Celebrate Chinese New Year with a Delicious Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

It’s almost the Chinese New Year and time to celebrate the Year of the Rooster. From January 28 to February 2, communities around the world will celebrate all the excitement that the Lunar New Year brings. I love the traditions and ceremonies surrounding Chinese New Year – time with family, friends and special feasts and dishes. To celebrate the Year of the Rooster we are partnering with Real Canadian Superstore and No Frills to bring you a special dish (Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe) featuring some fantastic Rooster products I picked up at the Real Canadian Superstore at Don Mills without breaking the bank. As I walking around the store, I noticed they had everything for Chinese New Year including fresh produce like Shanghai Bok Choy and dragon fruit to a great selection of authentic T&T and Roster products. They even had colourful décor! It’s a great time to make this Sweet and Sour Chicken Dish featuring great taste and authentic flavour. The perfect combination!

Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 ¾ (425 mL) Rooster Brand™ 100% Pure Corn Starch
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) Chinese rice wine (Shao Hsing) or dry sherry
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) Rooster Brand™ Superior Soy Sauce
• 2 tsp (10 mL) Rooster Brand™ Superior Dark Soy Sauce
• 450 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 cups (1 L) Rooster Brand™ 100% Pure Canola Oil

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) Rooster Brand™ 100% Pure Canola Oil
• 2 cloves Rooster Brand™ garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) minced peeled fresh ginger
• Half small red onion, cut into bite size pieces
• Half sweet red pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
• Half sweet green pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup (250 mL) chopped cored peeled fresh pineapple (bite-size pieces)
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp (25 mL) packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp (25mL) ketchup
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) Rooster Brand™ Superior Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) Chinese rice wine (Shao Hsing) or dry sherry
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) Rooster Brand™ 100% Pure Corn Starch
• 2 green onions, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths

Directions:

1. Separate 1 egg; place egg white in large bowl and place egg yolk in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate egg yolk until needed.
2. Add 1 tbsp cornstarch, rice wine, soy sauce and dark soy sauce to egg white; whisk until well combined. Add chicken; stir to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour.
3. Add remaining whole egg to reserved egg yolk; whisk until well combined. Add to marinated chicken; stir to coat. Place remaining cornstarch in separate large bowl. Working in batches, toss chicken in cornstarch to coat. Remove from cornstarch, shaking off excess; transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Once all chicken is coated, return all chicken at once to bowl with cornstarch; toss again to coat. Remove from cornstarch, shaking off excess; return chicken to baking sheet.
4. Heat oil in large deep saucepan or deep-fryer until deep-fryer thermometer reads 350°F (180°C) when inserted in oil. Fry chicken in small batches, turning often, until golden all over, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain. Set aside.
5. Prepare sauce: Heat oil in large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add red onion, red pepper and green pepper; stir-fry until peppers are tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Add pineapple; stir-fry until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Whisk together rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, rice wine, cornstarch and 3/4 cup water in separate small bowl. Add to skillet. Cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened and no longer cloudy, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add cooked chicken; cook, stirring, until coated, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in half of the green onions. Transfer to serving dish; sprinkle with remaining green onions.

Print

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Prep Time

1 hr 30 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

1 hr 55 mins

 

The secret to making the chicken tender and juicy is marinating it and coating in corn starch twice – this keeps the chicken from drying out while adding tons of flavour. Sweet pineapple and crunchy peppers add the perfect balance of flavour and texture to the tangy sweet sauce.

Course: Main

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: 6

Author: Superstore and No Frills

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cup 425 mL Rooster Brand™ 100% Pure Corn Starch
• 1 tbsp 15 mL Chinese rice wine (Shao Hsing) or dry sherry
• 1 tbsp 15 mL Rooster Brand™ Superior Soy Sauce
• 2 tsp 10 mL Rooster Brand™ Superior Dark Soy Sauce
• 450 grams skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 cups 1 L Rooster Brand™ 100% Pure Canola Oil
• Sauce:
• 1 tbsp 15 mL Rooster Brand™ 100% Pure Canola Oil
• 2 cloves Rooster Brand™ garlic minced
• 1 tbsp 15 mL minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 small red onion cut into bite size pieces
• 1/2 sweet red pepper cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 sweet green pepper cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup 250 mL chopped cored peeled fresh pineapple bite-size pieces
• 3 tbsp 45 mL seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp 25 mL packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp 25mL ketchup
• 1 tbsp 15 mL Rooster Brand™ Superior Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp 15 mL Chinese rice wine (Shao Hsing) or dry sherry
• 1 tbsp 15 mL Rooster Brand™ 100% Pure Corn Starch
• 2 green onions cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths

Instructions

1. Separate 1 egg; place egg white in large bowl and place egg yolk in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate egg yolk until needed.
2. Add 1 tbsp cornstarch, rice wine, soy sauce and dark soy sauce to egg white; whisk until well combined. Add chicken; stir to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour.
3. Add remaining whole egg to reserved egg yolk; whisk until well combined. Add to marinated chicken; stir to coat. Place remaining cornstarch in separate large bowl. Working in batches, toss chicken in cornstarch to coat. Remove from cornstarch, shaking off excess; transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Once all chicken is coated, return all chicken at once to bowl with cornstarch; toss again to coat. Remove from cornstarch, shaking off excess; return chicken to baking sheet.
4. Heat oil in large deep saucepan or deep-fryer until deep-fryer thermometer reads 350°F (180°C) when inserted in oil. Fry chicken in small batches, turning often, until golden all over, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain. Set aside.
5. Prepare sauce: Heat oil in large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add red onion, red pepper and green pepper; stir-fry until peppers are tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Add pineapple; stir-fry until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Whisk together rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, rice wine, cornstarch and 3/4 cup water in separate small bowl. Add to skillet. Cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened and no longer cloudy, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add cooked chicken; cook, stirring, until coated, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in half of the green onions. Transfer to serving dish; sprinkle with remaining green onions.

Celebrating the Chinese New Year with a this delicious Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe is easy. It’s perfect for feeding large groups at great value.  Gong Xi Fa Cai/Gong Hey Fat Choy!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Real Canadian Superstore® and No Frills®. As always, all opinions are my own.