Sweet and Sour Chicken | Kenji's Cooking Show

This recipe is based off of the dish my old friend Chef Chris Chung of Momi Nonmi in Cambridge used to make for staff family meal when we were both cooks at Uni in Boston. He used to make it at his restaurant in Honolulu, and it's classic Chinese-American stuff.

This is a variation of a recipe will appear in my next cookbook, which is all about cooking in a wok. It uses a technique called velveting, which is what you do when you want super-tender, velvety chicken or pork.

I'm not going to print the precise recipe because... well, it's gonna be in my book and my publisher is expectedly antsy about giving away too much of the book for free but, if someone feels like following what I do and writing it out in a comment, I will pin it to the top here.

[taylorpike]

Here is the written out recipe for anyone who is interested.

Chicken:
1lb of chicken thigh or breast (Cut into Stir Fry sized pieces)
1.5 tsp of corn starch
1/2 tsp of baking soda
2 tsp of sugar
1/2 tsp of kosher salt
1 tsp of Shaoxing wine
1 tsp of light soy sauce
1 egg white

Mix vigorously and let stand for at least 15 mins

Vegetables
1 onion
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
10oz can of pineapple (Save liquid for sauce)

Large dice the onion, green, red bell peppers, and pineapple (place pineapple is separate bowl)

Aromatics:
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 finger of ginger

Crush in mortar and pestle.

Sauce:
Pineapple juice from 10oz can
3tbls of ketchup
2tbls of white vinegar
1tbls plus 1/2 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of soy sauce
splash of shaoxing wine
2 tsp of corn strach

Whisk to combine

Velveting the chicken:
Bring 1qt of water to a simmer in wok.
Once simmering add chicken one piece at a time.
Cook for 30-60 Seconds.
Remove to sheet tray in a single layer to dry.

Stir Fry:
Clean wok from velveting, dry the wok and place it back on the heat.
Add a tiny amount of oil and rub into wok, once smoking the wok is preheated.
Add a couple of tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat wok.
Add onion and the green and red bell peppers, until tender crisp
Push to one side, add a little more oil and add aromatics.
Mix and let stir fry for about 30 seconds.
Add chicken, pineapple, some cashews (cashews optional) and the sauce
Let cook a little bit until desired thickness is reached.

[HorrorHoarder]

Oh he's wearing pink and isn't actually naked below the waist gotcha

[cookerkids]

Kenji talking about how he let his daughter do the shopping is not only cute and wholesome, but also a good practical skill to teach your kids

[joelthian]

When it first panned down I thought Kenji wasn’t about that pants-in-the-kitchen life

[sleazebaggano]

Passing through water instead of oil is going to be one of the most useful tips I’ve ever pulled from a Youtube video. Absolute game changer.

[BulletFever]

His shade on fancy 'ketchup' makes me feel good

[andrews]

I love how many recipes Kenji adds or removes ingredients from just because that's how his wife and daughter like it a certain way (and because he likes it that way too). It's great to be able to follow a recipe, but it's more important to end up with something that everybody enjoys.

[ehabshanan]

I get invested in the stories you tell and I forget what you're cooking

[ArcaneMagek]

Your daughter is already better at shopping than me.

[JesseDiMauro]

Kenji - "Please use real ketchup"
Every other chef on YouTube - "Here are the 24 simple ingredients I use to make my homemade Ketchup"

[Daniel-btbe]

Dude imagining your 3 y/o walking around picking out groceries and then paying for them has made my day hahah that’s pretty impressive. I was a talking potato when I was 3

[benjamineichenbrenner]

Aside from the (probably) delicious recipe: it's always a pleasure to see a true professional at work. Every movement is deliberate, nothing is unnecessary. That's why you are so much faster than a beginner like me and learning this by watching you (almost) without cuts is great. Love your content!

[shigemorif]

The passing through water instead of oil is a great hack. Definitely giving that a go.

[realbloodydoves]

One of the things I like the most about your videos, Kenji, is that you always mention how you're cooking for the family meals. That implies you actually eat together as a family every day, which is heartwarming to know that some folks still do. I haven't eaten a meal together with my family in many, many moons (I live with family and we already eat apart, even if we cook together).

[ronvedi]

never, before today, had I ever heard of the technique called "velvetting" I am absolutely mind blown

[jammin]

The Recipe (they will still buy your book Kenji) 😝

Sweet And Sour Chicken- Kenji
Ingredients
• 1 lb Chicken Thighs, boneless, skinless (or chicken breast, or pork tenderloin) cut up into bite size pieces
• FOR SAUCE:
• 1 1/2 tsp Cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine, or dry Sherry, or white wine
• 1 tsp Lite soy sauce
• 1 Egg Whites
• VEGGIES:
• 1/2 Large onion
• 1 Green Bell Peppers, bite size
• 1 Red Bell Peppers, bite size
• AROMATICS
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Chunk ginger, thumb size
• SAUCE:
• 10 oz Canned Pineapple, save juice!
• 3 Tbsp Catsup
• 2 Tbsp White Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Soy Sauce
• 1 Splash of shaoxing wine
• 2 tsp Corn Starch
• OTHER:
• Whole Cashews, toast them?
Preparation Steps
1. Cut up chicken into bite size pieces
2. Cut veggies into bite size pieces
3. Crush aromatics in mortar and pestle
4. Make sauce
5. Bring a couple cups of water (or oil) to boil in wok
6. Then pass the chicken through the water (or oil) for 30 seconds to a minute, then speed meat out to dry.
7. Rinse wok, dry and put back on high heat (add thin film of oil to get the smoke test)
8. Add veggies to smoking hot wok and let them char
9. Add aromatics for 30 to 60 seconds
10. Add everything else

[letarogers]

Chinese-American Sweet and Sour Chicken (from Chris Chung)

Mix and Massage:
1 lb. chicken thigh, breast, or pork tenderloin (cut up for stir fry into thin planks)
1-1/2 tsp cornstarch (cornflour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry or white wine)
1 tsp regular soy sauce
1 egg white

Let hang out 15 minutes.

Prep veg for stir-fry (large dice):
1/2 medium onion (or 1 small)
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper

Put some cashews in a prep bowl.

Prep aromatics in a mortar and pestle:
4 cloves of garlic
this much ginger, peeled with a spoon

Prep sauce. Whisk cold:
Half of a 20 ounce can of sliced (and cut into sixths) or diced pineapple in its own juice
3 Tbsp catsup
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp or a little more sugar
1 tsp regular soy sauce
Splash of Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry or white wine)
2 tsp cornstarch (cornflour)

(10:00 in video.) Velvet chicken in a qt of boiling water in a wok by slowly lowering the meat in and stirring a bit for 30-60 seconds. Or just try to wait until it comes to a simmer, but change your mind. Remove chicken, rinse wok, put back on the heat, dry out the wok, put a little film of oil in the wok. Meanwhile, spread the chicken out to dry off a bit. When the wok is smoking hot, add the right amount of oil and swirl. Stir-fry the veg until tender and there's a little char on the outside. Push to side and add aromatics. Stir-fry about 30 seconds. Add everything else--chicken, pineapple, cashews, and sauce. Let it cook a tiny bit until it's as thick as you want it. Can make spicy by adding red pepper flakes. Serve with chili oil on the side for the non spicy-adverse. Make sure you serve on a large enough plate.

[royalsego]

Never heard of this velvetting technique by passing it through water. I'm gonna have to try it. Home cooking just got a lot easier because I don't have to fuss with the oil as much.

[etherdog]

Thank you for demonstrating the velveting technique and for explaining why it works, Kenji!

[JohnBodoni]

Kenji, there's a regional dish "Springfield Missouri Cashew Chicken" that might interest you. It's comfort food to many folks from Southwest Missouri.