Recipes > Stir-Fried Sweet & Sour Chicken
- Serves: 2 to 4
- Active Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Views: 38,269
- Success Rating: 90% (?)
Steps
Step 1: Marinating the Chicken
- 1 chicken breast
- 1 tsp garlic (about 1 to 2 cloves)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp Shao Hsing rice wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- pinch white pepper
Method
To prepare the chicken, dice it into bite-sized pieces.
Mince the garlic and place into a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir to evenly combine, making sure the cornstarch has dissolved. Add the chicken and toss to evenly coat. Set aside.
Step 2: Preparing the Sweet & Sour Sauce
- 4 tbsp chicken stock
- 1 1/2 tsp black soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp ketchup
- 3/4 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 1/8 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Method
To prepare the sauce, mix all of the ingredients together, making sure that the cornstarch has completely dissolved. Set aside.
Step 3: Preparing the Rest of Your Mise en Place
- 1 cup fresh baby corn
- 1/2 cup water chestnuts
- 1 long Thai red chili (or 1/2 cup red pepper)
- 1 1/2 cups broccolini
- 1/4 cup Chinese chives (or scallions)
- 1/4 cup snow (or snap peas)
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 1 tbsp garlic (about 3 to 5 cloves)
Method
To prepare your mise en place, mince the garlic and ginger. Cut the stems off of the broccolini florets. Cut into 1" -inch pieces. Place the stems and florets into separate mise en place bowls. Slice the Thai chili on the bias.
Note: If you can, use fresh water chestnuts and fresh baby corn.
To prepare the water chestnuts, simply cut off the top and bottom and peel the exterior with a vegetable peeler. Place into cold water to prevent them from oxidizing. Drain and dice just before using.
To prepare the baby corn, slice lengthwise into quarters. Trim the stem end off of the snow peas, slice the chives and set everything aside.
Step 4: Stir-Frying the Dish
- 1 to 2 tbsp peanut oil
Method
To stir-fry the dish, line the ingredients up in the proper cooking order. Heat a wok over high heat.
Once hot, cook the stir-fry according to the basic steps in the lesson. Keep in mind that vegetables should be added in the correct order so that they are all done at the same time.
Stir-fry the chicken – remove. Add broccoli stems — chilies — water chestnuts & baby corn — snap peas — broccoli florets — garlic & ginger — return chicken and juices to wok — add sauce. Finish with chives. Feel free to add a touch more oil during the stir-frying process, if needed. Serve immediately.
15 Comments
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I made this according to the recipe but was very disappointed in the sauce. I was neither sweet nor sour and the resulting dish was bland. -
Sorry to hear that you did not like the sauce. I will say that when it comes to "following a recipe exactly" this is not generally what you are looking to do. A recipe often depends on the brand of ingredients used, the amounts of each of the ingredients. For instance, if ones portions or amounts of chicken/vegetables were different then the recipe, even just slightly, this could dilute the sauce. And if one uses a different brand of sauce, it could have a different acidity to it etc. With all of that said, perhaps this sauce just didn't have enough punch for you. Next time you may want to taste the sauce and add a bit more acid and sweetness to it. Hope that helps. Cheers! -
One of my favorite dishes! The taste is amazing! Thank you ! -
Made this tonight for dinner, it was delicious, full of flavor. Thank you
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Wow! Wonderful, ok this is the marinade for my meat when I make any of my husbands Asian favorites, love it. Thanks so much for insightful process on the chicken so it comes out so tender! -
Probably not the best place to ask this, but what is the difference between cornstarch and other types of flour? I feel this is somewhat less common here in Europe, and I was wondering whether I can generally replace it with some other type? :) -
Hi Sergio, Cornstarch is a pure-starch thickener but, unlike wheat flour doesn't have any gluten development abilities. Other substitutions are arrowroot, potato starch, tapioca starch, or rice flour. Hope that helps you out! Cheers, Sandy -
I want to use tofu instead of chicken.how many grams of tofu should I use and would I need to make any moderations if using tofu instead of chicken? thank you. -
Rouxbe Staff
Hi Riaz, chicken breasts are often 6 oz to 8 oz, so you could use about that much tofu. And, consider using firm or extra firm tofu. Enjoy! ~Eric -
What bitter Chinese foods can I add to add slight bitterness?
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Rouxbe Staff
HI Riaz- I can suggest Asian bitter greens to add to the chicken stir fry. There are many to choose from but would put Chinese mustard greens at the top of the list. Check this wonderfully researched article on Asian greens to find more bitter green choices (at Serious Eats). https://www.seriouseats.com/asian-green-guide. Enjoy, Demetra -
Can I add five spice powder fresh ginger and spring onions to the marinade mixture?if so how much is recommended?thank u
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Rouxbe Staff
Hello Riaz! You are welcome to add ingredients to the marinade! I recommend adding the five spice powder and fresh ginger to taste. And, add as much spring onions as you'd like (it sounds like you enjoy its flavor!). With this approach, I'm sure you'll come up with something you like. And, of course, you can make adjustments next time. Enjoy! ~Eric
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Thank you Eric for the encouragement and I value authenticity and unique flavour profiles .
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Rouxbe is the best!
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