Crispy Sweet and Sour Chicken
A couple of weeks ago a this recipe started popping up all over my Facebook feed. It looks delicious, right? I thought this would be an awesome family dinner, but when I took a look at the ingredients, I felt like this was different from how I usually cook. I just don’t have a sweet tooth so that felt like a lot of sugar, and I’ve never been a fan on ketchup, unless I’m eating fish and chips.
I thought nothing of it, until I checked my email and saw a note from my wife with the subject “I WANT THIS!!!” and the link to the baked sweet and sour chicken was right before me.
Challenge accepted!
I had defrosted 3lbs organic chicken breasts that had arrived from KOL Foods, the plan was to make curried chicken pot pies but after my cornish pasty debacle I wasn’t ready to work with pastry again so I just needed to find a substitute for the ketchup and sugar. I chose local honey and organic tomato sauce.
Feel Good about the Meat you Eat and check out my KOL Foods recipes.
The first thing I had to do was rinse and dice the chicken breasts. The health benefits of cooking with organic chicken from KOL Foods are great and there’s really a great taste to the meat. It also looks and feels fresher than any other meat product that I buy.
After dicing the chicken, I put it in a large glass bowl and seasoned it before covering the chicken nuggets with corn starch. This helps the eggwash stick to it before you fry it gently for a few minutes so it becomes crispy.
The sweet and sour sauce was quick and easy to prepare too, so once the chicken pieces were golden brown, I put them in the oven, covered them with sauce and let them bake. The sauce really cooks down do depending on how much sauce so make sure the chicken is covered.
Healthier Sweet and Sour Chicken
This recipe has been adapted from Damn Delicious and Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. You should check out both of their posts as their photos are really good!
Ingredients
- 2-3 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- Coconut oil for frying
Sweet and sour sauce
- 15oz jar of tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon raw coconut aminos (can substitute soy sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup honey
How to make sweet and sour crispy chicken
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking tray with non stick paper or foil, or lightly oil it to prevent the chicken from sticking.
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk gently; set aside.
Cut the chicken into one inch cubes and season with salt and pepper. Sir in cornstarch and gently toss until all the chicken is covered.
Put a small skillet on a medium heat, add the coconut oil for cooking.
Crack the eggs and whisk to make an egg wash, then dip each piece of cornstarch covered chicken into the egg. Add chicken to the skillet and cook until golden brown. This will take no more than two or three minutes.
Once you have browned all the chicken, put it on the baking tray and cover with your sweet and sour sauce. Place into oven and bake until the sauce starts to thicken. This will take about 55 minutes. For the best results, turn the chicken every 15 minutes so they really absorb that sauce.
Serve immediately for the crispiest dish! If you need to reheat and serve later, reheat the chicken without covering it.
I liked these crispier with just a little taste of the sauce, but if you’re looking for a saucier bowl of sweet and sour chicken to pour over rice, you can set some sauce aside and combine it with the chicken before serving. What’s your favorite chinese takeout order?
