Air Fryer Sweet And Sour Chicken: A Tasty Treat

Sweet and sour chicken is a beloved international dish, with variations found in many countries. The dish has roots in various Asian cuisines, particularly Chinese and Thai, and traditionally features a blend of sweet and tangy flavours. You can make this dish in an air fryer, which is a healthier alternative to deep frying. To make sweet and sour chicken in an air fryer, you will need to prepare the chicken, make the sauce, and cook the vegetables. The chicken is typically coated in corn starch or potato starch and air-fried until crispy. The sauce is made by combining ingredients such as vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and ketchup, and thickened with a slurry of corn starch and water. The vegetables, such as bell peppers and onions, are stir-fried until slightly softened. Finally, the chicken and vegetables are tossed in the sauce and served with rice or noodles.

How to make the sauce

Making the sauce for sweet and sour chicken is a straightforward process, but it's important to get the right balance of flavours. The sauce should be tangy, sweet, and savoury.

To make the sauce, you'll need a combination of vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce. You can use apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, or white vinegar. For the sugar, brown sugar is a good option, but regular white sugar will also work. If you want to make the sauce a little healthier, you can use a brown sugar replacement. For the soy sauce, opt for low-sodium soy sauce, but if you can only get your hands on regular soy sauce, just reduce the amount of additional salt you add to the sauce.

Some recipes also include ketchup, tomato sauce, or tomato paste to add a rich, sweet tanginess. You can also add a little water to create more of a gravy, but be careful not to add too much liquid, as you want the chicken to stay crispy.

To make the sauce, simply add all the ingredients to a small pan over medium to low heat. Stir everything together and bring it to a slight boil. Let it simmer for around 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired thickness.

If you want to add a glossy shine to your sauce, cook it with a little oil. This will make your sauce look like it came straight from a restaurant, adding a luxurious touch to your dish.

Once your sauce is ready, it's time to add the crispy chicken bites and any vegetables you're using. Stir everything together, making sure everything is coated evenly, and serve it up with a side of rice or noodles.

There you have it—your very own sweet and sour chicken sauce, made from scratch!

How to cook the chicken

First, cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can use chicken breasts, thighs, or tenderloins, but make sure they are boneless and skinless. The pieces should be around 1 inch in size, but not too small as you don't want them to overcook.

Next, you'll want to coat your chicken pieces in a light batter. This is where the cornstarch or potato starch comes in. You can also use flour or a mixture of flour and breadcrumbs. Add your choice of coating to a bowl, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss the chicken pieces until they are evenly coated.

Now it's time to cook the chicken in your air fryer. Preheat your air fryer to between 350-450°F. Place the chicken pieces in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure they are not overlapping. Spray the chicken with oil—this will help them crisp up. Cook for around 10 minutes, flipping the chicken pieces or shaking the basket halfway through. The chicken is ready when it is golden and crispy.

Tips and Tricks

• Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. Cook in batches if necessary.
• Use an oil spray to ensure an even coating of oil on the chicken.
• The secret to juicy chicken is to stop cooking as soon as it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
• If using frozen chicken, increase the cooking time by a few minutes.
• For extra crispy chicken, use potato starch as your coating.

What to serve it with

Sweet and sour chicken is a versatile dish that can be served with several side dishes. Here are some ideas:

Rice

Rice is a classic accompaniment to sweet and sour chicken, providing a starchy base to soak up the delicious sauce. You could go for steamed rice, fried rice, or even garlic fried rice for an extra kick of flavour.

Noodles

For a change from rice, why not try serving your sweet and sour chicken with noodles? Lo mein or chow mein noodles would work well, providing a similar role to rice but with a different texture and flavour.

Vegetables

Sweet and sour chicken can be served with a variety of vegetables. Some recipes suggest stir-fried vegetables such as peppers and onions, which complement the flavours of the dish. Other options could include baby bok choy, broccoli, carrots, green beans, or mushrooms.

Soup

A bowl of soup can also be a nice side dish to accompany sweet and sour chicken. Something light and refreshing like egg drop soup could work well.

Other Sides

Other possible side dishes include egg fried rice, soy sauce pan-fried noodles, or even some crispy vegetable sides like air fryer green beans or air fryer bok choy.

So, there you have it! Plenty of options to choose from to create a delicious and well-rounded meal with your air fryer sweet and sour chicken as the star of the show.

How to store leftovers

Storing leftovers of sweet and sour chicken is a straightforward process. The key is to keep the chicken and the sauce separate, as this will help the chicken retain its crispiness.

Firstly, allow any leftovers to cool down. Then, transfer the chicken and sauce into separate, airtight containers. Seal the containers with a lid or cover with plastic food wrap.

Store the containers in the refrigerator as soon as possible, ideally within two hours of cooking. The leftovers should be eaten within two to five days.

If you want to store the leftovers for longer, you can freeze them. Again, keep the chicken and sauce in separate containers. Before freezing, pat the chicken dry with a paper kitchen towel to remove any excess sauce. Transfer the chicken and sauce into separate freezer bags, removing as much air as possible before sealing. Frozen sweet and sour chicken can be safely stored for up to three months.

To defrost, remove the chicken and sauce from the freezer and leave them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

The history of the dish

Sweet and sour chicken is arguably one of the most popular Chinese dishes in the United States. It is loved for its crispy fried chicken or pork pieces tossed in a sauce that is both sweet and sour.

The origin of the dish can be traced back to the 18th century or earlier in China. It was initially made with just vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce to create the sweet, sour, and savoury sauce. Over time, the dish gained popularity and was adapted to suit various regional and international palates. For example, the original recipe was Shanghainese and used black vinegar, but somewhere along the way, ketchup replaced the vinegar and it turned orange in the UK. Now that dish is called Sweet and Sour Chicken—Hong Kong style.

Sweet and sour dishes, sauces, and cooking methods have a long history in China. One of the earliest recordings of sweet and sour may be from a menu of food served in the Tang dynasty (618–907) "Shaowei banquet" festivals written in 708. It included many sweet and sour adjacent dishes and recorded that they were invented by Chancellor Wei Juyuan under Emperor Zhongzong of Tang when he hosted the Emperor at his house.

Some authors say that the original sweet and sour sauce came from the Chinese province of Henan, but the sauce in this area is a light vinegar and sugar mixture, not resembling what most people would call sweet and sour. Many places in China use a sweet and sour sauce as a dipping sauce for fish and meat rather than in cooking, as is common in Westernised Chinese cuisine.

Frequently asked questions