Crispy Sweet and Sour Chicken

5 from 1 vote

Crispy Sweet and Sour Chicken

Give the classic takeout dish a jazzy little twist with these gorgeously crispy sweet and sour chicken bowls. Juicy, panko-crumbed chicken is pan-fried until golden, then piled onto rice with a sticky, tangy sweet and sour sauce made from cupboard staples. A 30-minute dinner with no deep-frying required.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: sweet and sour chicken

Servings: servings

Calories: 749kcal

Author: Kate Phillips

Ingredients

For the crispy chicken -

650 g boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 ½ lb)
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup cornflour (cornstarch)
1 egg
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons olive oil

For the sweet and sour sauce -

½ cup pineapple juice (from the can is fine)
¼ cup rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup honey
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
4 garlic cloves crushed
1 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour)
¼ cup water

To serve -

1 cup long-grain rice (like basmati or jasmine)
2 scallions (spring onions) sliced
½ cup canned or fresh pineapple diced
¼ cup cashew nuts roughly chopped

Instructions

Cook the rice.
Add 1 cup of rice to a saucepan you have a lid for, then pour in 1 ½ cups of water. Set over medium-high heat, and when the top of the water starts to look foamy, pop the lid on and lower the heat.
Let the rice cook for 12 minutes, then remove from the heat (still with the lid on) and let it sit for another 10 minutes.
Prepare the chicken.
Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound each chicken breast into a thin, even piece, roughly ¼-inch thick. You can do this directly on a wooden board, or pop the chicken into a clear zip-lock bag first. This tenderizes the meat and allows it to cook evenly. Pat the chicken dry.
Sprinkle the salt over both sides of the chicken pieces. You can keep the chicken in two large pieces, or cut them into four.

PRO TIP: If you don't want to pound the chicken, just slice each breast horizontally through the middle to make two thinner cutlets.

Bread the chicken.
Place ½ cup of cornflour (cornstarch) and 1 teaspoon of Chinese five spice in a bowl, then mix to combine. Crack the egg into a separate shallow bowl (large enough to allow you to coat the chicken easily), then use a fork to mix well. Add 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs into a separate shallow bowl.
Working with one piece of chicken at a time, place it into the cornstarch mixture and press to coat on both sides. Shake off any excess, then dunk into the egg on both sides before coating it in the panko breadcrumbs. Press the chicken into the panko so it's well-coated on both sides. Set the chicken aside on a plate for now.
Make the sweet and sour sauce.
Add ½ cup of pineapple juice, ¼ cup of rice wine vinegar, ⅓ cup honey, ¼cup of tomato ketchup, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, and 4 crushed garlic cloves to a pan and set it over medium-high heat.
Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with ¼ cup of water to make your cornstarch slurry, then pour into the pan with the sauce. Cook, stirring, for about five minutes, until the sauce thickens up nicely. It should be thick enough to coat a spoon, but still pourable. Remove the pot from the heat.
Cook the chicken.
Add 3 tablespoons of oil to a large frying pan or skillet and set it over medium-high heat. When hot, add the breaded chicken and cook for 4 minutes on each side, until very golden and crispy. Lower the heat if the coating browns too quickly.
Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to do this in batches. Remove from the pan and set aside on a wire rack (if possible).

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR CHICKEN IS COOKED: A probe thermometer should read at least 165℉ (74℃), or you can slice into it and check it looks white all the way through.

Garnish and serve.
Pop the sauce back on the heat to gently warm it up, then divide the rice between bowls. Slice the chicken into strips, then arrange on top of the rice. Pour the sauce around the rice in each bowl. Scatter with the sliced scallions, diced pineapple, and cashews, then serve.

Notes

PREP AHEAD: You can coat the chicken a couple of hours in advance if you like, then pop it in the fridge in a single layer until you're ready to serve. The sauce can be made 3 days in advance if you like, then just reheated in the microwave or on the stove top when you're ready to serve.

STORAGE SUGGESTIONS: If you want to keep the chicken crispy when you reheat it, using the air fryer is best (pop it in for five minutes at 350℉/180℃). You can reheat it in the microwave too, but you'll lose the crispiness.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I often like to add steamed or broiled broccoli, pak choi or green beans here, or you could throw in edamame beans. You could also stuff the chicken into fluffy bao buns, with a crunchy Asian-style slaw, gochujang aioli and a drizzle of the sweet and sour sauce.

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