Sweet and Sour Chicken (Táng Cù Jī 糖醋鸡)
Juicy chicken in a light, crispy batter, tossed with pineapple, peppers and red onion in a tangy pineapple sweet and sour sauce.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
Sauce
- ½ cup hot water 120 ml
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar 25 g
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- ½ cup pineapple juice 120 ml, from the can
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar or red wine vinegar
Marinade
- 400 g boneless chicken breast or thighs about 14 oz, cut into even pieces
- 1–2 tbsp water
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
- ⅛ tsp ground white pepper
- ½ tsp salt
Batter
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour 100 g
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ⅔ cup ice water 160 ml
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Stir-fry
- oil for frying
- ⅔ cup canned pineapple chunks
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- ¼ cup red onion cut into pieces
- ¼ cup red bell pepper cut into pieces
- ¼ cup green bell pepper cut into pieces
- 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
Instructions
Sauce
- Drain the canned pineapple, reserving ½ cup of juice and ⅔ cup of pineapple chunks. Mix the hot water, salt, sugar and ketchup until the salt and sugar dissolve, then add the vinegar and pineapple juice.
Marinade
- Put the chicken pieces in a bowl. Add the water, garlic powder, onion powder, sesame oil, white pepper and salt. Mix until every piece is evenly coated and let rest for 5 minutes. The chicken should fully absorb the water; if it hasn't, mix again and leave for another 5 minutes. This keeps the chicken juicy.
Batter
- In a bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and baking soda, then add the ice water. Stir with a fork until a batter forms, then mix in 1 tablespoon oil. The leavening and oil make the batter light and crispy. Set aside.
Cooking
- Heat the frying oil in a small pot to 170 °C (340 °F). To test without a thermometer, dip a wooden chopstick into the oil – if small bubbles form around it, the oil is ready. Add 5–6 pieces of chicken to the batter, coat them well and lower each piece slowly into the oil. Turn carefully so they fry evenly, about 2 minutes, until light golden and crispy. Lift out, drain and set on paper towels. Repeat with the rest.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and peppers and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Pour in the sweet and sour sauce and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Stir the cornstarch slurry and drizzle it into the sauce while stirring until it's nicely thick. Taste and adjust quickly with salt, vinegar or sugar. Add the pineapple chunks and stir until warmed through. Finally, add the fried chicken and toss gently until coated. Serve immediately!
Notes
Start the sauce as soon as the chicken is fried and serve straight away for maximum crunch.
Strain leftover frying oil through a fine sieve and reuse it for future frying.