Easy 15-Minute Sweet & Sour Chicken
The perfect quick meal for a busy night that is savory, sweet, and sour all at once!
I grew up in rural Minnesota and I did not have much of a variety of foods presented to me. We had one Asian-style restaurant in the town 15 minutes down the road and I vividly remember eating the sweet and sour chicken and the powdered sugar covered “Chinese donuts” - neither of which were something my parents made at home. As an adult, I have tried so many different types of Asian-style or inspired foods, but somehow I feel like I have missed testing out different sweet and sour chicken recipes. I loved this one because of the bite from the vinegar in it. It was such a nostalgic meal!
What You Need:
For the Sauce:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
3 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp. cold water
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
For the Chicken:
1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
Salt and pepper to taste
3 to 4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 green onions, diced
1 Tbsp. sesame seed
Directions:
For the Sauce: Combine all the ingredients except water and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
In a small bowl, stir water and cornstarch together. Then add to saucepan and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.
For the Chicken: Add chicken with cornstarch, salt, and pepper to a large zipper baggie, seal, and shake to coat.
To a large skillet, add 3 to 4 Tbsp. olive oil and chicken. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken has cooked through, stirring or flipping when needed to brown on each side.
Reduce heat to low and add sauce, stirring to coat each pieces. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve garnished with green onions and sesame seeds over rice, if desired.
Recipe from Averie Cooks