This sweet and sour chicken recipe doesn’t fry, but rather uses a method to create a delicate, smooth and succulent chicken that pairs perfectly with a lighter sweet and sour sauce.
The secret lies in the chicken marinade, which specifically uses egg white and cornstarch to create a super light coating all around the chicken. It won’t be a crispy, fried coating, but I think it’s a good alternative, both in terms of texture and weight!
As with the fried shrimp rice, it is essential to use a very hot pan to prepare this sweet and sour chicken so that the chicken can be seared quickly. Heat your skillet until a trickle of water sizzles instantly and evaporates on contact.
Just pour a little water over the hot pan and you should hear a “tssszzzaaaa” when it reaches the surface. If you don’t hear it, let it heat up a little longer.
For some stoves, especially electric stoves, it can take up to 3 minutes to reach the right temperature!
Once the pan is hot, you can add your chicken to it. But make sure that the chicken forms only one layer and that it doesn’t pile up. If you crowd the chicken, it will only steam and will not be seized in the pan.
Another important tip for stir-frying is to cook the meat at a temperature close to room temperature. This means leaving the chicken on the counter for about 15 minutes without cooling it down, which is the ideal time for a short marinade.
If you add cold chicken to a hot pan, not only will it stick to the pan, but the heat from the pan will be so intense that it won’t be able to sear the meat immediately.
So how sweet and sour is the meat? The beauty of this dish is that you can adapt to the end. Taste a little bit of the sauce. Not sweet enough? Add a spoonful of brown sugar. Not hot enough? Add a teaspoon of vinegar.
Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into pieces 1″
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 can (10 ounces) pineapple chunks (juice reserve)
1/4 cup canned pineapple juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
2 to 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of cooking oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger
Method
Coat the chicken with egg white, salt and cornstarch :
In a bowl, mix the chicken with the egg white, salt and cornstarch. Stir to coat chicken evenly. Let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
Make a sweet and sour sauce:
Whisk together pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, salt and brown sugar.
Sauté the chicken:
Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat until a drop of water sizzles instantly and evaporates. Pour in a tablespoon of cooking oil and stir to coat. It is important that the pan is very hot.
Add the chicken and spread it in a single layer. Fry the chicken, without touching it, for 1 minute until the bottom is browned.
Turn the chicken over and fry the other side for 1 minute. Chicken should still be pink in the middle. Place chicken on a clean plate, leaving as much oil as possible in the pan.
Sauté the bell pepper and ginger:
Set the heat to medium and add the remaining teaspoon of cooking oil. Let the oil heat up, then add the bell pepper pieces and ginger. Fry for 1 minute.
Add the pineapple, sweet and sour sauce, simmer and add the chicken:
Add the pineapple pieces and sweet and sour sauce. Add the pineapple pieces and the sweet and sour sauce. Turn the heat to high and when the sauce is simmering, add the chicken pieces again.
Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Cooking time depends on the thickness of the chicken you cut. The best way to tell if the chicken is cooked is to remove a piece and cut it off. If it’s pink, add another minute to the cooking time.
Taste the sauce and add brown sugar if desired.