Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe: Better Than Take Out!

Sweet and Sour Chicken is one of the most iconic Cantonese dishes — golden crispy chicken coated in a glossy, tangy-sweet sauce that’s simply irresistible. In Chinese, we call it Gu Lu Ji (咕嚕雞), and it’s a dish that brings back so many childhood memories for me.

I was lucky enough to learn how to make this from a Chinese Master Chef, and today, I’m excited to share that recipe with you. What I love most is how easy it is to recreate at home, and honestly, it tastes even better than takeout — fresher, crispier, and full of balanced flavor.

Whether you’re cooking for your family or impressing dinner guests, this dish is always a crowd-pleaser. Let’s dive into the recipe and bring the magic of Cantonese cooking to your kitchen!

Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

Serving: 2 to 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Marinate time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

For the chicken:
1 ½ pounds chicken breasts, skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
Pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper
1/2 tablespoon rice wine
1 egg white
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
4 cups oil, for frying

For the batter
1 ½ cups cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 large egg
1 tablespoon oil
3/4 cup water

For the sauce:
1 cup water
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/6 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons water

For the stir-frying:
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 medium onion, cubed
1/2 medium green bell pepper, cubed
1/2 medium red bell pepper, cubed
1/2 cup pineapple, cubed

Sweet and Sour Chicken Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken:

• In a bowl, add the chicken breast and salt, and combine until the chicken has fully absorbed the salt. Then, add the white pepper, rice wine, egg white, and cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water). Mix well and marinate for 10 minutes.

2. Make the sauce:

• In a bowl, mix together the water, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and ketchup. Whisk.

3. Make the batter:

• In a large mixing bowl, add the cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, egg, salt, oil, and water. Whisk until smooth.
• Add the chicken to the batter and mix well.

4. Fry the chicken:

• In a pot over high heat, add the oil. Heat it up to 350°F or 177°C. Deep fry the chicken in batches for about 5 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove the chicken. Do the same with the rest.
• Heat up the oil to 375°F or 191°C. Return the chicken and fry for 1 minute until crispy. Remove and drain the chicken.

5. Stir-frying:

• In a wok over high heat, add oil, onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper. Stir fry for about 30 seconds. Remove.
• In the same wok over medium heat, pour the sauce inside, and add the cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water). Stir until it’s thickened.
• Return vegetables and chicken. Also, place the pineapple inside. Toss everything together.

Notes:

• Chef Luo shared with me that when he first started cooking about 40 years ago, they did not use ketchup in sweet and sour chicken. It’s only in recent years that people have started adding ketchup. So, it’s really up to your preference.
• Double frying will solve the problem of soggy chicken. Here’s the logic behind it. When the exterior temperature is hotter than the interior temperature, it forces the oil from the inside to come out.