Back to Recipes

20-Minute Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and sour chicken is the takeaway order that never goes out of style. This quick version skips the batter and deep fryer: the chicken gets a light cornflour coating and a hot pan, so it's golden and tender in minutes.

The sauce is classic pantry: tomato ketchup, rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and pineapple juice from the tin, thickened with cornflour until glossy.

Serve over steamed rice for a weeknight fakeaway.

Servings
4
Prep Time
5
mins
Cook Time
15
mins
Ingredients
10
Total Time
20
mins

Pantry bits

Cornflour
Cornflour
Rice Vinegar
Rice Vinegar
Soy Sauce
Soy Sauce
Jasmine Rice
Jasmine Rice

Ingredients

  • 600g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 3 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 brown onion, cut into chunks
  • 1 red capsicum, cut into chunks
  • 1 green capsicum, cut into chunks
  • 1 x 225g tin pineapple pieces, drained (reserve the juice)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • Sauce: 1/3 cup (80ml) tomato ketchup, 1/4 cup (60ml) rice vinegar, 1/4 cup (60ml) reserved pineapple juice, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp cornflour
  • Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Instructions

  1. Toss the chicken with the cornflour until evenly coated. Whisk the sauce ingredients together.
  2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in a single layer for 6-7 minutes, turning, until golden and cooked through. Set aside.
  3. Add the onion and capsicum to the pan and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until just tender. Add the garlic and pineapple and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Pour in the sauce and stir until it bubbles and thickens, about 1 minute.
  5. Return the chicken and toss to coat. Serve with rice.

Other recipes

5-Minute Garlic Chilli Edamame
5-Minute Garlic Chilli Edamame
15-Minute Instant Ramen Stir Fry
15-Minute Instant Ramen Stir Fry
10-Minute Garlic Soy Butter Prawns
10-Minute Garlic Soy Butter Prawns

Never miss a recipe

Join thousands of subscribers and get our best recipes delivered to direct to your inbox!

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.