Sweet & sour chicken

Sweet & sour chicken

Try an authentic version of this classic Chinese takeaway dish, with natural sweetness and a warm chilli flavour to spice things up

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 45 mins

Freezable

Sauce can be frozen

Method

  1. For the sauce, put the red pepper, chunks of chilli and pineapple juice in a pan and bring to the boil. Cover and cook for 10 mins, then purée in a food processor. Return to the pan with the pineapple chunks, chilli halves, star anise, tamarind, sugar and vinegar. Gently simmer for 20-30 mins until reduced and sticky. Keep warm, or reheat to serve.
  2. Fill a large pan 1cm deep with oil and heat until shimmering. Whisk the soda water and 100ml cold water into the self-raising flour with a little salt. Tip the cornflour onto a plate, line a tray with kitchen paper and turn on the oven to low.
  3. Stir the batter well. Dust the chicken with cornflour, then dip into the batter. One at a time, lower into the hot oil (about 5-6 every batch). Turn up the heat to keep the chicken frying, if needed, and cook for 5-6 mins, turning once. When cooked, drain on the tray, and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Stack onto a plate with the warm sauce on the side, and scatter with shredded spring onions.
Try

Variations

To serve as a main dish, add rice. For any vegetarians, thinly slice some sweet potatoes, then batter and fry these before you cook the chicken.

654 kcalories, protein 38g, carbohydrate 82g, fat 20 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 2g, sugar 50g, salt 0.57 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2010.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo Inta

    22 February 2010

    Inta rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo eean

    24 February 2010

    eean rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo suechef

    28 February 2010

    suechef rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo elainecarney

    24 March 2010

    elainecarney rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo trf0412

    03 April 2010

    trf0412 rated this recipe

    1 stars

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  • Binder photo Rob

    11 April 2010

    Rob rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This tasted absolutely amazing!! Will definitely be making this one a few times and it is pretty easy to make it with other meat (would probably be ok with battered tofu as well). I made it with prawns instead of chicken and left out the star anise

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  • Binder photo Scotty Brown

    28 April 2010

    Scotty Brown commented on this recipe

    I made this last nite was the best recipe i have done on this site by far, folllowed everything the same apart from adding a finely chopped onion and 3 bulbs of garlic to the pepper and pineapple juice before blitzing, Very yummy,

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  • Binder photo Scotty Brown

    28 April 2010

    Scotty Brown rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Beth

    03 May 2010

    Beth rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Very successful - enjoyed this a lot.

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  • Binder photo Karen

    19 June 2010

    Karen rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Just made this and I have to say that I am really impressed. Followed the recipe to the word and it turned out perfectly, will definitely be making again.

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  • Binder photo Lisa Pointer

    17 July 2010

    Lisa Pointer commented on this recipe

    Made this for dinner tonight, my husband loved It and prefered to the takeaway.

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  • Binder photo ally2607

    02 September 2010

    ally2607 rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Very nice though I found it very spicy and found the flavour of the star anise very strong so on the second time of making it I only used 1 chilli and didn't add the star anise. I thought it tasted much better.

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  • Binder photo stellababe

    17 September 2010

    stellababe rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Excellent recipe, my 2 year old loves it even though he winces with each mouthful (it is spicy) but he goes back for more! Good way to introduce chinese food without the take-away to toddlers, you can add less chilli to your taste.

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  • Binder photo helen

    10 October 2010

    helen commented on this recipe

    i tried this really and all the family loved it thanks

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  • Binder photo Florence

    28 October 2010

    Florence rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Lovely recipe! Much better than a take~away. Will be a regular favourite.

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  • Binder photo NickB

    01 December 2010

    NickB rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Absolutely brilliant. The fried chicken stays crispy and the sauce has a really good sweet/sour balance. Thanks John !

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  • Binder photo sandrat

    11 January 2011

    sandrat rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    nice but far too spicy.next time I would only use 1 chilli and the 1 star due to it's really over powering. I also added onion & some carrot.defo be making again.

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  • Binder photo Steve D

    23 January 2011

    Steve D rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Great flavours but far too spicy. Would only use 1 chilli in the sauce next time. Chicken was great but makes more than expected when battered.

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  • Binder photo Pettan69

    28 January 2011

    Pettan69 rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Have never tasted better

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  • Binder photo sarahMH

    06 February 2011

    sarahMH rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Gorgeous...will never get takeaway again!

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 45 mins

Freezable

Sauce can be frozen

Ingredients

  • sunflower or vegetable oil , for frying
  • 100ml soda water , chilled
  • 140g self-raising flour
  • 25g cornflour
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts , cut into chunks
  • spring onions , finely shredded, to serve

FOR THE SAUCE

  • 1 red pepper , deseeded and chopped into chunks
  • 3 red chillies , 1 cut into chunks, 2 halved and deseeded
  • 425g can pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved
  • 4 star anise
  • 50g tamarind paste
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 100ml rice wine vinegar or Chinese vinegar
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654 kcalories, protein 38g, carbohydrate 82g, fat 20 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 2g, sugar 50g, salt 0.57 g

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