If take-out is what you’re craving this Sweet and Sour Chinese Chicken is the perfect 20 minute budget-friendly meal to fill that need!
Chinese take-out is one of our most favorite things on the planet. I mean seriously, it’s just so good and all the options that there are amazing.
But we also like to save money too, so we started making our own homemade Chinese take-out and we have hardly looked back. Whether it be this Sweet and Sour Chinese Chicken, potstickers, egg drop soup, etc. We love to make it at home.
Oh and you wouldn’t believe how easy some of these recipes are to recreate! This recipe is only a few ingredients and whips up in under 30 minutes start to finish!
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Like mentioned above, minimal ingredients make this a fast weeknight recipe that the whole family will adore.
- Sweet and sour chicken is a perfect pairing item and goes well with a variety of things such as rice, noodles or soup.
- The dipping sauce is served on the side, preventing the nice and crispy chicken from getting soggy and oversaturated.
There has been much debate on whether this Chinese chicken is served with the sauce over the top or if it is served alongside.
We have been to ALLLLLL the take-out places and not once have we seen it served over the chicken itself. So this is our preferred method of serving, but if you like it over the chicken itself, by all means, drizzle away.
HOW TO MAKE SWEET AND SOUR CHINESE CHICKEN, STEP BY STEP:
To make your sauce, in sauce pan combine your sugar, vinegar and water and heat on medium until sugar is desolved. Meanwhile in small bowl stir together your ketchup and cornstarch (Photos 5 & 6).
Once sugar is desolved stir in the ketchup and cornstarch mixture and turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil.Once mixture is boiling and it rises up in pan remove from heat and cool (Photos 7 & 8).
See how simple this homemade takeout Chinese chicken is? There really is no comparison, just look at all the amazing reviews that people have left making this.
We have been trying to dabble into more ethnic cooking lately, thanks to my aunt who is originally from Japan and likes to share her recipes with me.
Whether they are Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. any of these ethnic flavors are loved in our house. My kids have become fanatics as well
Some of our favorite take-out fake-out recipes include Sesame Garlic Ramen Noodles, Chicken Lo Mein and Crispy Orange Chicken!
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR CHINESE CHICKEN:
- The batter for the chicken will be thin, do not worry about it, it sticks to the chicken hen frying and creates a nice and crispy coating.
- Some people like to serve the sweet and sour sauce over the chicken itself, we don’t recommend this as it makes the chicken soggy since it is breaded, but if that is how you are used to doing it by all means go for it!
- Cut your chicken into larger pieces, 2″ work best for actual restaurant size!
- When adding chicken to deep fryer make sure your basket is down and add one at a time, this prevents it from sinking and sticking the the bottom of the grates.
If you are craving take-out but want to keep it on a budget then you have to whip up this Sweet and Sour Chinese Chicken recipe. You won’t be disappointed!
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If you’ve tried this SWEET AND SOUR CHINESE CHICKEN or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!
Sweet and Sour Chinese Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken breasts cut into 1-2" pieces
Batter:
- 1/4 cup self-rising flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup water
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vinegar we used rice, but can use white
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 Tbs ketchup
- 1 Tbs cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat your deep fryer to 375.
- In bowl combine all batter ingredients and whisk until smooth, batter will be thin but that is what you are looking for.
- Dip your chicken pieces one by one into the batter and then place into deep fryer.
- Fry for about 7-8 minutes or until golden.
- Turn out onto paper towel to drain, repeat will all chicken.
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
- In small sauce pan combine your sugar, vinegar and water and heat on medium until sugar is desolved.
- Meanwhile in small bowl stir together your ketchup and cornstarch.
- Once sugar is desolved stir in the ketchup and cornstart mixtures.
- Turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil.
- Once mixture is boiling and it rises up in pan remove from heat and cool.
Notes
- The batter for the chicken will be thin, do not worry about it, it sticks to the chicken hen frying and creates a nice and crispy coating.
- Some people like to serve the sweet and sour sauce over the chicken itself, we don't recommend this as it makes the chicken soggy since it is breaded, but if that is how you are used to doing it by all means go for it!
- Cut your chicken into larger pieces, 2" work best for actual restaurant size!
- When adding chicken to deep fryer make sure your basket is down and add one at a time, this prevents it from sinking and sticking the the bottom of the grates.
Nutrition
Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Aspiring Baker Mom
Thank you so much. My husband hugged me and almost cried when he tasted these. He thinks I am wonderful. I told him I just followed the recipe, but he is convinced that I am a miracle worker.
Debbie
I made this and substituted 1/2 of the water with pineapple juice. Better than take out!
femdomfoodie
This is definitely one of the best recipes I have ever tasted when it comes to the right consistency of the batter to the on-point flavors of the sauce. The sauce is missing just something, but I will play around with it until I figure it out. Until then THIS is the one! I have tried others that required way too many ingredients and the sauce was off. Share this one with your friends. I know I will.
Shahd
Made it and it was great!!