Say goodbye to takeout Chinese food. This sweet and sour chicken is something you can easily cook on a weeknight that the whole family will enjoy...and it doesn't require deep frying!
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: chicken dinner, sweet and sour
Ingredients
For the chicken:
1poundboneless skinless chicken thighs or breastscut to 1-inch pieces
1tablespoonvegetable oil
1eggbeaten
½teaspoonsalt
½cupcornstarch
For the sauce:
2tablespoonsketchup
2tablespoonsdry sherry
2tablespoonsrice vinegar
2tablespoonssoy sauceuse GF soy sauce if you want/need
3tablespoonsbrown sugar
2tablespoonswater
½tablespooncornstarch
For the stir fry:
⅓cupvegetable oil
2clovesgarlicminced
2teaspoonsminced ginger
1small white onionchopped
1green bell pepperchopped
1red bell pepperchopped
½cupchopped pineapple or pineapple tidbits
Instructions
Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Combine chicken pieces, vegetable oil, and salt in a big bowl. Mix well and let it rest for 10 to 20 minutes.
Add the beaten egg with the chicken and stir to mix well. Add cornstarch and stir to coat chicken until it forms a coating (not all of the cornstarch will stick to the chicken...that's okay)
Heat oil in a heavy skillet until hot and just starts to smoke. Add chicken all at once and spread out into a single layer in the skillet. Separate chicken pieces with a pair of tongs.
Cook chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottom turns golden. Flip to brown the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.
Turn the oven down to medium heat. You should still have 1 to 2 tablespoons oil in the pan. Add garlic and ginger. Cook and stir a few times then add the onions and peppers. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are barely soft. Place the vegetables on a plate.
Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely. Pour into the pan. Stir and cook until it thickens.
Add the chicken pieces and vegetables back, this time including the pineapple. Stir to coat chicken and vegetables with sauce, about 30 seconds.