Homemade battered sweet and sour chicken is one of those comforting, crowd-pleasing dinners that feels special without being difficult. Many people hesitate to make Chinese-style takeout recipes at home because they imagine the process must be complicated, fast, or require restaurant equipment. The truth is much simpler: this is comfort food made with familiar ingredients, a crispy coating, juicy chicken, and a bright sweet and sour dipping sauce.

You do not need a wok to make this recipe. A deep frying pan works well for the chicken, a regular saucepan is perfect for the sauce, and a cooling rack set over a baking sheet keeps the fried pieces from becoming soggy. With a little preparation before you start frying, the whole process becomes calm, organized, and very manageable.

The key to success is setting up your workspace before the oil is hot. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, whisk together the batter, place your frying pan on the stove, and prepare a rack over a baking sheet for draining the cooked chicken. Keep a strainer, tongs, or a clean spoon nearby so you can safely lift the pieces from the oil. Once everything is ready, frying the chicken is much like making homemade chicken nuggets.

If you do not have a thermometer, you can still test the oil carefully. Drop in a small bit of batter or one tiny coated piece of chicken. If it sinks and stays on the bottom, the oil is not hot enough. If it rises to the top after a few seconds, the oil is ready for frying. A test piece should become golden and cooked through in about 10 to 12 minutes.

Work in batches and avoid crowding the pan. Giving the chicken enough room helps each piece cook evenly and develop a beautiful golden coating. Turn the pieces gently as they fry so all sides brown nicely. When finished, transfer them to the prepared rack to drain and cool slightly.

One of the best parts of frying battered chicken is seeing how each piece develops its own shape and texture. Some pieces puff up, some turn extra craggy, and all of them become tempting little bites of homemade takeout-style chicken.

The finished chicken should be crisp on the outside and moist inside. The coating turns a warm golden color, while the chicken stays tender and juicy when cooked properly. Using large boneless, skinless chicken breasts makes a generous amount, but regular-size chicken breasts work just as well if you use three instead of two.

This recipe makes enough battered sweet and sour chicken for a family meal, with a few irresistible pieces likely to disappear before serving. The chicken is delicious right after frying, especially when dipped into the homemade sweet and sour sauce.

The sauce is quick to make and brings the whole dish together. Pineapple juice, rice vinegar, sugar, a little apple cider vinegar, grenadine, and cherry juice create a sweet, tangy flavor with a pretty pink color. The red food coloring gives it a bright, fun look, making it especially festive for a special dinner or appetizer platter.

The chicken is lightly crisp when freshly made. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave, where the coating will soften but still taste good. If you want to bring back a little crunch, place the chicken pieces on a rack over a baking sheet and warm them in a 350º oven until heated through, checking after about 10 to 15 minutes.

This homemade battered sweet and sour chicken fills the kitchen with the cozy aroma of a favorite Chinese takeout meal. It is simple, affordable, and made with pantry-friendly ingredients. If you have ever wanted to try making sweet and sour chicken at home, this is a great recipe to start with.

Serve the crispy chicken with the warm dipping sauce, add rice on the side if desired, and enjoy a homemade takeout-style dinner that is fun to make and even better to eat.

Until next time, Kelly

Yield: 4 servings

Homemade Battered Sweet ‘n Sour Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 extra large or 3 regular boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of all fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
• Oil for frying

For the Batter:

• 1 1/8 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/16 teaspoon garlic powder, or a dash
• 1/16 teaspoon onion powder, or a dash
• 1/2 of a beaten extra large egg
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the Sweet ‘n Sour Dipping Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 8 drops red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon pomegranate grenadine
• 1 teaspoon maraschino cherry juice from the jar
• Dash of salt, less than 1/16 teaspoon
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water

Instructions

1. Trim the chicken breasts and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, white pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the egg well. Use half of the beaten egg for this batter and save the rest for another use. Beat in the water and vegetable oil.
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until well mixed. Add the chicken pieces and stir until they are evenly coated.
5. In a large, deep frying pan, add oil to a depth of 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Heat the oil to 365º to 375º. If testing without a thermometer, carefully drop in one coated piece of chicken. The oil is ready when the piece rises to the top within about 5 seconds.
6. Using two spoons, carefully add well-coated chicken pieces to the hot oil. Fry in several batches for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan.
7. Turn the pieces as needed so they brown evenly. Remove cooked chicken with a strainer or tongs and place on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.
8. Serve hot with sweet ‘n sour dipping sauce.
9. To make the sauce: In a small saucepan, add the water, pineapple juice, sugar, rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, food coloring, grenadine, maraschino cherry juice, and salt. Bring to a full boil, stirring as needed to dissolve the sugar.
10. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the boiling sauce.
11. Cook and stir for about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool slightly before serving with or over the battered chicken pieces.

Notes

The dipping sauce will become very thick after chilling overnight. To reheat it and return it to a sauce consistency, add the remaining pineapple juice or a little water, then whisk over medium heat until smooth and warmed through.