Sweet and Sour Pineapple Chicken
Serves 4
Adapted from Dinner Then Dessert
⅓ cup brown sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce (optional)
½ cup cornstarch
1½ pounds chicken breast, cut into 1-2 inch chunks
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup flour
¼ cup avocado oil
1½ cup pineapple chunks
2 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 onion, cut into chunks
Aim to have the pineapple chunks, bell pepper chunks, and onion chunks all roughly the same size. It makes it easier for everything to cook evenly and looks nice on the plate!
2 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Sesame seeds, for garnish
1½-2 cups rice, rinsed and cooked according to your preferred method, for serving
In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, pineapple juice, and hoisin sauce until everything has blended and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Add the cornstarch to a large plastic bag followed by the chicken pieces. Shake everything up until all the chicken pieces are well coated. Remove the chicken from the bag and dip it first into the egg and then into the flour before setting aside.
In a large frying pan, add the avocado oil and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add chicken the and fry in in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. You want the pieces in a single layer and not to touch.
Fry the chicken until cooked through and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Set the chicken aside and continue cooking the remaining chicken pieces.
When done cooking, remove all but 1 tablespoon of oil. Reduce heat to medium and add the bell peppers and onions, and cook until the onions are glassy and the bell peppers have softened a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the pineapple and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.
Pour the the sauce back in and stir to coat the pieces and cook for 1 minute to help everything blend. Add the fried chicken pieces back to the pan and stir until the sauce has thickened and bubbles.
Remove from heat and serve with cooked rice and top with green onions and sesame seeds.
Enjoy!