Tangy Sweet and Sour Chicken is your ticket to a quick and satisfying dinner that bursts with flavor. This recipe combines crispy chicken with a rich sauce that brings the perfect balance of sweet and tangy to every bite. It's a dish that’s easy to love and hard to forget.
The star of this dish is the boneless skinless chicken breasts, which are cut into bite-sized pieces for easy cooking and eating. The all-purpose flour and cornstarch create a light coating that crisps up beautifully when fried. A touch of salt and black pepper adds essential seasoning. Vegetable oil is used for frying, giving the chicken a perfect golden crust. The sauce is a delightful blend of brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce, with pineapple juice adding a tropical twist. The vibrant red and green bell peppers and onion introduce freshness and crunch. Finally, the pineapple chunks provide bursts of juicy sweetness.
This Tangy Sweet and Sour Chicken pairs perfectly with steamed jasmine or basmati rice. For a complete meal, consider serving it with a side of stir-fried vegetables like broccoli or snap peas. If you're feeling adventurous, try it with a simple fried rice or a light cucumber salad to balance the richness of the dish.
Start by mixing the flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a bowl. This creates the coating that will give your chicken a wonderful crispy texture. Toss your chicken pieces in this mixture until they're well coated. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces, cooking them for about 6-8 minutes. You’re looking for a golden brown color and a crispy exterior, which means they’re cooked through. Once done, remove them from the pan and set them aside.
In the same pan, without cleaning it, combine the brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and pineapple juice. Stir these ingredients together and bring the mixture to a boil. This is your sweet and sour sauce, and as it heats, it will thicken and develop a rich flavor. Next, add the bell peppers, onion, and pineapple chunks to the pan. Cook these for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender-crisp, which means they should be cooked but still have a slight crunch.
Return the chicken to the pan, stirring to coat each piece thoroughly with the sauce. Allow everything to simmer together for another 5 minutes. This step lets the chicken absorb some of the sauce’s flavors, making each bite delicious. Serve the dish hot over a bed of steamed rice, which will soak up the extra sauce.
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