Sweet and sour chicken is favorite Chinese take-out dish that everyone will enjoy. Cubes of chicken are coated in cornstarch and fried until golden brown. They are then tossed with carrots, bell pepper, pineapple and more before being coated in homemade sweet and sour sauce. Upon mastering this recipe, you will no longer have to rely on Chinese restaurants to make this delicious dish for you. Serve sweet and sour chicken with rice.
Ingredients:
for the chicken:
4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup corn starch
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
for the vegetables and fruit:
2 carrots, sliced into diagonal bite-sized pieces
1 yellow pepper, diced into bite-sized pieces
1 red pepper, diced into bite-sized pieces
1 can pineapple tidbits
1 inch can sliced water chestnuts, cut half
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
for the sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken pieces. Toss chicken with cornstarch and coat with egg. Place coated chicken on a plate. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. In several batches, brown chicken on all sides in the hot oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Remove browned chicken to a paper-lined plate to absorb any excess oil. Place browned chicken evenly in a greased 9x13-inch pan. Set aside.
Remove all but 2 TBS hot oil from the pan. While the pan is still hot, add the vegetables and fruit, sautéing for 2-3 minutes or until ginger is softened. Evenly layer the vegetable mixture over the chicken. Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken mixture and bake in the oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
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