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Better than takeout air fryer sweet and sour chicken that has crispy juicy chicken and crunchy vegetables served with a rich sauce. It’s so easy to put together, uses way less oil than the regular version, and tastes so great! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Chicken

5 from 3 votes
Better than takeout air fryer sweet and sour chicken that has crispy juicy chicken and crunchy vegetables served with a rich sauce. It’s so easy to put together, uses way less oil than the regular version, and tastes so great! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}
To make the dish gluten-free, use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine, and use tamari instead of soy sauce.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: restaurant-style, takeout
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Maggie Zhu

Ingredients

Marinating

  • 1 lb (450 g) 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

Sauce

  • 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

Cooking

  • 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

  • Combine chicken pieces, vegetable oil, and salt in a big bowl. Mix well and let marinate for 10 minutes. When ready to cook, add cornstarch to the chicken. Stir to coat the chicken, until it forms an uneven coating with a little dry cornstarch left unattached.
  • Place the chicken pieces into your air fryer basket (or tray), without overlapping. Cook in batches if needed. Spray oil onto the chicken until there’s no dry cornstarch on the surface. Cook in the air fryer at 450°F (230°C) for 8 minutes, until the chicken turns pale yellow. Flip the chicken (or shake the air fryer basket) and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, until turning golden. Once done, transfer all the chicken pieces to a big plate to cool off slightly.
  • Meanwhile, mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
  • When the chicken is cooked, prepare the sauce: Heat oil in a large skillet until hot. Add garlic and ginger. Cook and stir a few times until it releases its fragrance.
  • Add the bell pepper and white onion. Stir and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely. Pour into the pan. Stir and cook until it thickens. Add back the chicken pieces. Stir to coat chicken evenly with sauce. Transfer everything to a plate immediately. Serve hot as a main dish.

Notes

  1. I highly recommend using chicken thigh for this dish, so the meat remains juicy after air frying. Air frying cooks the inside of the chicken quite fast and chicken breast can end up a bit dry if you’re not careful. However, if you decide to use chicken breast, reducing the air frying time by 3 to 4 minutes will help.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 306kcal, Carbohydrates: 23.5g, Protein: 27.6g, Fat: 10.3g, Saturated Fat: 2.5g, Cholesterol: 81mg, Sodium: 908mg, Potassium: 370mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10.5g, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 2mg