Hong Kong-style sweet and sour chicken is one of our favorite Chinese takeaway meals. Learn how to cook this easy recipe at home; it’s super quick and easy!
How about making a Hong Kong-style sweet-and-sour chicken dish tonight? It’s easier than you might think. The recipe uses simple ingredients that you might already have in your fridge, freezer, and cupboard, and it's quite quick to make. The best thing about this sweet-and-sour chicken recipe? You can deep fry or shallow fry the chicken pieces; it’s up to you.
Check out these Asian-inspired Chinese Salt Baked Chicken, Pork Belly Bites and Thai Pork Curry as well.
Ingredients: 16 + salt, pepper, and oil
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
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What is Hong Kong-style food?
The term Hong Kong-style describes Cantonese-style dishes served in Chinese restaurants outside China, mainly in Western Europe and the US. They are not original Chinese food recipes; they are recreated to fulfill the expectations of a European/American palate. Try the Pork Belly Fried Rice, too.
Recipe ingredients
For the chicken, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces. Chicken breast fillets also work fine, but I prefer thighs.
To shallow fry the meat, you will need ¼ cup cornstarch and ⅓ cup vegetable oil + 1 tablespoon sesame oil.
To deep-fry the chicken, you will need two eggs, about 1 cup (150 g) cornstarch, and 2 ½ cups vegetable oil.
For the sweet and sour sauce: Chicken stock, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, juice from the can of pineapple, tomato paste, sesame oil, and light soy sauce. And a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce once you add it to the vegetables.
For the vegetables: Two large bell peppers (one red and one green pepper), two onions, one cup pineapple chunks or rings (from a can), and three garlic cloves.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Hong Kong-style chicken?
Step #1: Chop vegetables, pineapple, garlic, and chicken.
Step #2: Make the sweet and sour sauce.
Step #3: Mix chicken with sesame oil, salt, pepper, and only ¼ cup of cornstarch.
Step #4: Heat ⅓ cup of oil and fry the pieces in small batches for about 4-5 minutes or until golden and cooked.
Step #5: Stir fry peppers and onions. Add pineapple and garlic; stir fry for another minute. Add sauce and bring to a boil.
Step #5: Thicken sauce with a cornstarch slurry. Add chicken and stir to combine.
How to fry battered chicken?
Beat the eggs well with a fork. Pour over the chicken pieces and mix to coat. Lift, discarding any excess egg.
Coat chicken: Place in another mixing bowl. Add the cornstarch and mix to coat again. Add more starch; if necessary, the pieces must be well-coated and dry. Before frying, shake the pieces lightly to remove any excess cornstarch.
Heat 2 ½ cups (600 ml) of vegetable oil to 350°F (180°C) in a deep pan or wok.
Deep fry the chicken pieces in the hot oil in 2 or 3 batches, moving them around in the pan so they can cook on all sides. Cook them for 3-4 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
Check by cutting one piece in the middle. Lift with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large plate or baking tray lined with paper towels to help remove the excess fat. They should lie in a single layer.
Tips
It’s preferable to use chicken thigh meat. While breast pieces are tender and taste great, the thighs are juicier and more flavorful.
The temperature of the oil: If you don’t have a thermometer to check the oil’s temperature, stick the end of a wooden spoon or skewer into the oil. If bubbles are forming around the stick, the oil is ready for frying.
If the oil bubbles hard, it’s too hot. In this case, turn off the heat, and wait for a few minutes. Turn on the heat, check again and start deep-frying.
Fry the battered pieces in 2 or 3 batches. If you overcrowd the pot, the oil will lose the temperature, and the pieces will not be crispy enough.
Recipe FAQs
My choice is shallow frying; I can’t be bothered with frying anything too often. It’s messy and uses too much oil. I admit that the battered bits of meat are delicious (like most anything that’s been deep-fried).
Sweet and sour chicken is best served immediately. However, you can refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Reheat in the microwave for about 2 minutes until hot or in a saucepan. If reheating on the stovetop, add a splash of water to loosen the sauce and stir often.
You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. However, after defrosting and reheating, the battered chicken will not be crisp anymore.
Either with cooked white rice (Basmati or Jasmine rice) or Chinese-style noodles.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Hong Kong Style Sweet and Sour Chicken
Equipment
- 1 wok or deeper saucepan for deep-frying
- 1 Large pan for frying
- 1 Small saucepan for the sauce
Ingredients
Vegetables:
- 1 red bell pepper large
- 1 green bell pepper large
- 2 onions medium
- 3 garlic cloves large
- 1 cup pineapple pieces from a can 5.5 oz/ 150 g
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sweet and sour sauce:
- ⅔ cup chicken stock 150 ml
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons pineapple juice from the can
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water cold
Chicken:
- 1 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless Note 2
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Deep-fried chicken version:
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cornstarch 150 g, more if necessary
- 2 ½ cups vegetable oil 600 ml
Shallow fried chicken version:
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ cup cornstarch 1.5 oz/ 40 g
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil 3 fl.oz/ 80 ml
Garnish
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1-2 green onions
Instructions
Preparations:
- Vegetables: Chop the peppers and onions and set them aside in a bowl. Chop the pineapple into smaller pieces and chop the garlic finely. Set them aside in another bowl.1 red bell pepper large + 1 green bell pepper large + 2 onions medium 3 garlic cloves large + 1 cup pineapple pieces / 150 g
- Sauce: Mix chicken stock, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, pineapple juice, sesame oil, tomato sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a small saucepan.⅔ cup chicken stock / 150 ml + 4 tablespoons brown sugar + 4 tablespoons ketchup + 3 tablespoons rice vinegar + 3 tablespoons pineapple juice + 1 teaspoon tomato paste + 1 tablespoon soy sauce + 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Chicken: Cut the thighs into bite-size pieces. Place the pieces into a bowl. Season them with salt and pepper.1 lb chicken thighs / 450 g + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Cook
- Sauce: Heat the sauce gently until it simmers, stirring it until it is smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Set it aside.
Deep-fried chicken:
- Beat the eggs with a fork. Pour over the chicken pieces and mix to coat. Lift, discard any excess egg, and place the chicken into another bowl.2 eggs
- Coat chicken: Add the cornstarch and mix to coat again. Add more starch if necessary; the pieces must be well-coated and dry. Before frying, shake the pieces lightly to remove any excess cornstarch.1 cup cornstarch/ 150 g
- Heat vegetable oil to 350°F (180°C) in a deep pan or wok (Note 3).2 ½ cups vegetable oil/ 600 ml
- Deep fry the chicken pieces in 2 or 3 batches, moving them around in the pan so they can cook on all sides. Cook them for 3-4 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Check by cutting one piece in the middle. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to help remove the excess fat.
Shallow fried chicken:
- Mix the pieces with sesame oil, salt, pepper, and cornstarch.1 teaspoon sesame oil + salt + pepper + ¼ cup cornstarch / 40 g
- Fry chicken: Heat oil in a large saucepan or wok. Fry the pieces in two batches for about 5-6 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Stir often to ensure that they are cooked on all sides. Check by cutting one piece in the middle. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.⅓ cup vegetable oil/ 80 ml
Vegetables:
- Cook vegetables: Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil. Stir fry the peppers and the onions for 3 minutes. Add the pineapple and the garlic and stir fry for another minute.1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Add the sweet and sour sauce and bring to a boil.
- Thicken sauce: In the meantime, mix one teaspoon of cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons of cold water. Whisk the mixture into the sauce and stir well until thickened.1 teaspoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water cold
Serve:
- Add the cooked chicken to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle the dish with sesame seeds and green onion rings and serve immediately.2 teaspoons sesame seeds + 1-2 green onions
Notes
- The nutrition is calculated for shallow fried chicken.
- It’s preferable to use chicken thigh meat. While breast pieces are tender and taste great, the thighs are juicier.
- Oil temperature: If you don’t have a thermometer to check the oil’s temperature, stick the end of a wooden spoon or skewer into the oil. If bubbles are forming around the stick, the oil is ready for frying.
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