Sweet and Sour Chicken

Are you expecting sudden guests for dinner and in search of something that is quick, easy to prepare and delicious to taste as well? Well, cooking has not always been my favorite pastime, but then there are times when you need to don the apron and whip up something for your bunch of friends who are waiting to test your culinary skills! In that case, I was lucky to have some tried and tested recipes at hand (Thanks to my folks at home), which included different ways to make sweet and sour chicken to satiate hungry stomachs. I chose the one that was fairly easy and a time saver, but I have a few sweet and sour chicken recipes in store for you. Here’s a look.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipes:

Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe:
Ingredients:
Small onion - diced (1)
Salt (1/2 teaspoon)
Pepper (1/2 teaspoon)
Garlic cloves - minced (2)
Vegetable cooking spray
Uncooked long grain rice (1 cup)
Sweet-and-sour dressing (1 cup)
Low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
Green onions-chopped (2)
Red bell pepper - chopped (1 medium)
Skinned and boned chicken thighs (2 pounds)

Preparation:
Begin by sprinkling some salt and pepper over the chicken thighs. Cook the chicken in a Dutch oven till it turns brown. Ensure that the Dutch oven is coated with cooking spray. Cook over medium to high heat for a period of 2-3 minutes. Also ensure that each side is browned. Once brown, remove this from the pan and place it aside.

Add some garlic, onion and bell pepper to the Dutch oven that is coated with the cooking spray. Cook this for just about 5 minutes. Then add some rice and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the dressing along with the broth and some chicken pieces. Bring this to a boil. Cover this preparation and reduce the heat. Let it simmer for about 45 minutes and allow the liquid to get absorbed. Sprinkle this with some green onions.

Stir Fried Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe:
Ingredients:
Sesame seeds (optional)
Boneless and skinless chicken breast (3)
Green bell pepper - cut into long thin pieces (1)
Clove of garlic – chopped (1)
Coconut oil (2 1/2 tbsp.)
Sweet and sour sauce of reputed brand (1 jar)

Preparation:
First you would need to cube the chicken into the required kind of chunks. Once done, place this aside. Now, heat some oil over low heat and add the sesame seeds along with the chopped garlic to this. Stir this mixture well and then turn the heat to a medium high. Now, add the chicken to this preparation. Once you add it, stir fry it and ensure it is cooked thoroughly. Then, add some sweet and sour sauce and some bell pepper to this. Keep stirring this on a low heat. Once through, cover this preparation and let it simmer for at least 10 minutes. Check to see if the bell pepper is soft and tender. Serve hot!

Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe (With Pineapple):
Ingredients:
Soy sauce (2 tablespoons)
Oil – divided (1 teaspoon)
Chicken broth (1/8 cup)
Pineapple chunks in juice (2 cups)
Cornstarch (1 tablespoon)
Brown sugar (1 tablespoon)
White vinegar (2 tablespoons)
Boneless and skinless chicken breast – cubed (1/2 pound)
Small Red bell pepper - cored and cubes (1)
Small green bell pepper - cored and cubes (1)
Small onion - cut in wedges (1)
Snow peas - ends trimmed (1/2 cup)
Cooked rice - hot (2 cups)

Preparation:
First, drain the pineapple juice in a small bowl and place the pineapple aside. Then, whisk some cornstarch into the juice. Add some sugar along with the vinegar and the soy sauce. Now, in a non-stick skillet or a wok, spray some cooking spray and place it over high heat. Heat around ½ teaspoon of oil in this along with some broth. Then, add half a chicken and stir fry this for about 2 minutes till it gets cooked thoroughly. The juices that run from this mixture should be clear. Remove this entire mixture from the wok. Then, repeat the procedure with the remaining portions of chicken and remove from wok. More broth can be added as per the requirements. Then, add around ½ teaspoon oil to this along with the onions, snow peas and the red and green peppers. Broth can also be added to it. Stir fry this for about 2 minutes or till it turns tender.

Once done, add the pineapple and the cornstarch juice mixture to the wok. Cook it well with constant stirring. Cook the preparation for about 2 minutes or wait till the mixture thickens. Place the chicken back in the wok and heat it thoroughly. Serve hot with a generous helping of rice.