I got the recipe for this Sweet & Sour Chicken from a friend in college. We were trying to impress these guys that we really liked so we invited them out to her parents’ home in a small town close to our college town of Provo, Utah–yes, we were at BYU.
We thought we would wow these boys with some home cooking, a fun game or two, and the pleasure of our company. The food was great, the game a little quirky–have you ever played Funny Bones?–but the company was pretty good. I think they were impressed with our culinary abilities.
I have only made this dish a few times since my college days–in the late 70’s. Why? Well, to be honest it takes a little more time than most of the recipes that I make. That’s fine when you have the time and no interruptions or distractions, so just choose a day when you can take your time. I know we don’t have a lot of those, even when you are retired like me.
As I was prepping this dinner I realized that there were some things that I could simplify and do ahead, so next time I will do that. For example, cut up your vegetables ahead and put them in the fridge; cut up your chicken and have that done because that takes a little time. I even bought the skinless, boneless, breast tenderloins but you do have to deal with those dang tendons, right? That takes extra time to cut around. Gets on my last nerve. But, here is some kitchen magic for you! I found this video on YouTube that shows you a quick and easy way to deal with that “white jiggly thing” and all you need is a fork and a paper towel. I am so doing that from now on. Watch the whole video, because there are some other great tips on there.
Sharing this recipe today has also helped me realize that the way the original recipe was written up was kind of confusing and a few of the ingredients were buried in the instructions, and you might miss that and then be super annoyed when you start to prepare your dish. So I am simplifying that for you. You’re welcome.
This dish really is delicious and it’s worth the time it takes so don’t be afraid to try it. And why don’t you make up a batch of these for dessert!
You will notice the ingredients are listed below. I had issues with the software because it didn’t catch the last few ingredients.
INGREDIENTS:
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/4 lbs.)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, cut into 8 wedges
3 medium carrots, cut diagonally ino 1/4″ slices
1 large green pepper, cut into 1″ chunks
1 garlic clove, minced
20-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained & juice reserved
Batter:
3/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup water
Sauce:
1/2-3/4 cup reserved pineapple juice
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons corn starch
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons catsup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Sweet & Sour Chicken
- February 11, 2021
- 4-6
- Print this
Ingredients
- Please see above.
Directions
- Step 1
- Cut chicken in 1/2″ chunks. In medium bowl combine soy sauce, cornstarch, and salt. Stir until well mixed. Add chicken and toss until well coated.
- Step 2
- In a medium bowl combine batter ingredients. Blend with fork until smooth.
- Step 3
- Heat 2 cups salad oil to 365° F in electric or cast iron skillet. Dip tossed chicken into batter and drop into oil. Deep fry in batches, for 4-5 minutes each batch. Remove and drain on paper towels. Place in an oven with the light on to keep it warm.
- Step 4
- Heat 2 T. of oil in a large pan. Add onions, carrots, green pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring continuously over medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove vegetables and place in a bowl with the pineapple chunks and toss to combine.
- Step 5
- In that same large pan combine the sauce ingredients stirring and bringing to a boil. Continue until sauce is thickened and sugar has dissolved. Add the vegetable/pineapple mixture to the sauce and cook 1-2 minutes.
- Step 6
- To serve, place cooked rice on a platter, then chicken, then sauce/vegetable mixture.
