Classic Chinese sweet and sour chicken (Hong Kong Style) is made with pineapple, peppers, onions, and crispy chicken, tossed in a sweet and sour sauce with the perfect balance of tanginess to sweetness.
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Deep-fried foods are definitely my favorite thing in the world to eat. There's something very satisfying about crispy battered meat tossed in a sweet and sticky sauce.
I definitely do not have a shortage of crispy takeout recipes either, so if you're looking for something different like Hakka Chilli Chicken, Chicken Manchurian, Korean Popcorn Turkey, Chinese Lemon Chicken or the popular Crispy Beef, I got you covered!
If you're looking for something similar to this recipe but made with pork instead, I also got you covered with my Cantonese Style Sweet and Sour Pork recipe, but if you're just interested in the sauce, I use my tried and true Chinese Sweet and Sour sauce for these recipes which is made from scratch and doesn't contain any ketchup.
If you're looking for a crispy easy Chinese sweet and sour chicken recipe with the perfect balance of sweet to sour, without the soggy batter then you're at the right place! Let's get started.
What is Hong Kong Style Sweet and Sour Chicken?
The main difference between Hong Kong style sweet and sour chicken (aka Cantonese sweet and sour chicken) and the ones you get at most American Chinese takeout restaurants is the sauce.
Hong Kong Style sweet and sour chicken sauce is usually less sweet and has more of a balance of sweet and sour flavors, whereas the American Chinese version is a touch on the sweeter side.
If you prefer your sweet and sour chicken more on the sweeter side, you can add 1-2 additional tablespoons of sugar to the sauce during the cooking process. Other than that, there isn't much of a difference between the two - both are delicious!
If you're wondering what is the major difference between my Hong Kong style sweet and sour chicken and my sweet and sour pork, the main difference is the batter. I made the batter for the chicken version a bit lighter with fewer aromatics so that you can actually taste the chicken better so it feels a bit lighter as well.
Ingredients & Substitutions for Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Chicken - For this sweet and sour chicken recipe, I like to use dark meat. That being said, chicken breast also works really well for this recipe, because it's only deep fried for about 3 minutes, there will be no risk of it becoming dry.
- Onion\Garlic\Ginger - I use these 3 trio aromatics to give the batter extra flavor. Highly recommend you don't skip them.
- Starch - Using any type of starch is what will make the batter extra crispy. Although potato starch does make the batter crunchier which means the sauce won't make the chicken soggy, I highly recommend using corn starch instead because it's easier to find and work with. If you plan to use potato starch, you must deep fry in small batches and make sure the chicken does not touch each other during the initial deep frying stage (first minute or so), or else they will stick to each other and become a big ball of meat and when you try to separate it at that point, you will rip off the batter.
- Bell Pepper - You can use any type of sweet peppers for this recipe (Green, yellow, red, orange, etc) but I find the green ones give a nice contrast in color and has a bit more flavor.
- Pineapple - I like to use fresh pineapple for this recipe because I find it's a lot juicier and flavorful, but it is a lot of work to cut it for just one dish. If you're pressed for time, canned pineapple will also work as well. Just make sure you drain the juice and buy the rings so you can control how large to cut the chunks. Alternatively, you can also use from pineapple chunks as well, just make sure to defrost them before you use it.
- Shaoxing Cooking Wine - I add a bit of Shaoxing cooking wine for flavor but if you don't have this, you can substitute it with dry sherry or you can omit it.
Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients
- Tomato Paste - I don't use any ketchup for my sweet and sour sauce because I find tomato paste gives a lot more flavor and it also has an umami flavor to it as well.
- Sugar\White Vinegar - Sugar and vinegar is a must for this sauce. I tested this very thoroughly and made sure that this is a good sweet-to-sour balance (I tend to enjoy sweet and sour sauce that is less sweet and has a nice tart kick to it.) I like to use white vinegar because it is a neutral vinegar and easy to find and I find it tastes better than using rice vinegar.
- Soy Sauce - I highly recommend not omitting soy sauce. It gives the sauce extra umami flavor but it also balances out the sweet and sour flavor and brings the whole sauce together. I like to use light or low sodium soy sauce.
- Oil - The oil is used to 'toast' the tomato paste. Toasting it in the oil will concentrate the flavor of tomato paste and really bring out the flavor. It also removes any trace of tomato flavor.
- Corn Starch and Water - I use corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce at the very end.
How to Make the Chicken Extra Crispy
1.) Always Use A Starch to Batter
When it comes to any type of crispy better foods like Crispy Beef, Sweet and Sour Pork etc, it's important to always use starch in your batter. If you're looking for a more delicate and crispy batter (like the one I use in My Ultimate Super Crispy Fried Chicken recipe) then you would mix all-purpose flour in it but for anything that needs to be coated in a sauce (like this recipe), I only use starch in the batter. Starch creates a harder and crunchier batter that can withstand the coating of sauce better which prevents it from being soggy.
The 2 main starches that I use interchangeably are corn starch and potato starch. I listed the pros and cons below so that you can decide what type of starch works for you.
- Corn Starch - There are no cons to using corn starch. It's easier to find and easier to work with, which makes it the perfect starch to use for deep frying.
- Potato Starch - The pros of using potato starch is it creates a VERY crunchy batter but it is harder to find than corn starch.
The major con about using potato starch is its ease of use. When you deep fry with potato starch, you need to be extra careful when you are initially putting the chicken into the hot oil.
Once the potato starch touches the hot oil, it will initially become gummy and sticky, so if you have 2 pieces too close together they will stick together. Once the chicken sticks together it is very hard to pull apart without ripping the batter off the meat. If you put all the chicken in all at once it can potentially become one giant ball of meat as well.
If you plan to use potato starch, you need to deep fry the chicken in small batches, making sure the batter has fully hardened before you move them around.
2.) Battering Process (2 Steps)
Step 1 - First Coat (Sticky Batter)
Coat the marinated chicken in ½ the starch and let it sit for a few minutes until the starch absorbs the marinade. This will make the batter more flavorful. The starch will start to become thick and gummy.
Step 2 - Second Coat (Sealing the Flavourful Batter)
Put the other ½ of the starch on a plate. Once the first coat of starch has absorbed all the marinade, dunk each piece of chicken in the starch on the plate to create a white starch coating. This coating makes the chicken crispier.
3.) Double Fry
Double frying is a Korean cooking technique that is used to get anything super crunchy. It's an easy step and definitely shouldn't be skipped if you want to get your chicken batter to have a super crunchy hard shell.
To double fry, you need to first deep fry your chicken until it is fully cooked (which is about 3 minutes). Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove the chicken from the oil and let it sit out for about 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, dunk the chicken back in the oil to fry again for another 30 seconds or until golden brown.
Tips for Making Crispy Sweet and Sour Chicken
- To keep the chicken crispy and prevent it from getting soggy, make sure you don't cook the deep-fried chicken in the sauce for too long. The longer you cook it in the sauce, the soggier it will be. I like to add the chicken at the very end, toss it for about 20-30 seconds and then turn off the heat.
FAQs
Sweet and sour chicken uses a sweet and sour sauce that is sweet and tangy, whereas General Tso's chicken uses a sweet and spicy sauce and doesn't have much of a tangy flavor.
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Recipe Card
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Joyce's Recipe Notes
- To keep the chicken crispy and prevent it from getting soggy, make sure you don't cook the deep-fried chicken in the sauce for too long. The longer you cook it in the sauce, the soggier it will be. I like to add the chicken at the very end, toss it for about 20-30 seconds and then turn off the heat.
- If you don't have Shaoxing wine for the marinade, you can substitute it with dry sherry or omit it.
Ingredients
Fruit and Vegetables
- ½ cup bell pepper (any color, cut into 1 inch cubes)
- ½ cup pineapple (highly recommend using fresh pineapple, but canned pineapple works too)
- ½ white onion (cut into 1 inch cubes)
Marinade
- 1 lb chicken (boneless, dark or white meat cut into 1 inch cubes)
- 2 cloves garlic (approx. ¾ tablespoon)
- 1 slice ginger (approx ½ tablespoon)
- ¼ onion (approx. 2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (or low sodium)
- ½ tablespoon Shaoxing Cooking Wine (if you don't have this, omit it)
Batter
- 1 cup corn starch (divided in half)
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Corn Starch Slurry (To Thicken Sauce)
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 2 teaspoons cold water
Instructions
Preparation
- Cut the onions and peppers into 1-inch chunks and set aside
- If you are using fresh pineapple, core and peel it and then cut them into 1-inch chunks and set aside. If you are using canned pineapple, drain it and cut them into 1-inch chunks if you are using pineapple rings. Put them in a bowl and set them aside.
Marinating the Chicken
- Cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks and place it in a bowl.
- Grate the ginger, garlic, and onion and put it all in the bowl with the chicken.Alternatively, you can also chop the ginger, garlic, and onion into small pieces and blitz them in a food processor. You may also need to add the soy sauce and Shaoxing wine into the food processor with the ginger, garlic, and onions to help it blend more smoothly into a paste. Add the blended aromatics into the bowl with the chicken.
- Add soy sauce and Shaoxing wine to the bowl and mix everything very well.
- Let it marinate for 1 hour.
Battering the Chicken
- Once the chicken has finished marinating, in the bowl or plate - separate them slightly so they are not clumped together into a tall pile.
- Add half the potato starch over the chicken and gently toss it until each piece has been coated with potato starch.Let it rest for 5 minutes until the potato starch has absorbed the marinade and moisture, and the batter looks gummy and moist.
- Add the rest of the potato starch onto a large plate and dip each piece of chicken into the potato starch one by one until each piece is well coated.
Deep Frying the Chicken
- If you are using a deep fryer, set the temperature to 350F (180C) and wait for the oil to get to temp.If you are using a frying pan or shallow pot, set the heat to medium heat and make sure there is at least 1 inch of oil in the pan. To test if the oil is hot enough in a pot, use a wooden chopstick or the back of a wooden spoon and dunk it in the oil. If it starts to bubble, the oil is hot enough to start deep frying.
- Add the chicken in when the oil is hot, careful not to overcrowd the pan. (Depending on how big your pan is, you may need to do it in 2 batches). Cook the chicken for approximately 3 minutes until it is crispy and browned.
- Once the chicken has finished deep frying, remove it from the oil for about 1 minute, and then re-fry (double fry) it again for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Remove the crispy fried chicken and let it drain on a rack or a plate with something absorbent like newspaper or paper bag and set aside.
Putting It Together
- In a clean frying pan, add 2-3 tablespoons of oil, and set the stove to medium heat.
- Add in the tomato paste when the oil is hot and toast the tomato paste for 1-2 minutes until the oil has turned orange
- Add in the white vinegar, water, sugar, and soy sauce and mix well and let it cook for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the corn starch in cold water. Slowly pour it into the sauce but make sure you are constantly stirring it so it doesn't clump.
- Once the sauce has thickened, add in the peppers, pineapples, and onions and cook it for 1 minute. Use your spatula to separate the onion chunks into smaller pieces.
- Add in the crispy chicken pieces and stir fry them to coat each piece of chicken with the sweet and sour sauce. Once all the chicken pieces have been coated, turn off the heat.Try not to cook the crispy chicken in the sauce for too long, this will make the batter soggy. You just want to quickly coat the crispy chicken with the sweet and sour sauce for no more than 30 seconds to 1 minute and then plate it.
- Plate it and serve with rice! Happy Eats! 🙂
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is calculated using online tools and is an estimate*
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KH says
Could I use the below velveting technique first before continuing with your recipe:
1. Whisk together one egg white, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Add the meat and stir to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
2. Bring water and oil to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium.
3. Strain away the marinade and discard. Add chicken pieces to the pot and boil until the chicken is white on the outside but still raw in the middle.
4. Strain off excess liquid and proceed with your stir-fry recipe, or store meat in an air-tight container in the fridge for a few hours until ready to use.
Joyce Lee says
Hi KH,
No, I wouldn't do the velveting technique before you make this recipe.
Velveting is mainly good for stir-frying meats to give them that silky tender mouthfeel but it won't work for this recipe because we need to deep fry the chicken and if you velveted the meat before deep frying it, you would be cooking the chicken twice which would make the meat tougher and not juicy.
The delicious part of this batter is also having the cornstarch absorb the marinade, and if you velveted it first, you would lose a lot of the batter flavor as well.
Lita says
This recipe tastes as good as it looks!! I added a tiny bit more sugar so that the soy sauce wouldn’t be too strong and it came out awesome. The bigger pieces of chicken were slightly less crunchy so next time I’ll cut them a little smaller. Thank you so much for sharing, there are no restaurants near me that make Cantonese style sweet and sour chicken, which is a shame. But glad I found the perfect recipe to satisfy my taste buds!
Joyce Lee says
Hi Lita!
Yay I'm so happy this turned out for you!😊
To be honest, I actually have the same issue as well. All the restaurants around me make it too sweet or they turn out soggy by the time I get it so I completely understand, and it's actually one of the main reasons why I made this recipe! I use this one a lot at home haha! 😂
Thank you so much for sharing this with me!
Tony Hodges says
This is soo good, ever time it gets better as I improve.
Simple to make.
I make big batches and vac pack and freeze it.
I use my Wok for deep fry as I don’t have a deep fryer.
Joyce Lee says
Hi Tony!
I'm so happy you like it! I think wok is an amazing tool for deep frying because it uses a lot less oil than a deep fryer! 😊
Marvina Johnson says
Ok, is potato starch corn starch?
Joyce Lee says
Hi Marvina,
Potato starch and corn starch are different ingredients but they do the same thing in this recipe, which is to make the batter very crispy.
Corn starch is much more easier to find and also a lot easier to use as well, so if you haven't made this before, then I would recommend using corn starch since there isn't a very big difference.
If you use potato starch, you need to make sure that when you are deep frying, you have to keep the meat initially separated until it forms a hard shell because once the potato starch touches the hot oil, it will become gummy in texture at first few minutes, and if you have the meat too close together it will all stick and clump together into a big ball of meat, and you may end up ripping the batter off the meat. Once the batter forms a hard shell, you are good to move it around in the oil to finish the deep frying.
Hope I make sense? and Hope you enjoy it if you make it!
marvina says
Thank you, so very much.
Joyce Lee says
Hi Marvina,
Happy I can help!
Elizabeth says
The chicken turned out absolutely amazing, I've been trying different things for years to get crispy coated chicken and this was the trick! This is how I will cook it from now on! The sauce was very flavorful and delicious but was definitely richer and more complex than the usual orange sweet and sour sauce.
I've been spending too much on door dash lately so I've been trying to make some of our delivery favorites at home, this hit the spot for sweet and sour chicken!
Joyce Lee says
Hi Elizabeth!
Yay I'm so happy this turned out well for you and you enjoyed it! I definitely love to make takeout at home as well because there's so much more leftovers to eat for days! heehee