Chicken in sweet and sour sauce with pineapples, vegetables, rice, bell pepper. Recipes in the oven, slow cooker

Like all Chinese dishes, chicken in sweet and sour sauce has ancient roots and a rich history. Thousands of years ago, it was prepared only for the emperor’s table, according to a secret recipe that was passed down from generation to generation.

In modern cooking, the dish has become popular in many countries, which is why it has inevitably undergone many changes and modifications. In order to achieve a characteristic shade and taste, apple cider vinegar and sugar are traditionally used. Any acid makes meat more tender and helps in its absorption by the body. Apple cider vinegar in small doses is very useful - it speeds up the body's metabolism, stimulates digestion and makes the dish truly dietary. In the mid-15th century, along with a wave of travelers and conquerors, Chinese culture began to gain popularity in other countries. First of all, this affected the original cuisine of China. The combination of ingredients unusual for European people into harmonious and tasty dishes has made the entire Western world fall in love with it. So much so that now Chinese cuisine is considered one of the most delicious in the world, and one of its main dishes - chicken in sweet and sour sauce - is prepared everywhere in its own way.

I came across this dish in a restaurant, wanting to try something both exotic and oriental, but not too unusual. The sweetness alarmed me, but in the end I realized that in this dish the sweet and sour taste of the sauce is the main “trick”. Tender chicken meat, as it turns out, goes well with the vinegary sourness and sweetness of honey or pineapples. By the way, fruit is not a necessary ingredient; according to different recipes, sugar, honey, and fruit can add a sweet note. It turns out very tasty if you add various vegetables: onions, carrots, garlic, green beans and sweet peppers. Vegetables generally play a big role and without them it’s already a little sad. But those who don’t like them shouldn’t be upset either; it’s quite possible to cook deliciously without them. For example, I know many who don’t like onions and this doesn’t stop them from putting them there and compensating for its absence with garlic.

Later I realized that chicken in sweet and sour sauce is so easy to prepare that you don’t need to be a professional chef or work in a restaurant. Even the beautiful appearance of colorful sesame pieces and grains can be easily replicated at home in a regular kitchen. It only took a couple of experiments to understand the basics of the dish and even begin to improvise. I hope you, too, will be able to easily cook such chicken and take a short trip to the east.

Let's take a look at five fairly popular options.

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General principles of cooking

Chicken in sweet and sour sauce with pineapples is an example of a classic dish of Pan-Asian oriental cuisine. The peculiarities of this type of cooking are considered to be a combination of several facets of taste (for example, sour and sweet or spicy and sweet).

About 20-25 years ago, only professional chefs in narrow establishments specializing in Asian cuisine could cook poultry with sweet sauces and ingredients. Over time, the recipe was adjusted and began to be used for preparing the dish not only in 75% of establishments in Russia, but even at home.

Depending on the culinary skills of the cook, as well as the technical equipment of his kitchen, Pan-Asian style chicken with pineapples can be prepared:

• in the oven;
• in a multicooker or similar household devices;
• in a non-stick frying pan.

The basic principles of preparing the dish in question include:

• strict adherence to the proportions recommended by the recipe (otherwise the sauce may become cloying or too sour);
• careful selection of ingredients (pineapples should be fresh or, in some cases, canned; chicken should be used chilled with a minimum shelf life);
• compliance with the temperature regime when preparing a dish, regardless of the equipment used in the work process.

Chicken in sweet and sour sauce Chinese style at home

Remove the dish from the heat. Leave the chicken with pineapples in the sweet and sour sauce under the lid for 7 minutes. Transfer the dish to a serving plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions.

Chicken with pineapples looks delicious and has a recognizable Asian taste. This dish can be served with boiled rice or potatoes.

Try this Chinese dish. Bon appetit!

Oven recipes

According to the classic recipe, chicken in sweet and sour sauce with pineapples must be cooked in the oven at a temperature not exceeding 200 degrees Celsius.

Otherwise, the poultry meat will dry out and begin to disintegrate into fibers, which will negatively affect the taste of the dish as a whole.

Ingredients

To prepare this dish you will need a minimum set of ingredients:

Chicken in Chinese sweet and sour sauce with pineapples

Canned pineapples in light syrup work best for this recipe. I recommend that you carefully consider the choice of soy sauce, one of the main components of Chinese cuisine. The sauce must be prepared by natural fermentation. A product that can be heated is ideal.

The recipe uses traditional Chinese spices - red pepper and ginger. It is best to fry chicken in coconut, soy or canola oil. These varieties are resistant to high temperatures and do not form carcinogens when fried. As a last resort, fry in refined vegetable oil.

Cooking time – 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

• apple (or regular) vinegar – 1.5 tbsp. l.
• soy sauce – 3 tbsp. l.
• soybean oil – 2 tbsp. l.
• pineapples in syrup – 250 g
• tomato paste – 1.5 tbsp. l.
• starch - 2.5 tbsp. l.
• chicken fillet – 0.5 kg
• hot pepper flakes – 0.5 tsp.
• ground pepper – 0.7 tsp.
• ginger – 1 tsp.
• garlic – 2 cloves
• green onions, sesame seeds for serving.

How to cook chicken in sweet and sour sauce:

Clean the chicken fillet from chaff and fat, rinse in running water, and dry in a towel. Cut into cubes weighing approximately 15 g. Do not add salt.

Set aside a teaspoon of starch to thicken the sauce. Pour the rest of the starch into a tight bag and place the chicken pieces in it. Roll the meat on all sides in starch (shake the bag vigorously), excess breading will remain in the bag.

Heat a frying pan with oil and add chicken pieces. Fry over high heat until golden brown.

Turn the meat over and continue cooking in the same way. Pour in soy sauce, add tomato paste.

Pour pineapple syrup (about 100-120 ml) into a separate glass, add starch, stir the contents until dissolved.

Place pineapple pieces in a frying pan and pour in syrup. Stir the dish and cover the pan with a lid. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Make sure that the sauce does not thicken too much; if necessary, you can add a little hot water.

At the end of cooking, add all the prepared spices and garlic passed through a press. Cook for another 2 minutes.

Step-by-step cooking process

It is recommended to prepare the classic version of the dish in question according to the algorithm below:

1. To begin, rinse the chicken fillet under running water, after removing the skin and bones (if any).
2. Next, the poultry meat needs to be cut into medium-sized pieces, put them in a deep plate, pour soy sauce and salt. The optimal time for marinating chicken is 30 – 40 minutes.
3. When the chicken is marinated, place it on a baking sheet, pre-greased with oil, and put it in the oven to bake until golden brown.
4. While the chicken is cooking, it is a good idea to prepare the vegetables. To do this, you need to wash the pepper, peel it from the seeds, and then cut it into small cubes.

5. When the baked meat acquires the required color, you need to add pepper and canned pineapples, cut into small pieces.
6. It is recommended to return the baking dish with the main ingredients to the oven and cook until the peppers are completely softened.
7. After 20 minutes, add a sauce consisting of mixed ketchup, soy sauce and finely chopped ginger root to the vegetables and meat.
8. Next, the dish should be returned to the oven and baked for at least another 10 minutes.

How to cook chicken in sweet and sour sauce with pineapples and starch at home

Ingredients:

• 500 gr. Chicken fillet
• 100 gr. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. l. Vinegar
• 30 gr. Sahara
• 5 gr. Salts
• 100 gr. Canned pineapples
• 50 gr. Starch
• 20 gr. Tomato paste
• 1 PC. Luke
• 1 PC. bell pepper

How to cook:

Step 1. Chop the chicken into small pieces. Pour in soy sauce, marinate for 20-30 minutes.

Step 2. Cut the onion and pepper into cubes.

Step 3. Bread the chicken with starch.

Step 4. Fry the meat in a frying pan in vegetable oil until golden brown. Transfer to a plate.

Step 5. Place vegetables in a frying pan from under the meat, add tomato paste and vinegar.

Step 6. Add chopped pineapples.

Step 7. Add sugar, salt, starch. Mix. Fry for five minutes.

Step 8. Transfer the pieces of meat to the frying pan. Mix. Remove from heat.

Garnish with herbs and serve. Bon appetit!

In a slow cooker

Chicken in sweet and sour sauce with pineapples can turn out no less juicy if you cook it not in the oven, but in a slow cooker.

To do this, the cook will need:

How to cook pan-Asian style chicken:

1. It is recommended to wash the chicken meat and then cut it into thin strips.
2. Next, place the meat in a pre-oiled multicooker bowl, then, setting the “Baking” mode, fry the chicken until fully cooked.
3. While the poultry is roasting (without a lid), you need to prepare the remaining ingredients for further use. To do this, you need to peel the seeds from the pepper, cut it into small cubes, and transform the pineapple rings into small square pieces.
4. Next, you need to prepare the sauce by mixing starch with lemon juice, soy sauce and finely grated garlic.

5. When the chicken meat is fried, it must be removed from the multicooker, replacing it with pepper, which, covered with a lid, will need to be simmered for 10-15 minutes. until softened.
6. When the pepper becomes soft, add chicken and pineapples to it, and after 10 minutes. and ready sauce.
7. The optimal cooking time is 10 minutes. in the multicooker on the “Baking” mode, with the lid open.

Summarizing

By following the basic principles of cooking, you can get an excellent dinner or lunch:

• The Chinese cook it in a wok. You can use a deep and wide frying pan with thick walls and high edges;
• It is better to cut all components into thin strips;
• Instead of table or apple cider vinegar, use rice or balsamic vinegar;
• Starch should be diluted in advance in water;
• Prepare in stages, frying the meat first and only then the vegetables.

In addition to pepper, onions, eggplants, green beans and other vegetables are added there as desired. Sesame seeds sprinkled on top will help add extra zest. The dish cooks very quickly over high heat, so the total cooking time takes no more than 20 minutes.

In a frying pan

To prepare this dish in a frying pan, the cook will need a standard set of products necessary for the vast majority of pan-Asian-style dishes:

The cooking algorithm for the dish in question looks like this:

1. Poultry meat must be washed, dried with paper towels, and then cut into thin strips across the grain.
2. Next, in a separate plate you need to mix soy sauce, spices and paprika, then roll each piece of previously chopped chicken in the resulting mixture.
3. After removing the seeds, the pepper should be washed, cut into small cubes and fried in a heated frying pan with olive oil for 5-7 minutes.

4. After the specified time, you need to add chicken to the pepper and continue to fry the ingredients, stirring them occasionally.
5. While the main ingredients are being prepared, you need to pour the pineapple juice into a separate container, add starch to it and mix thoroughly.
6. Canned fruit, diced, must be added to the meat and pepper and, after 10 minutes. pour in the pre-prepared sauce.
7. Next, you need to simmer the finished dish over low heat until the sauce becomes thick.

Chicken in Chinese sweet and sour sauce with pineapples and honey

Ingredients:

• 120 gr. green beans
• carrot
• 30 gr. honey
• soy sauce
• 23 ml vinegar
• 500 rub. chicken breast
• 100 gr. potato starch
• vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp. l. grated ginger
• 0.5 cans of canned pineapples
• 2 peppers
• 25 gr. tomato paste

Recipe options

Given the popularity of the classic recipe for sweet and sour chicken with pineapple, chefs have begun to modify it by adding ingredients or adjusting the taste of the dish by using alternative products.

Chinese style with pineapples

To prepare Chinese chicken you will need:

It is recommended that the culinary specialist build his work process based on the algorithm below:

1. Chicken meat must be washed, then cut into small cubes and marinated in soy sauce for 30-40 minutes.

2. While the poultry meat is marinating, you need to wash the pepper, remove the seeds, then cut it into small pieces and fry in a heated frying pan with a little oil.
3. Next, add finely chopped tomato to the pepper and simmer the vegetables until the pepper softens as much as possible.
4. Then you need to peel the ginger root and grate it on a fine grater.
5. When the pepper is soft enough, add grated ginger and diced pineapple to the already fried vegetables.
6. After 5-7 minutes. It is recommended to pour juice from canned pineapples, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and ketchup into the frying pan.
7. To make the sauce viscous, you need to add starch, previously dissolved in a small amount of filtered water.
8. When the sauce reaches the desired condition, you need to remove it from the heat and return to cooking the chicken.
9. Add flour and starch to the marinated chicken, then mix and fry in a frying pan.
10. At the final stage, the finished chicken should be mixed with the sauce and the main ingredients should be simmered in a heated frying pan for 15 minutes.

In Thai

To prepare Thai chicken you will need:

Chicken in sweet and sour sauce, Thai recipe.

The cooking algorithm for the dish in question looks like this:

1. All vegetables must be washed, peeled (if any), and then cut into small cubes or strips.
2. Chicken meat must be washed and finely chopped across the grain.
3. It is recommended to peel fresh pineapple and cut into medium-sized cubes.
4. To prepare the sauce, mix the remaining ingredients.
5. Having rolled the chicken pieces in flour, you need to fry them in a hot frying pan, then put them on a separate dish, and continue cooking the vegetables in the frying pan until they are completely softened.
6. When the vegetables are cooked in their own juice, add chicken to them and pour in the pre-made sauce.
7. The optimal simmering time is 30 minutes. on low heat.

In Japanese

Chicken in sweet and sour sauce with pineapples for its preparation involves the use of:

The best way to prepare the dish in question is:

1. Chicken meat must be washed in running water, then poured with soybean sauce and left to soak for 45 minutes.
2. After the specified time has elapsed, starch and wheat flour should be added to the chicken pieces, and then all ingredients should be thoroughly mixed.
3. It is further recommended to heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan, and then place the chicken in it so that the oil completely covers it. Fry the chicken this way for no longer than 3-5 minutes.
4. After the specified time, it is recommended to place the chicken on paper towels so that excess oil drains from the meat.
5. Then you need to place the chopped peppers in a hot frying pan without oil and fry until half cooked.
6. Next, you need to add chopped pineapples, apple cider vinegar and canned pineapple juice to the pepper.
7. After 2-3 minutes. It is recommended to add starch, tomato paste and previously cooked chicken to the sauce.
8. The optimal time for stewing the dish is 5-7 minutes. under a closed lid.

With vegetables

To prepare chicken with vegetables and pineapples in sweet and sour sauce you will need:

How to cook chicken in sweet and sour sauce with pineapples and vegetables:

1. Chicken meat must be washed and cut into medium-sized pieces, then place them in a deep plate.

2. Next, add pepper, salt, starch and egg white to the chicken, then mix thoroughly and leave the meat to marinate for 40 minutes.
3. The onion should be peeled and then cut into small cubes. Do the same with peppers, tomatoes and pineapple.
4. The garlic must be passed through a special press or finely chopped.
5. To prepare the sauce for chicken, mix tomato paste, sugar, vinegar and sauces in a separate container.
6. Next, you need to pour oil into the frying pan, heat it, and then place pieces of chicken on the bottom so that they are completely hidden by the oil.
7. After 8-10 minutes. The chicken must be removed from the boiling oil and placed in a colander, allowing excess oil to drain from the meat on its own.
8. All prepared vegetables must be fried until fully cooked, mixing them in random order.
9. When the vegetables are ready, add the chicken to them and pour in the previously prepared sauce.
10. The optimal time for stewing the dish under the lid is 15 minutes.

With rice

Chicken in sweet and sour sauce is usually served with rice. This side dish, due to its dryness and neutral taste, helps to offset the excessive sweetness of canned pineapples.

To prepare this dish, the cook will need:

The standard algorithm used by chefs to prepare the dish in question looks like this:

1. Chicken meat must be washed, cut into small pieces, and then fried in oil for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
2. Next, you need to cut the peppers, carrots and onions into small cubes, after peeling the vegetables.

3. Vegetables should be fried in a hot frying pan with a small amount of sunflower oil, and then pour soy sauce and tomato paste into them and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes.
4. After the specified amount of time, garlic, finely chopped pineapples and pre-cooked chicken must be added to the prepared vegetables.
5. The optimal cooking time is 30 minutes.
6. While the meat and vegetables are stewing, it is recommended to cook the rice according to the standard algorithm in lightly salted water.
7. It is recommended to serve the finished dish hot, placing rice and chicken in sweet and sour sauce on a plate without stirring.

With white rice wine

Chicken in sweet and sour sauce with pineapple, which is prepared using white rice wine, has a more delicate taste and is also considered the least irritating to the gastrointestinal mucosa.

To prepare this dish you need:

Prepare chicken in sweet and sour sauce with pineapples and rice wine as follows:

1. The chicken meat must be washed, then placed in a separate dish, poured with rice wine (about 20 ml) and left for 20 minutes.
2. In a separate container you need to mix starch, flour and water, and then let the mixture sit for 20 minutes.
3. While the chicken is marinating, it is recommended to prepare the sauce by mixing ketchup, hot sauce, rice vinegar, remaining rice wine, soy sauce, spices (optional) and oil.
4. Then you should wash, peel and chop the vegetables, and chop the pineapples into medium-sized cubes.

5. Next, you need to heat the frying pan, then pour the wine in which the chicken was marinated into it, add salt and lay out the chicken pieces, previously greased in a mixture of starch, flour and water.
6. The chicken must be fried until fully cooked, and then transferred to a separate dish, replacing the meat with previously prepared vegetables and pineapples in the frying pan.
7. Having brought the vegetables and pineapples to half-cookedness, you need to pour in the sauce and add the chicken, then simmer the dish under a closed lid for 20 minutes.

With sesame

To prepare chicken in sweet and sour sauce with sesame seeds you need:

You can make chicken in sweet and sour sauce with sesame seeds like this:

1. Chicken meat needs to be washed and then cut into small cubes.
2. Next, the bird should be fried in a hot frying pan with a small amount of oil.
3. After this, add finely chopped pineapple and tomato to the meat, mix the ingredients, and then cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
4. After the specified time, you also need to pour vinegar, water into the frying pan, and also add tomato paste and granulated sugar.
5. Next, you need to mix all the ingredients, cover the pan with a lid and simmer the dish over medium heat for 40 minutes.
6. In 5 min. Before the main ingredients are ready, it is recommended to add sesame seeds.

The dish is ready.

With ginger and honey

To cook chicken in sweet and sour sauce with ginger and honey, the cook will need:

It is recommended to prepare the dish in question according to the standard algorithm:

1. Chicken meat must be washed and cut into small, flat pieces.

2. Next, the meat should be poured with soy sauce, then left to marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Vegetables and fruits need to be peeled, cut into small cubes, and then add grated ginger root to them.
4. In two frying pans, separately fry a mixture of vegetables, ginger and fruits. Chicken should be cooked without oil.
5. Next, you should mix the starch with a small amount of water, and then, having combined the chicken with vegetables, add the starch composition to the main ingredients, which helps increase the thickness of the sauce. It is recommended to simmer the dish covered for at least 20 minutes.
6. It is recommended to add honey to a fully prepared dish. If you add honey earlier, it will lose its beneficial properties.

Useful tips and tricks

The process of preparing pan-Asian style chicken can be made easier if you use the recommendations of professional chefs when organizing your work:

• The dish should be served after 10 minutes. from the moment of its preparation (during this time it will be able to cool to a comfortable temperature, without changing its taste properties);
• so that the chicken, when fried separately from other ingredients, turns out golden brown, it is recommended to pre-lubricate it with a thin layer of soy sauce (if the recipe does not provide for its marinating in a similar composition);
• vegetables need to be cooked in vegetable oil, regardless of whether they are fried, baked or stewed (this is the only way to maintain the juiciness of the dish).

It is in combination with chicken that the sweet and sour sauce reveals itself most clearly. And exotic ingredients, such as pineapples, sesame seeds or ginger, added to the meat, complement the taste of the final dish, softening the richness of the sauce. It is recommended to cook poultry in the Pan-Asian oriental style in strict accordance with the recipe, observing not only the quantity of ingredients specified in the instructions, but also the duration of their preparation separately.