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Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken with vegetables, a tasty dinner dish ready in about 15 minutes. So much better and a lot healthier than any take away. Serve it with rice or noodles for a truly Asian feast.
Chinese take-away must be one of the most popular all over the world. And there's hardly any surprise here, most dishes are so delicious, it's impossible not to want to eat them over and over again. Chinese-style chicken is my absolute favourite: plenty of flavour, and so easy to make at home too.
My only experience with ready-made sweet and sour chicken was in a restaurant where they had some sort of a buffet with dishes from different cuisines.Their sweet and sour chicken looked so delicious, but when I tasted it, my happiness went right down the drain.
The sauce was way too sour, the chicken way to greasy, and the veggies were nearly raw, rather than nearly tender. It's safe to say I was not impressed at all.
So, that's how I decided I would have a better experience with the sweet and sour chicken next time. And my home-made version is so much healthier, and tastier too. I've made it a few times already, and every single time it tastes as good.
cider vinegar - it's a lot sharper than Chinese vinegar, so the flavours would come through better
ketchup - regular ketchup should do
muscovado sugar
salt
light soy sauce - it gives the sauce the sharpness we need
dark soy sauce - it adds a rich colour
sesame oil
ground pepper
vegetable oil
yellow pepper
orange pepper
garlic cloves
fresh ginger root - or ginger paste
spring onions
onion
Step-by-step photos and instructions
Stir frying is not only quick, but healthier too. The veggies keep their colour and shape without being overcooked, and the chicken is cooked to perfection.
First, start by cooking the chicken. Add the cornflour (cornstarch) to a bag together with a bit of salt and pepper, add the diced chicken and shake well to coat evenly.
Heat up the oil in a pan, add the chicken pieces and cook until tender, then remove the chicken from the pan and wipe the pan clean.
Add a bit more oil to the same pan, throw in the spring onions, garlic and ginger, and cook for a few seconds to release the flavours.
Add the chopped vegetables and stir fry until the veggies are cooked, but not too soft. The cooked chicken can now be added too.
The best vegetables for sweet and sour chicken are peppers (green, yellow, red), courgettes (zucchini), mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, although anything else goes too.
Once the chicken and veggies are cooked, it's time we made the sauce. Use a different pan for the sauce, so it can cooked beautifully.
Add the ketchup, soy sauces, sesame oil, vinegar and sugar, and stir well. Use one tablespoon of cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water, then pour the mixture in the sauce, and cook gently over a low heat until the sauce thickens a bit.
The chicken and veggies will now be added too, and toss around to be well coated in sauce. Garnish with spring onions, and that's your dish ready.
Expert tips
There are lots of recipes out there for sweet and sour chicken (or any other meat). Some of them use fresh or canned pineapples for that sharp, yet sweet taste. I used pineapples for my Sweet and Sour Leftover Pork and my Sweet and Sour Quorn and that was delicious!
Healthy chicken recipes can make dinner time so easy, especially if they are quick and ready on the table in no time. And this dish is no exception. So, there you go, your own Asian dish ready in no time.
If you’ve liked myHEALTHY SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLESor any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can alsoFOLLOW MEonFACEBOOK, andPINTERESTto see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken
Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken with vegetables, a tasty dinner dish ready in about 15 minutes. So much better and a lot healthier than any take away. Serve it with rice or noodles for a truly Asian feast.
In a medium saucepan, combine pineapple juice, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Difference Between General Tso and Other Chinese Dishes
I've listed out their main difference below to make it a little more clear. Sweet and sour chicken: The two are super similar. The main difference is that General Tso sauce has more ginger flavor, as well as a little more heat from the hot sauce or chili flakes.
Our sweet and sour dishes are either 'Cantonese style' (which is the same as 'Hong Kong Style') or Sweet and Sour 'Balls' (thick battered). Our Cantonese style is cooked with the sauce, onions, peppers and pineapple.Whereas the Sweet and sour Chicken or King Prawns balls come with a separate pot of sauce.
In short, Orange Chicken is subtly sweet with a citrusy taste, while Sweet and Sour Chicken is sweeter and tangier. No Chinese takeout is complete without a delicious side of rice– try out my favorite fluffy basmati rice recipe here!
There are 1765 calories in a 1 order (706.000g) serving size of Restaurant, Chinese, sweet and sour chicken. The calorie breakdown is 46% fat, 38% carbs, and 16% protein.
If the sauce isn't thick enough, you can add one more tablespoon of cornstarch and whisk it in. But remember, the sauce will thicken even more as it cools down. So only add more cornstarch if the sauce is way too thin. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
A corn starch slurry thickens the sauce – this sauce is a medium thickness, so depending on your preference add little more or less corn starch slurry (but go slowly – the sauce will take a little time to thicken up once the slurry is added).
The balance of sweet and sour is key when it comes to replicating the taste of pineapple juice. Honey and lemon juice bring a great harmony of flavor that works especially well in sweet and sour savory dishes, sauces and marinades. Use a 1:2 ratio when substituting pineapple juice with honey and lemon juice.
The Chinese term for “sweet and sour” is “糖醋” (sugar-vinegar) - this is a rather common flavor in daily Chinese cooking in (many areas of) China. Sweet and sour chicken would be “糖醋鸡” (sugar-vinegar chicken).
Chinese Amazing Chicken is usually prepared by marinating the chicken in a mixture of soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. The chicken is then stir-fried or pan-fried until it is cooked through. It is often garnished with green onions and sesame seeds for added flavor and presentation.
Grandfather's Chicken is typically prepared by marinating the chicken in a mixture of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and other seasonings. The marinated chicken is then either pan-fried or braised until it is cooked through and the flavors have infused into the meat.
Kung Pao chicken (a.k.a. Gong Bao or Kung Po) is a stir-fried Chinese dish that consists of cubed chicken in a sweet, spicy, and savory sauce. It originated in southwestern China in the early 1800s.
Kung pao chicken and General Tso's chicken are similar in that they are both chicken-based dishes with a hint of chili, but the primary difference is that latter is deep-fried and coated with a syrupy sweet and sour sauce, and the former is coated with a gentle, more balanced sauce.
Hong Kong cuisine is mainly influenced by Cantonese cuisine, European cuisines (especially British cuisine) and non-Cantonese Chinese cuisines (especially Hakka, Teochew, Hokkien and Shanghainese), as well as Japanese, Korean and Southeast Asian cuisines, due to Hong Kong's past as a British colony and a long history ...
A rich savoury sauce with a hint of sweetness, blended with soybean paste, Chinese plums and sesame. This is a ready-to-use, rich tasting, brown sauce mix great for oriental wraps, meat stews; as a dressing for aromatic crispy duck, dips for spring rolls and other fusion food.
The discrepancy is likely due to the fact that while sweet and sour chicken aptly contains slightly more sugar than General Tso's, the latter contains way more protein, so despite being a bit more calorically dense, it's actually the healthier choice.
“It might seem counterintuitive to marinate before boiling, but the velveting marinade tenderizes the meat, keeps it moist, and adds flavor. The meat ends up juicy and flavorful, a result you don't get with a standard blanching process.”
General Tso's chicken is crispy, twice-fried chicken in a deliciously sweet and sticky glaze. This mouthwatering dish delivers a combination of Asian flavors that will knock your chopsticks off! Serve with steamed broccoli and white rice and garnish with sliced green onions.
Steamed dumplings. Dumplings offered at a Chinese restaurant are pockets of dough filled with seasoned meat and vegetables, usually pork and cabbage. ...
Some lean protein choices include chicken, lean ground pork and fish. These proteins are often used in Chinese main dishes such as Kung Pao Chicken with Bell Peppers. Plant-based proteins, such as tofu, are also found in Chinese dishes. Tofu may be used as a meat alternative, providing protein from soybeans.
The sour often is from white rice vinegar, but can also include soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce. Garlic, clove, and ginger also can make an appearance. Western sweet and sour sauce will often include the following: vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, tomato paste or ketchup, pineapple, green bell pepper, garlic, and onion.
It is speculated that the name "duck sauce" came about because its ancestor, tianmian sauce, was first served with Peking duck in China. When the Chinese emigrated to the U.S., they created Chinese dishes that would appeal more to the American palate, and developed a sweeter version of the sauce used in China.
Introduction: My name is Eusebia Nader, I am a encouraging, brainy, lively, nice, famous, healthy, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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