Description
This Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Chicken is crispy, juicy, and bursting with flavor. It’s a perfect quick meal for busy weeknights, delivering the delicious taste of sweet and sour chicken with less oil. Enjoy a healthier take on a family favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut to 1 inch 2-cm pieces *Footnote 1
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons ketchup *Footnote 1
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce or soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1/2 small white onion chopped
- 1 bell pepper chopped (I used a mix of colors in this recipe)
Instructions
- Toss the chicken pieces with vegetable oil and salt in a large bowl and let them sit for 10 minutes to marinate.
- Sprinkle cornstarch over the chicken and mix until coated unevenly with some dry cornstarch remaining.
- Place the chicken in the air fryer basket without overlapping and spray oil to cover the dry cornstarch before cooking.
- Air fry at 450°F 230°C for 8 minutes until the chicken turns pale yellow.
- Flip or shake the basket and cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes until golden brown.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate to cool slightly.
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix thoroughly.
- Heat oil in a large skillet until hot, then add garlic and ginger and cook briefly until fragrant.
- Add bell pepper and white onion to the skillet and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Stir the sauce again to dissolve cornstarch fully and pour it into the pan, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and toss to coat with the sauce evenly.
- Serve the dish immediately while hot.
Notes
- I highly recommend using chicken thigh for this dish to keep the meat juicy after air frying
- Chicken breast tends to dry out quickly, but reducing the air frying time by 3 to 4 minutes can help if preferred
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Air Fryer
Nutrition
- Calories: 306kcal
- Sugar: 10.5g
- Sodium: 908mg
- Fat: 10.3g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Carbohydrates: 23.5g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 27.6g
- Cholesterol: 81mg