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This easy recipe for sweet and sour chicken is made with a delicious plum sauce, healthy stir fried vegetables and slices of juicy plums. If you prefer your sweet and sour without pineapple then this plum chicken recipe is definitely worth a try!!

Weekend Fakeaway

A healthy sweet and sour chicken is a great alternative to that friday night takeaway. I do love a good fakeaway recipe on a weekend and if sweet and sour isn't your thing then theres always sesame seed chicken, thai red curry, thai green curry, fish biryani or chicken noodle soup.

Where does Sweet and Sour Chicken originate from?

This is a dish found in most Western Chinese restaurants. In particular sweet and sour pork is a very popular westernised Cantonese dish. Some areas in China have a pork dish made with sugar and vinegar, which is thought to be the ancestor of sweet and sour. However, the recipe used in todays western restaurants is very different. This has been greatly influenced by the low supply of certain foods and spices when Chinese restaurants first started opening in China Town, America in the early 1900s.

Sweet and sour chicken ingredients

What is sweet and sour sauce made of?

For a dish that is similar to that in Western Chinese restaurants, the sauce is usually made with vinegar, tomato ketchup and soy sauce. For this recipe I also included a couple of tablespoons of jarred plum sauce to add to the sweetness and enhance the flavour of the fresh plums.

Ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce:

2 tablespoon Tomato ketchup
2 tablespoon Plum sauce (shop bought)
1 tablespoon Honey
2 tablespoon Sweet chilli sauce
1 tablespoon Rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Soy sauce

Ingredients for the plum chicken:

½ tablespoon oil
1 Clove garlic finely chopped
2 Chicken breasts cubed (400g)
1 Yellow bell pepper (150g)
1 Red bell pepper (150g)
2 Medium tomatoes roughly chopped (150g)
100g plums stones removed and quartered
3 Spring onions - green parts sliced (optional)
Sprinkle of chilli flakes (optional)

Plums leftover? Try them in a delicious Plum and rhubarb crumble.

How to make sweet and sour chicken (Step-by-Step)

Start by making the sweet and sour sauce: In a small bowl mix together 2 tablespoon tomato ketchup, 2 tablespoon plum sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Stir together well then put to one side.
Place a large pan or wok on a medium heat and add ½ tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot add the garlic and cubed raw chicken. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned all over.
Keeping the pan on a medium heat add the red peppers, yellow peppers and tomatoes to the chicken. Stir fry for a couple of minutes until vegetables start to go soft.
Next add the freshly sliced plums and the sweet and sour sauce made earlier. Mix together well and bring to a gentle simmer.
Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the chicken has cooked through.
Serve up in bowls (with rice if desired) and top with sliced spring onions and chilli flakes.

Sweet and sour chicken Hong Kong style

For a sweet and sour chicken that is Hong Kong style you will just need to alter the way the chicken is cooked in this recipe. This recipe stir fries the chicken in a little oil. Hong Kong style uses crispy sweet and sour chicken made by coating the raw chicken in a batter or in breadcrumbs and then deep fried until golden.

How long can you keep sweet and sour chicken?

This recipe will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days or will freeze well for up to 3 months. Make sure the dish is fully cooled before storing in the fridge or freezer. When reheating make sure the sweet and sour is thoroughly defrosted first and then heat through in a large pan or wok until piping hot.

Sweet and Sour Chicken (with plums & plum sauce)