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Home Collections Asian Takeout

Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry

By:Nagi
Published:26 Sep '16Updated:1 Aug '20
153 Comments
Recipe v Dozer v

Bright and colourful, this Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry is super fast to make! The sweet and sour sauce is truly like what you get at good Chinese restaurants, but not tooth-achingly sweet. This is not a deep fried version of Sweet and Sour Chicken, it’s a much healthier stir fry.

Make this using whatever veggies you have, switch up the chicken with prawns/shrimp, pork, beef or even fish. This is a winner!

Bright and colourful, this Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry is made with a sauce that rivals the best Chinese restaurants! recipetineats.com

I know my local supermarkets pretty well. I know exactly where to go for most items (except cling wrap, which, for some reason, I always forget which aisle it’s in and Woolies people tell me it’s the single most asked question) and I know the aisles pretty well.

At least, I thought I did. It dawned on me the other day that there is one whole section of the supermarket that I don’t know at all – the prepared meal base aisle. You know the section of the supermarket that sells things like Honey Mustard Sauce in jars and vacuum seal packs?

I am honestly not trying to sound snobby because I don’t judge. She who does the drive through of shame through KFC and Maccers on the odd occasion cannot judge. 😉

Anyway, I actually stopped to take a look the other day and was quite astonished at the range of meal bases that are on offer. Everything from Chow Mein, to Chicken Cacciatore, Goulash, Chilli Con Carne – all the favorites. Including Sweet and Sour Sauce.

I have no idea what the jar stuff tastes like, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be as nice as homemade. And it’s so darn fast to mix together!

Bright and colourful, this Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry is made with a sauce that rivals the best Chinese restaurants! recipetineats.com

Bright and colourful, this Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry is made with a sauce that rivals the best Chinese restaurants! recipetineats.com

Bright and colourful, this Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry is made with a sauce that rivals the best Chinese restaurants! recipetineats.com

PS It looks watery but once simmered, it thickens. 🙂 See? Look how nicely it coats the stir fry?

Bright and colourful, this Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry is made with a sauce that rivals the best Chinese restaurants! recipetineats.com

Oooh – quick little tip for you for chopping capsicum / bell peppers. Doesn’t it annoy you when the seeds inside fly around all over the place?

Well, maybe it doesn’t annoy you, but it annoys me! So this is how I chop capsicum. Fast and mess free!

Bright and colourful, this Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry is made with a sauce that rivals the best Chinese restaurants! recipetineats.com

I like to use chicken thigh for stir fries because it’s juicier than breast and tenderloin. If I make this with chicken breast, I always tenderise it using a Chinese restaurant technique using baking soda (bi-carb). It’s super simple, see directions here: How to Velvet Chicken.

Now, when it comes to stir fries, I am very generous with my sauce. Because the 7 year old inside this 30 something year old body still thinks that the best part of stir fries is scooping up the rice soaked in the delish sweet and sour sauce.

So as with all my stir fries, there is plenty of sauce. Plenty!! – Nagi x

Bright and colourful, this Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry is made with a sauce that rivals the best Chinese restaurants! recipetineats.com

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Bright and colourful, this Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry is made with a sauce that rivals the best Chinese restaurants! recipetineats.com

Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Dinner, Stir Fry
Chinese
4.91 from 52 votes
Servings4
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 134
This bright and colourful stir fry is made with a classic Sweet & Sour Sauce which is truly like what you get at good Chinese restaurants. This is not made by deep frying the chicken - it's tasty enough as it is without adding more calories!! Also see Baked version of the fried Sweet & Sour Chicken - recipe here. I know 1/2 cup of sugar sounds like a lot, but it works out at 1 1/2 tbsp per serving, which isn't too bad!

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 1/2 cup white sugar (Note 1)
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp pineapple juice (from the canned pineapple pieces)
  • 3 tbsp ketchup (Australia: tomato sauce)
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (Note 2)
  • 1 tsp soy sauce , light or all purpose (Note 2)
  • 1 tsp Oyster Sauce (Note 2)
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Thickener

  • 1 tbsp cornflour / corn starch + 2 tbsp water , mixed together

Stir Fry

  • 1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil (or vegetable)
  • 1 garlic clove , minced or finely chopped
  • 1 onion , halved and sliced (brown, yellow or white) (see photo in post)
  • 400 g / 13 oz chicken thigh fillets , cut into bite size pieces (Note 3)
  • 1 red capsicum / bell pepper , cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 green or yellow capsicum / bell pepper , cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 can (8oz/250g) canned pineapple pieces in natural juice. Separate pineapple from juice.
  • Sliced shallots / scallions , for garnish

Instructions

  • Mix together Sauce ingredients. Mix together Thickener in a separate small bowl.
  • Heat oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute.
  • Add chicken and stir fry until it it is white all over but still pink inside.
  • Add capsicum and stir fry for 2 minutes.
  • Add Sauce ingredients. Stir until sugar has dissolved and the sauce begins to bubble.
  • Add Thickener. Bring to simmer, stirring constantly. Then cook until it thickens to a syrup consistency - about 3 minutes.
  • Stir through pineapple pieces (just to warm) and remove from stove.
  • Serve immediately with rice - or for a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice! Garnish with shallots if desired.

Recipe Notes:

1. I know 1/2 cup of sugar sounds like a lot, but it works out at 1 1/2 tbsp per serving, which isn't too bad!
I use 1/4 cup when I'm trying to be healthy. 🙂 It's still quite sweet, but not restaurant sweet. Using 1/2 cup makes it closer to restaurant sweet, but definitely not tooth-achingly sweet. I use less sugar than many recipes you'll find on the internet - some use 1 cup of sugar!!
2. These 3 ingredients are what makes this sauce more like the Sweet & Sour sauce that is served at Chinese restaurants. They are my "secret ingredients"! You can omit one (substitute with more of one of the others) and it will still taste similar. But please don't leave out all 3! The sauce will taste quite flat and bland.
3. If you are using chicken breast which is leaner, I would recommend tenderising it to make it juicier - see How to Velvet Chicken the Chinese restaurant way.
4. Nutrition per serving, stir fry only. If the sugar is reduced to 1/4 cup, then it reduces to 351 calories per serving.Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 290gCalories: 398cal (20%)Carbohydrates: 44.7g (15%)Protein: 28.3g (57%)Fat: 12.2g (19%)Saturated Fat: 2.8g (18%)Cholesterol: 82mg (27%)Sodium: 455mg (20%)Potassium: 511mg (15%)Fiber: 2.1g (9%)Sugar: 38g (42%)Vitamin A: 500IU (10%)Vitamin C: 107.3mg (130%)Calcium: 40mg (4%)Iron: 1.8mg (10%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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Life of Dozer

I can’t help but think that if he was just 10 cm / 4 inches shorter, he wouldn’t be able to see what’s on the table and he wouldn’t suffer so much……

dozer-sweet-and-sour-chicken-stir-fry-12

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

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153 Comments

  1. Brian says

    October 9, 2022 at 5:49 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely beautiful, went with the 1/3 cup of sugar…wow wow wow better than the best street food restaurants I’ve tried, thank you so much Nagi…. Having made and loved your crispy chicken tenders (amazingly good) were gona combine the 2🤤

    Reply
  2. Michael McG says

    July 4, 2022 at 10:52 am

    5 stars
    This dish was perfect … probably the best ‘sweet and sour’ I have tasted. I have trouble digesting bell peppers so I substituted Peppadew peppers for the red colour. The sauce will be my ‘go to’ dipping sauce for potstickers, spring rolls etc. from now on.

    Reply
  3. Peter Sijat says

    April 26, 2022 at 7:04 am

    4 stars
    Did the sweet and sour pork, but did not find the part where you fry it twice.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 26, 2022 at 5:17 pm

      Hi Peter – did you use this chicken recipe that you commented on or the pork one here: https://www.recipetineats.com/sweet-and-sour-pork/? They are different. N x

      Reply
  4. Jo-Ann McMahon says

    April 3, 2022 at 12:01 pm

    I make a lot of your recipes. At least 4 a week. This is one of my favourites. I hope it’s in the new cookbook 🤞

    Reply
  5. Diane Benedict says

    March 13, 2022 at 4:26 am

    Enjoyed this dish but too sweet, even with reducing the amount of sugar. Have a lot of leftovers and wonder if you can suggest the best way to reduce the sweetness?

    Reply
  6. Stephanie says

    March 12, 2022 at 4:25 am

    Hi Nagi, would I be able to use orange juice instead of pineapple juice?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 12, 2022 at 12:46 pm

      I think that would be fine Stephanie – just a slightly different flavour! N x

      Reply
  7. Mel says

    February 7, 2022 at 7:40 pm

    This looks amazing…
    Do u think I could use fresh pineapple? As I have one at the moment.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 8, 2022 at 2:35 pm

      Hi Mel – you need some juice for the sauce but if you juice part of it and chop up some pieces, I don’t see why not! N x

      Reply
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I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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