Forget takeout with this delicious Sweet and Sour Chicken Bites that can be cooked in an Air Fryer or Oven and are the perfect addition to your Chinese fakeaway night.
Recreating our favourite takeaway dishes at home lets us control the ingredients and stick to our healthy eating goals. Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls with Egg Fried Rice is a family favourite, especially with its crispy batter and sticky, tangy sauce.
Achieving that perfect, crunchy exterior without deep frying was a challenge, but the results from cooking in an air fryer or oven were amazing and just as good as takeout.
My kids devoured the chicken pieces, happily dunking them into the sweet and sour sauce. When my eldest said, “Mum, this is sooo good,” I knew I had a winner. There’s nothing better than seeing my kids enjoy my cooking!
Calories in Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken
This Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken serves 4 and is 250 calories per serving.
If you’re looking for more recipes within the same calorie range, you’ll find an abundance of options in my dedicated collection of 200+ calorie recipes.
If you’re following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it’s important to calculate your daily calorie intake using a reliable calorie calculator. Please note that the calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary based on specific ingredients and serving sizes. Personalizing your calculations is essential to meet your individual needs. By using a calorie calculator, you can make informed choices and stay on track with your dietary goals.
Ingredients Needed
To make this Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken, you will need the following ingredients:
Boneless Chicken Breast: A lean protein that provides a tender and juicy base for the sweet and sour chicken bites. It’s easy to cut into bite-sized pieces and cooks quickly.
Plain Flour: Essential for creating a light coating that helps the cornstarch adhere to the chicken, resulting in a crisp texture when cooked.
Cornstarch: A key ingredient for achieving that perfect crispy exterior. It creates a light, crunchy coating when fried or baked.
Egg White: Acts as a binding agent that helps the flour and cornstarch mixture stick to the chicken, ensuring an even, crisp coating.
Water: Used to thin out the batter mixture, making it easier to coat the chicken evenly without becoming too thick or clumpy.
Sea Salt: Enhances the flavour of the chicken and the coating, ensuring every bite is deliciously seasoned.
Spray Oil: A healthier alternative to deep frying, it helps achieve a golden, crispy exterior when cooking the chicken in an air fryer or oven.
Tomato Paste/Puree: Provides a rich, tangy base for the sauce, adding depth and colour to the dish.
Light Soy Sauce: Adds a salty, umami flavour that balances the sweetness of the sauce and gives it an authentic Chinese taste.
Rice Vinegar: Contributes a mild acidity that enhances the tangy element of the sauce, balancing the sweetness from the jam.
Apricot or Pineapple Jam: Brings a fruity sweetness to the sauce, perfectly complementing the tangy and salty components.
Pinch of Garlic Powder: Adds a subtle hint of garlic flavour, enhancing the overall savouriness of the sauce.
Pinch of Onion Powder: Provides a mild onion flavour that rounds out the taste of the sauce, adding an extra layer of depth.
Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you’re all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.
See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions.
Essential Equipment for Cooking Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken Bites
To craft Sweet and Sour Chicken Bites to perfection, you’ll need a few key pieces of equipment. Firstly, a large baking tray lined with parchment paper is indispensable. This setup ensures the light-battered chicken achieves a delightful golden hue while preventing any sticking issues.
Additionally, a small non-stick saucepan is essential for bubbling the sauce. Its non-stick surface allows for gentle heating, preventing the sauce from heating too quickly and risking burning. This ensures the sauce maintains its perfect balance of sweet and sour flavours, ready to drizzle over the crispy chicken.
For those using an oven:
A large baking tray lined with parchment paper is indispensable. This setup ensures the light-battered chicken achieves a delightful golden hue while preventing any sticking issues.
For those using an air fryer:
Opt for a model with a large capacity of at least 5.7 litres. This size allows you to cook all the chicken in one go, avoiding the need for multiple batches and ensuring each piece comes out perfectly crispy. Additionally, use parchment paper designed for air fryers to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
With these tools on hand, you’re all set to create mouthwatering Sweet and Sour Chicken Bites, whether you choose the oven or air fryer method.
Suggested Side Dishes
Here are some great sides to accompany the sweet and sour chicken
or if you would like more recipe ideas – head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more.
All recipes on Slimming Eats have estimated nutritional information for your convenience.
FAQ for Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken Bites
Can I cook an extra batch of sauce?
Absolutely! You can easily double or triple the sauce recipe if you want extra for dipping or to freeze so you have on hand for another meal. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time slightly, allowing the sauce to thicken properly.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
Yes, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. They tend to be juicier and add a different texture to the dish. Just ensure they are cut into bite-sized pieces and trimmed of any excess fat.
How can I ensure the chicken stays crispy?
To keep the chicken crispy, avoid overcrowding the baking tray or air fryer basket. Cook the chicken in a single layer, ensuring there’s enough space around each piece for proper air circulation.
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Recipe Card
Yield: SERVES 4
Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken Bites
Forget takeout with this delicious Sweet and Sour Chicken Bites that can be cooked in an Air Fryer or Oven and are the perfect addition to your Chinese fakeaway night.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
600g (21oz) of boneless chicken breast
20g (0.7oz) of plain flour
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
1 egg white
1 tablespoon of water
salt and black pepper
low calorie spray
For the sweet and sour sauce:
2 tablespoon of tomato paste (puree)
2 tablespoon of light soy sauce
2 tablespoon of rice vinegar
200ml of water
3 tablespoons of apricot or pineapple jam
½ teaspoon of garlic powder
½ teaspoon of onion powder
Instructions
Air Fryer Method:
Pat the chicken dry with some kitchen paper and chop it into bite-sized chunks.
In a bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, pinch of salt and pepper, egg white, and water. Whisk until smooth.
Add the chicken to the batter and toss to evenly coat.
Preheat the air fryer to 200°C (400°F) for a couple of minutes.
Place a sheet of parchment paper in the air fryer basket and add the chicken pieces, making sure they are spaced apart (you may need to cook in two batches if using a smaller capacity air fryer).
Spray well with low-calorie spray and air fry for approximately 15 minutes, turning the chicken over after 10 minutes and spraying again with low-calorie spray.
Add the ingredients for the sauce to a small saucepan and simmer until thickened.
Serve the chicken with the sauce and your choice of sides.
Oven Method:
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan, 220°C, 425°F, or gas mark 7.
Pat the chicken dry with some kitchen paper and chop it into bite-sized chunks.
In a bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, pinch of salt and pepper, egg white, and water. Whisk until smooth.
Add the chicken to the batter and toss to evenly coat.
Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and spray with low-calorie spray.
Add the chicken pieces, making sure they are spaced apart and not touching.
Spray generously over the top with low-calorie spray and bake in the oven for approximately 25 minutes until golden. Flip over at the 15-minute mark and spray with more spray if needed.
Add the ingredients for the sauce to a small saucepan and simmer until thickened.
Serve the chicken with the sauce and your choice of sides.
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
Calories – scroll down to nutritional info box
WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs – due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
Dairy Free Friendly
Freezer Friendly ❄️ – sauce only
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Nutritional information and values etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.
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