The humble sweet and sour. It’s arguably one of the most well-known Chinese sauces and for good reason. Perfect on crispy chicken or prawns, but to be honest, you can have this sauce on anything and it’s great as a dipping sauce too. It’s fruity, tangy, punchy and in my opinion, best when it’s coating some ultra crispy chicken and served with warm steamed rice.
In this recipe, I’ll show you how to make my version of the ultimate sweet and sour chicken. We’ll get into all the details so that you can make this at home with ease. Everything from creating the perfect crispy coating through to the super-simple wok-made sauce that’s vibrant, glossy and addictive in flavour.
There are also a few ways to customise this which I will cover too, along with some really fun ways to serve this at the table.
A few things to know before you begin:
Use thigh over breast: For juicier, more flavourful bites, thigh is going to be the winner. Breast is fine too, but thigh will yield superior results. More on this later.
Double fry: This is important if you want crispy chicken that retains its crunch even after being coated in the sauce.
MSG: Essential for that true takeaway depth of flavour – don’t listen to the rumours, MSG is totally fine now and again.
Simmer the sauce: We want the sauce to develop flavour and thicken before adding the chicken. I’ll explain further below.
Mise en place: Prep your ingredients before starting. Things move quickly in this recipe.
Serves: 2–3 people.
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