flour. Dip the chicken pieces into the beaten egg, then coat with the cornstarch-flour mixture.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the chicken pieces until golden and cooked through. Set aside.
- In a separate pan, combine the rice vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, and minced garlic. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the pineapple chunks and diced bell peppers to the sauce. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the fried chicken to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Serve the sweet and sour chicken hot, optionally with steamed rice.
Nutrition
This recipe is fantastic! The sweet and sour sauce is perfectly balanced. My family loved it!
Really easy to make, but I think the sauce is too thick. Maybe less cornstarch?
I totally agree! The sauce was way too thick for me too. I used a bit less cornstarch and it was perfect! Glad to hear it was easy to make though.
Not sure about the vinegar amount—mine seemed sharper than expected. Next time I’ll reduce the rice vinegar a bit or add a touch more ketchup. Otherwise good flavor.
I’m confused by the coating—do you really mix cornstarch and flour together? I ended up doing only flour and it still worked, so maybe it’s flexible?
Yeah—step 1 literally says to mix the cornstarch and flour together. The cornstarch helps the coating get crisp, and the flour adds a bit more body. If flour alone worked for you, that makes sense—it’s just less “craggy”/crispy than the combo.
I think it’s flexible? Like I skipped cornstarch once and it was fine but not as crunchy. Also… I mixed flour with egg like an idiot and it kinda clumped, so maybe just follow the mixing bowl part carefully 😅
This was so good! My kids loved it, and they can be picky eaters!
I dunno, it was too sugary for my taste. Next time, I’ll cut the brown sugar in half.
I totally agree! It is really sweet; cutting the sugar sounds like a smart idea. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Can I use tofu instead of chicken? I’m vegetarian and still wanna try this!
Absolutely! Tofu will work great in this recipe! Just make sure to press it first to get out the excess water. Enjoy your cooking!
I don’t think tofu can substitute chicken right. It’s not the same flavor or texture! Maybe try another recipe? Just saying.
Sounds good, but isn’t chicken with pineapple a bit weird? Not sure if I’ll try it.
I used fresh pineapple and it was super bright. Only tweak: I’d maybe add a pinch of salt to the sauce because mine tasted a tiny bit flat.
This recipe is a hit! My family loved it. Sweet and sour just right!
So glad to hear you loved it! Sweet and sour is my fave combo! 😋
Chicken is good for eating. Nice recipe. 😋
I didn’t have rice vinegar so I used white vinegar and it was… okay. The garlic taste was strong. Still ate it all though.
Honestly that sounds pretty close! White vinegar can be harsher than rice vinegar, so the garlic probably felt even stronger in contrast. Next time maybe use a tiny bit less garlic or add it after simmering the sauce for a minute.
Made this last night and it was actually restaurant-level. Sauce tasted tangy without being too sharp. I used fresh pineapple—10/10.
Kinda boring? Like sweet sauce with chicken. Also 1 egg seems too little for that much flour/cornstarch? I might try with less coating next time.
Easy peasy chicken recipe! I added more garlic and it was delicious!
I think the sauce could be thicker. Just seemed a bit runny. But overall okay.
Nah, I don’t think it was that bad! Runny sauce is kinda how sweet and sour chicken is usually, right? Just must be your taste.
I totally agree! A thicker sauce would make it even better. Have you tried adding more cornstarch next time?
I’m skeptical about frying in that much oil; it was messy and I ended up with less crunch than expected. Flavor was decent, but the coating got soggy after tossing.
Sweet n sour chicken is my weakness! This recipe nails it. 10/10 recommend!
Really? I found it too sweet. Shouldn’t there be more vinegar in it?
Love this dish! It’s so easy to make and tastes just like in restaurants. Yum!
Made this last night and it was way better than I expected. The sauce is nice and tangy, and the pineapple makes it pop. I did 10 minutes frying because my pieces were bigger, but still golden!
I think I added too much vinegar? It was kinda tart, but everyone ate it anyway.
I tried it but my sauce broke??? Like it separated in the pan. Maybe I simmered too hard. Tasted fine, just looked weird.
Not sure about the ketchup amount—seemed very tomato-y to me. Also the vinegar flavor was strong at first, but it mellowed after tossing the chicken.
I tried making this but ended up burning the chicken. Not sure what I did wrong.
Not sure about the cornstarch + flour dredge. Mine got crunchy but also a little clumpy. Might be the egg coating—maybe I didn’t coat evenly?
Not bad, but it felt more like “sticky chicken” than sweet and sour. Could use a bit more pineapple juice or maybe a splash of water in the sauce.
This recipe was so easy to follow! My kids loved it, and it was a hit at dinner. Will make again!
Honestly, too sweet for my taste. Maybe I’ll cut down the sugar next time.
I totally agree! It was way too sugary. I like a little sweetness, but this was over the top. Next time, I’ll definitely reduce the sugar too!
Tasted good, but not as good as what I had in a restaurant in China once…
Sweet and sour is my fave! This tasted just like takeout but better! Yummm!
This is a sweet-and-sour cheat code 😂. Garlic and ketchup combo is classic. My only change was using fresh pineapple—10/10 would do again.
Sweet and sour is my weakness. This tasted like takeout, especially with the pineapple. Next time I’ll cut the bell peppers a little smaller so they soften faster.
I’m gonna argue a little: using both cornstarch and flour is great, but 1 egg seems low. My batter felt thin on the chicken pieces.
I followed it pretty closely, but my sauce came out a little too sweet. Maybe my brown sugar was packed. Still delicious though—will make again with slightly less sugar.
Why would anyone put ketchup in a recipe like this? Sounds weird.
Super easy to follow! My kids also had fun helping me make this. Will make again for sure!
Easy to make and I had all ingredients at home. Will try again for sure!
The method is clear and easy. I like that you fry separately, then toss quickly. That helped keep the chicken from going soggy. Great weeknight meal.
I didn’t have rice vinegar so I used apple cider vinegar. Not bad, but it tasted a little sharper and less “authentic” to me.
That makes sense—apple cider vinegar is definitely sharper than rice vinegar. If you want it closer, you could try a tiny pinch of sugar or a splash of water to mellow it out.
Pretty solid. I did find it a bit sweet for my taste, so next time I’ll cut the brown sugar slightly. Also, frying took longer than the recipe made it sound like, but still worth it.
Glad you liked it! Cutting the brown sugar makes total sense—sweet-and-sour is definitely personal. On the frying time, I’ve noticed it depends a lot on how hot the oil actually stays; thinner pieces cook faster. Did you use medium or a bit higher heat?
This is the worst recipe ever!! Sweet and sour should not taste like candy!!!