Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe with Pineapple Sauce

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• 1 lb (450g) boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into chunks
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• Oil for frying

For the Sauce:

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar or white vinegar
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water (slurry)

Vegetables:

• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup pineapple chunks (fresh or canned)

Instructions

1. Prepare the chicken: Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add egg and coat well. Toss with cornstarch until evenly coated.

2. Fry the chicken: Heat oil in a pan or wok to 350°F (175°C). Fry chicken in batches until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.

3. Make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix all sauce ingredients except cornstarch slurry. Heat in a pan until simmering, then stir in slurry and cook until thickened.

4. Stir-fry vegetables: In a wok, heat 1 tbsp oil. Sauté onions and peppers for 2 minutes. Add pineapple chunks and cook 1 minute more.

5. Combine: Add fried chicken and pour sauce over. Toss everything until evenly coated and heated through.

6. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Notes

• Adjust sweetness or acidity by tweaking sugar and vinegar ratio
• Substitute chicken with pork for a classic sweet and sour pork version
• Keep sauce separate until serving for maximum crispiness
• Great for meal prep—store sauce and chicken separately, reheat and combine