-
Preparation
20 minutes
-
Cooking
45 minutes
-
Difficulty
Easy
Sweet and sour chicken breast stir-fry is a popular dish due to its delicious flavor, rich taste, and it pairs well with rice while containing very little fat and being high in protein, which is good for health. Let’s “note down” the recipe for making stir-fried dish from the Into the kitchen section of TasteVN!
Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Chicken Breast Stir-fry Serves 4 people
Chicken breast 3 pieces Green bell pepper 1 piece Red bell pepper 1 piece Onion 1 bulb Tomato 4 pieces Pineapple 1/4 piece (ananas) Chicken egg 1 piece Ketchup/White vinegar 1 tablespoon Cornstarch/flour 1 tablespoon Common seasoning a little (salt/sugar/pepper) Cooking oil 200 ml Ginger a little
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh chicken breast
Chicken breast is the pure lean meat of the chicken, it has no bones, making it very easy to prepare in various forms. The nutritional content in each piece of chicken breast is quite good, especially in terms of calories and fat, which are very low.
- When choosing, use your hand to press the chicken breast to feel its elasticity. If pressing it causes the chicken breast to spring back immediately and feels soft, that is a piece of chicken that is still fresh and can be purchased.
- Fresh and delicious chicken breasts usually have a pink color, and the surface is slightly shiny, making them look very appetizing.
- Choose pieces of breast with fewer stripes in the meat fibers. The more stripes there are, the less fat and protein it contains; moreover, these stripes will make it difficult for the chicken to absorb spices and sauces when cooked.
How to choose fresh bell peppers
- Choose those with a smooth, shiny surface, and still have the stem.
- Choose bright-colored and heavier peppers, as these will be fresher and more nutritious.
- For stir-fry dishes, you should choose male bell peppers as they will be crisper and tastier.
How to choose fresh and delicious tomatoes
- You should choose tomatoes with a bright red outer skin, evenly colored. The outer skin should be intact, without scratches, and firm, indicating fresh and delicious tomatoes.
- Naturally ripened tomatoes usually have a mild fragrance, which can be easily noticed when smelled.
- You should choose tomatoes that still have the stem attached, with the stem still fresh and not wilted. Tomatoes that are naturally ripened often have stems tightly attached to the fruit, so when buying, you can gently pull to see if the stem comes off easily. If not, you can choose to buy them.
See details: How to choose fresh and delicious tomatoes
How to make Sweet and Sour Chicken Breast Stir-fry
-
Prepare the vegetables
First, wash the tomatoes and bell peppers with salt water.
Remove the stems from the tomatoes and dice them.
Cut off the tops and bottoms of the bell peppers, slice them in half and remove all the seeds and core inside. Peel the onion and cut off both ends. Peel the pineapple and remove the eyes.
Cut the onion, bell pepper, and pineapple into bite-sized cubes.
See details: Pocket 10 tips for cutting onions without tears
-
Prepare the chicken breast
To remove the fishy smell from the chicken breast, use a knife to remove the skin, wash with water, then rub salt and crushed ginger all over the chicken breast, and rinse with clean water.
After that, let it drain or use a clean towel to dry, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
How to remove the odor from chicken breast
- You can use a mixture of alcohol and sliced ginger, then rub and massage the entire piece of chicken breast once more to help eliminate the smell and dirt. Rinse well and let drain.
- Alternatively, you can put lemon in the water, soak the chicken breast for 15 – 20 minutes, then take it out, rinse with cold water, and let it drain.
-
Marinate the chicken breast
Put the chopped chicken breast into a large bowl, add a little seasoning (salt and pepper), and mix well to ensure the chicken is seasoned evenly.
Add 1 egg into the bowl, and mix well so that the egg coats the chicken evenly.
Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or flour and mix well.
Tip: To keep the chicken breast from drying out when frying, add a little cornstarch/flour and mix well. The egg and flour create a thin coating that protects the chicken from losing moisture due to heat and increases the crispiness of the chicken.
-
Make the sauce
Put a pan on the stove, heat the pan (without oil). When you feel the pan is hot by holding your hand above it, add the diced tomatoes and stir-fry quickly until soft.
Put the cooked tomatoes into a small sieve to mash finely to extract the sauce and remove the tomato seeds. Add one tablespoon of ketchup to the sauce, season with a little soy sauce, vinegar, and spices.
Add a little water so that the sauce is not too thick, stir well on low heat until the sauce is well combined.
-
Fried Chicken Breast
Place a pot/pan on the stove, fill it with oil, and turn the heat to high to heat the oil. When you see the oil starting to bubble, add the marinated chicken pieces one by one.
Tip: To ensure the chicken pieces fry separately and do not stick together, you should drop each piece into the oil slowly, spacing them a few seconds apart so that the coating on the chicken can dry before adding the next piece to the pan.
Once the chicken is golden and crispy, remove it and place it in a basket to drain the oil.
-
Stir-fried Chicken Breast
Add the sauce to the pan over high heat and cook until it thickens.
Then add the prepped vegetables and stir-fry quickly for about 1 – 2 minutes until they are just cooked.
Tip: To prevent the vegetables from becoming mushy, do not turn the heat too low and do not stir-fry the vegetables for too long.
Add the fried chicken that has drained the oil and toss quickly to coat the chicken evenly with the sauce.
Finally, turn off the heat and plate the dish.
-
Final Product
So we have finished the delicious, flavorful, and nutritious sweet and sour stir-fried chicken breast dish.
The chicken breast is crispy, soaked in the sweet and sour sauce, eaten with fresh, crunchy vegetables, fragrant bell pepper, and a slight sweetness from the onion. This dish is not only very delicious but also extremely good for health, suitable for the family meal menu of every household!
Tips for preparing the dish
To ensure the crispiness and deliciousness of the dish, you should prepare just enough for one meal and eat it immediately, as leaving it out in the air for too long will make it soggy and lose its hot crispiness.
You can marinate the chicken in advance with spices and store it in the refrigerator. When ready to use, take out small portions, coat them in egg and flour, and cook. However, do not store food in the refrigerator for too long as it will reduce the quality and freshness of the ingredients!
See more
The above is a guide on how to transform chicken breast into a sweet and sour chicken stir-fry that is crispy, delicious, extremely simple, and easy to make, which anyone can do. Wishing you success with this sweet and sour chicken stir-fry recipe!
*Images and recipe referenced from the YouTube channel Joe Can Cook.
