Last night, I had defrosted chicken thighs and wanted an easy recipe. Since we love Chinese food, I tried the Sweet & Sour Chicken recipe from the All Recipes website. It was great and so easy!
The recipe doesn’t state what chicken to use, so I used boneless thighs. I trimmed well to get the fat off and cut it into strips and chunks. Thighs tend to be more forgiving when cooked vs. breast meat, but I’m sure chunks of white breast meat would also work. As with most Chinese cooking, the meat is quickly cooked.
The pantry contained the following ingredients: orange and red sweet peppers (I dislike green peppers!), an onion, celery, lemons, and plenty of seasonings—all kitchen staples in my house and always in the pantry. Like most Chinese recipes, it takes longer to cut up all the ingredients than it takes to cook the recipe. The simple sauce consists of ketchup, pineapple and its juice, lemon juice, and brown sugar. I used peanut oil to brown the chicken and vegetables.
The recipes called for crushed pineapple. I had a can of tidbits (small chunks of pineapple), so I used that. I squeezed two fresh lemons for the lemon juice – so much better than the bottled stuff.
I make white rice in my Instant Pot: equal amounts of rice, water or stock, and a little salt. I rinse the rice under cold water to remove excess starch. I pressure cook it for 3 minutes, allow it to sit for 10 minutes (or more) for a natural release, and then open and fluff it with a fork. If you prefer brown rice, cook it for 10 minutes. This is perfect rice without boiling anything on the stove top.
Even the family said it was delicious.Hubby had two platefuls, which means he liked it! This is a good recipe for your next get-together. It should feed about six people.
And, just a thought, it would be great with shrimp too!
Super Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken
A delicious, colorful, no-fuss Chinese meal made at home that rivals your favorite take-out! Be sure to get everything ready first, then cook.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs or white meat cut into 1-inch cubes
- 5 tablespoons peanut oil divided
- 3 celery ribs sliced
- 2 green, orange or red bell peppers diced
- 1 onion chopped
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup crushed pineapple with syrup
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
Instructions
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Combine flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish or paper bag. Toss chicken in flour mixture to coat.
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Heat 3-4 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
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Heat the remaining 1-2 tablespoons oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, bell peppers, and onion; cook and stir until slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
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Meanwhile, whisk ketchup, lemon juice, pineapple with syrup, and brown sugar together in a bowl.
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Return chicken to the skillet, pour in pineapple mixture, and bring to a boil. Cook and stir chicken and vegetables in the sauce until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.