Make restaurant-worthy sweet and sour chicken in the comfort of your own home with this top-rated recipe.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken
You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics:
Sweet and Sour Chicken Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make homemade sweet and sour chicken:
- For the sauce: water, pineapple juice from a can, white sugar, white vinegar, and orange food coloring
- For the batter: cornstarch, self-rising flour, vegetable oil, an egg, salt, and white pepper
- Chicken: Cut eight boneless, skinless chicken breast halves into 1-inch cubes for this sweet and sour chicken recipe.
- Pineapple and green pepper: Pineapple chunks and two green bell peppers (cut into 1-inch pieces) give the dish color and flavor.
How Do You Make Sweet and Sour Chicken?
Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this sweet and sour chicken recipe:
- Boil 1 ½ cups of water with pineapple juice, sugar, vinegar, and orange food coloring.
- Make a cornstarch slurry, then mix it into the sauce until thickened.
- Make the batter, then stir in the chicken pieces until well-coated.
- Fry the chicken.
- Layer the peppers, pineapple, and chicken on a platter.
- Pour the sauce over the top.
What to Serve With Sweet and Sour Chicken
Pair your homemade sweet and sour chicken with one or more of these tasty side dishes:
How to Store Sweet and Sour Chicken
Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave, air fryer, or in the oven.
Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise
“Family loved it,” says coats03. “Leftovers were better when I kept the sauce separate from the chicken. For leftovers I crisped up the chicken in the air fryer and added hot sauce after.”
“This was really good,” according to artina_morton. “First time I’ve ever fried food and it came out great! We scaled the recipe waaaay down using one large chicken breast to make just enough for myself and my husband.”
“We flash fried the green peppers and fresh pineapple,” says Beachrunner5. “They stayed crispy upon serving. I can't believe how easy this was... and how good! Now a staple item in this house. Next time I will serve with egg rolls.”
Editorial contributions by Corey Williams
