Secrets to Standout Sweet and Sour Chicken
The secret is in the chicken marinade, specifically using egg whites and cornstarch, which creates a super-light coating all around the chicken. It won’t be a crunchy, deep fried coating. But we think it’s a nice alternative, both texture-wise and weight-wise! Just like our Shrimp Fried Rice recipe, a very hot pan is essential to making this Sweet and Sour Chicken so that the chicken can sear quickly. Heat your frying pan until a bead of water will sizzle instantly and evaporate on contact. Just flick a bit of water onto the hot pan and you should hear a “tssszzzaaaaa” as it hits the surface. If you don’t hear it, let it heat up a little longer. For some stoves, especially electric stoves, it can take as long as 3 minutes to heat up to the right temperature! Once the pan is hot, then you can add your chicken. But make sure you keep the chicken in a single layer and do not overcrowd the pieces. If you crowd the chicken bits, they will just steam and not sear in the pan.
Have Your Stir Fry Ingredients Ready
Another important tip to stir-fry is to have your meat at close to room temperature as possible before cooking. This means leaving the chicken out to rest for about 15 minutes on the counter, which is the perfect amount of time for a short marinade. If you add cold chicken to a hot pan, not only will it stick to the pan, but the heat of the pan will be so busy warming up the chicken that it won’t have a chance to actually sear the meat right away.
Customizing Your Sweet and Sour Sauce
So how sweet and how sour? The beauty of this dish is that you can adjust at the end. Have a little taste of the sauce. Not sweet enough? Add a spoonful of brown sugar. Not tangy enough? Add a teaspoon of vinegar.
Snow peasOnionsChopped carrotsZucchiniBroccoli floretsSliced mushroomsPeanutsSliced almondsSpicy chile flakes
Ketchup in Sweet and Sour Sauce? Yes!
You may be wondering why ketchup is included in the sweet and sour sauce. Ketchup itself is sweet and sour, which makes it a good addition to the sauce. It has a certain savory umami flavor that adds depth and color to the sauce.
Five Dishes to Serve with Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sichuan Style Stir-Fried Chinese Long Beans Air Fryer Chinese Egg Rolls Egg Drop Soup Broccoli Stir Fry with Ginger and Sesame Cauliflower Fried Rice
Add the chicken and spread the pieces out in one layer. Let the chicken fry, untouched for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned. Flip and fry the other side for 1 minute. The chicken should still be pinkish in the middle. Dish out the chicken onto a clean plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible. Let simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Timing depends on how thick you’ve cut your chicken. The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to take a piece out and cut into it. If it’s pink, add another minute to the cooking. Serve hot with steamed white or brown rice.
