Sweet and Sour Chicken
Recipe: https://recipestripper.com/recipes/5d495af1-d59b-4a0b-8388-4e25da12c271
Original source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/787337842-sweet-and-sour-chicken

This glossy, one-wok meal lands somewhere between a Cantonese-American sweet and sour stir-fry and a tropical pineapple chicken. Boneless thighs, dusted lightly in cornstarch and shallow-fried until the edges crisp, get tossed with bell peppers, onion, pineapple and a sauce sharpened with apple cider vinegar and rounded out with five-spice powder. (Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or firm tofu would make fine substitutes for the thighs, if you prefer. Just make sure to pat the pieces very dry.) The whole thing comes together in about twenty minutes once the wok is hot, so cut and measure everything before you start. Serve over jasmine rice.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Prep time: PT0H20M
Cook time: PT0H30M
Total time: PT0H50M

Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (for searing)
- 1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice (juice reserved for the sauce, pineapple set aside)
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup pineapple juice (reserved from the can of pineapple chunks)
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
- ½ teaspoon five-spice powder
- Cooked jasmine or other rice of choice
- Sliced scallions or sesame seeds, optional

Instructions
1. [Season and coat the chicken:] In a large bowl, combine the salt, garlic powder, paprika and black pepper. Pat the chicken chunks very dry with paper towels, add to the bowl with the spices and toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the chicken and toss with your hands until each piece is lightly coated. You are looking for a thin, dry dusting; if the chicken looks pasty, it is still too wet, so let it sit for a few minutes to dry.
2. [Shallow fry the chicken:] Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in two or three batches so the pieces sit in a single layer, sear the chicken, undisturbed, until deeply golden on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden on the second side and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and set aside.
3. [Stir-fry the vegetables:] Reduce the heat to medium. Using the oil already in the wok, add the onion and bell peppers and increase the heat to high. Stir-fry just until the vegetables begin to soften but still snap when bitten, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. [Build the sauce in the wok:] Pour the ketchup, reserved pineapple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and five-spice powder directly into the wok with the vegetables. Lower the heat to medium, stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the sauce turns glossy and is lightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
5. [Combine and glaze:] Return the chicken to the wok and scatter the pineapple chunks over the top. Toss gently so the cornstarch crust on the chicken stays intact. Cook for 1 minute more, just until everything is hot and the sauce coats every piece. Remove from the heat and serve immediately over jasmine rice, with sliced scallions or sesame seeds, if you like.