Sweet and Sour Chicken

Why this dinner works

Most weeknight one-pot dinners ask you to choose between two evils: a five-ingredient bowl that tastes like the inside of a saucepan, or a recipe so layered it eats your entire evening. Sweet and Sour Chicken sits comfortably in the middle. It draws on Chinese traditions where building flavor in stages — aromatics, then spice, then the slow swell of liquid into starch — is just how dinner gets made on a regular Tuesday.

The whole thing comes together in about 78 minutes in a single soup pot, which means dinner from idea to table is shorter than most podcast episodes. We've leaned on the everyday 13 ingredients listed below, but in the notes after the recipe you'll find the small swaps and shortcuts that make this dish forgiving when your fridge is half-empty.

Method

1. Step 1. Coat the chicken with egg white:
2. Step 2. In a bowl, combine the chicken with the egg white, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Step 3. Make the sweet and sour sauce:
4. Step 4. Whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and brown sugar.
5. Step 5. Stir-fry the chicken over high heat:
6. Step 6. Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates. Pour in 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. It's important that the pan is very hot.
7. Step 7. Add the chicken and spread the pieces out in one layer. Let the chicken fry untouched for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned.
8. Step 8. Flip and fry the other side for 1 minute. The chicken should still be pinkish in the middle. Dish out the chicken onto a clean plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
9. Step 9. Stir-fry the bell pepper and ginger:
10. Step 10. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Let the oil heat up before adding the bell pepper chunks and ginger. Fry for 1 minute.
11. Step 11. Add the pineapple, sauce, and then, the chicken:
12. Step 12. Add the pineapple chunks and the sweet and sour sauce. Turn up the heat to high. When the sauce is simmering, add the chicken pieces back in.
13. Step 13. Let simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Timing depends on how thick you've cut your chicken. The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to take a piece out and cut into it. If it's pink, add another minute to the cooking.
14. Step 14. Adjust the seasoning and serve:
15. Step 15. Taste the sauce and add more brown sugar or vinegar to suit your tastes, if you’d like.
16. Step 16. Serve hot with steamed white or brown rice.

Cook's notes

One pan, fewer dishes. Use the widest, heaviest soup pot you own with a tight-fitting lid. The wider base means faster browning at the start; the lid traps the gentle steam that finishes the dish without scorching the bottom.

Salt as you go. Season the aromatics, season the protein, season the liquid before it reduces. By the time you taste at the end, the only adjustment is usually acid — a squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a final crack of pepper.

Make it ahead. Like most one-pot dinners with chinese roots, the leftovers are arguably better the next day. Cool quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen things back up.

Pairings & serving

This one feels best in a 6-bowl spread with a sharp green salad and something cold to drink. If you want to stretch it for unexpected company, double the liquid and a single starchy ingredient — rice, pasta, potatoes, depending on the recipe — and the whole pan grows without much extra work.

Watch it cooked

If you're a visual learner, there's a free walkthrough of this dish on YouTube.

Original recipe inspiration: source.