Do you love some Chinese take out but would rather make it at home? I started making this Shortcut Sweet N Sour Chicken to satisfy my Chinese food cravings. And it does not disappoint. I used a bottle of sauce and spruced it up with some fresh veggies. The chicken does get fried to in your cast iron skillet to give you the true taste and texture of the classic dish.
Sometime I crave sweet and sour chicken. My parents always used to go get Chinese and my husband and I never do. Every Sweet N Sur chicken recipe I usually try is made in the slow cooker and the chicken is either dry or weird and just not what I am looking for. One night i decided to go the whole nine and coat the chicken and fry it. When My husband got home he was like, you fried the chicken? This is awesome. And I agreed. Like I said bottled sauce makes this come together effortlessly.
What I love about this recipe for Sweet N Sour Chicken
- Budget Friendly
- Flavorful
- Fresh veggies are added
- Family favorite
- Makes use of chicken thighs or chicken breasts
I have been enjoying easy chicken thigh recipes as an alternative to chicken breasts because they are cheaper right now (but have made with both). So you can use boneless chicken thighs or breasts or even bone in chicken thighs which is actually what I grabbed on accident but just cut around them.
Cast Iron Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs is the cast iron turn out perfectly. I love using the cast iron to fry my chicken and fish for a few reasons. The temperature stays even and the oil is great to help clean up your cast iron after a few uses in other dishes.
Sweet N Sour Sauce
Okay so I cheated with the bottled sauce. But its good and cheap. I like simple chicken recipes and using bottles sauce makes it that much quicker. Aldi has wonderful stir fry sauces but you can also find a wider variety of choices at the grocery store. I am sure Panda Express has one and most store brands have one, too. If you want to make your own I believe you basically need sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch as the base.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken
First cut your chicken thighs into bite sized pieces (if bone in cut around bone into pieces).
Add the flour to a dish or bowl and add in the chicken pieces, toss the piece to coat.
Meanwhile heat your cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add cooking oil for frying.
Once the oil is hot add in the coated chicken in batches until cooked throughout and is crisp to your liking. (internal temp should be 165 degrees F).
While the chicken is cooking get another skillet going and add the olive oil, the green peppers, and shredded carrots.
Sautee for a few minutes until soft and fragrant.
Next add in the bottle of stir fry sauce plus a little water to the bottle to empty the sauce along with the pineapple chunks.
Heat the sauce until hot throughout then add in the fried chicken pieces to the sauce.
Stir so that everything is coated and serve hot over rice.
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Shortcut Sweet N Sour Chicken
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 lb boneless or bone in chicken thighs or chicken breasts
- 1 cup cooking oil
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup Chopped green pepper more or less to your liking
- 3/4 cup Shredded carrots
- 1 14.5 oz. bottle of Sweet N Sour Stir Fry Sauce (plus water)
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
- 1 1/2 cups rice cooked according to package
Instructions
- First cut your chicken thighs into bite sized pieces (if bone in cut around bone into pieces).
- Add the flour to a dish or bowl and add in the chicken pieces, toss the piece to coat.
- Meanwhile heat your cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add cooking oil for frying.
- Once the oil is hot add in the coated chicken in batches until cooked throughout and is crisp to your liking. (internal temp should be 165 degrees F).
- While the chicken is cooking get another skillet going and add the olive oil, the green peppers, and shredded carrots.
- Sautee for a few minutes until soft and fragrant.
- Next add in the bottle of stir fry sauce plus a little water to the bottle to empty the sauce along with the pineapple chunks.
- Heat the sauce until hot throughout then add in the fried chicken pieces to the sauce.
- Stir so that everything is coated and serve hot over rice and garnish with sesame seeds if desired.
