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Sweet and Sour Chicken

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients
  

  • 500g (1 lb) chicken thigh fillets, cut into roughly 3cm cubes
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp ground white pepper
  • ½ cup plain flour
  • vegetable oil for shallow frying, plus 1 tbsp
  • 1 onion, cut into wedges
  • 1 tomato, cut into wedges
  • 3 spring onions (scallions), trimmed, green and white parts cut into 3cm (1 inch) batons
Sweet & sour sauce
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1/3 cup pineapple juice
  • ¼ tsp Chinese five spice
  • 2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)

Equipment

  • wok

Method
 

  1. For the sweet & sour sauce, place brown sugar, tomato ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, pineapple juice and Chinese five spice in a saucepan over medium-high heat.   Simmer for a few minutes until sugar dissolves. In a small bowl, combine cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water.  Add the cornflour mixture to the sauce and simmer for a further 2 minutes to thicken.  Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl toss chicken with soy sauce, garlic and pepper until well combined.
  3. Place flour in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss until each piece is lightly coated with flour.
  4. Pour about a 3 cm (1 inch) depth of oil into a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. When the oil is hot (a piece of chicken should start sizzling immediately when placed into the oil) cook chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towel.
  5. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a clean frying pan or wok. Add the onion and stir-fry until just starting to turn golden. Add the tomato and stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Add the chicken and the sweet and sour sauce and stir-fry until well combined. Toss through the spring onions. Remove from heat and serve.