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}
After posting my no-deep fry sweet and sour chicken, I keep getting asked how to make the dish in the air fryer. That’s why I adapted my original recipe so you can make it in the air fryer.
I have to admit that making sweet and sour chicken in the air fryer doesn’t save you a lot of time. Because you will still need to make the sauce on the stove. But I do think making the chicken in the air fryer makes the process a lot easier because it’s more hands-off. Plus, you need even less oil to create extra crispy chicken than you would with the no-deep fry version.
Ingredients
You only need a few pantry ingredients to make air fryer sweet and sour chicken.
Although I always emphasize mise en place and recommend you get all the ingredients prepared before you start cooking, this dish is an exception. You can actually prepare the sauce and the vegetables after the chicken has gone into the air fryer. When the chicken is done cooking, you actually want it to cool off for a second before tossing it in the sauce. The cooling process will further crisp up the chicken.
How to make air fryer sweet and sour chicken
Cook the chicken in the air fryer
- Spread all the chicken pieces in your air fryer basket without overlapping
- Spray oil onto them so there’s no dry flour left
- Air fry until pale golden
- Flip and air fry until golden
NOTE:
When cooking in the air fryer, the inside of the chicken pieces cook faster than they do with the stovetop method. To make sure the chicken is still juicy, do not wait until the chicken turns completely golden brown. The chicken pieces will be crispy as long as the edges turn golden.
Make the sauce on the stove
- Cook the ginger and garlic to release fragrance
- Gently stir fry and pepper and onion
- Pour in the sauce
- Cook until the sauce thickens
- Add back the chicken
- Stir everything together and serve!
I like to toss the chicken with the rest of the ingredients so the pieces coat evenly with the sauce. The chicken will be crispy enough to withstand the sauce.
I’ve seen in many restaurants that sweet and sour chicken does not contain vegetables at all. But I always prefer to add onion and pepper to mine for a better appearance and texture. If you want to skip both ingredients, that’s totally fine.
How to serve sweet and sour chicken
You can serve sweet and sour chicken by itself as a main dish, or serve it over rice for a more filling meal. To make your meal more balanced and colorful, you can add easy sides such as egg drop soup, baby bok choy stir fry, egg fried rice, and soy sauce pan fried noodles.
Other delicious air fryer recipes
- Air Fryer Garlic Ribs (蒜香排骨)
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken
- Air Fryer Fries with Spice Mix
- Air Fryer Tofu with Broccoli and Carrot
Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Chicken
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
- 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.
Love everything I’ve made from your site and this is no exception. Thank you!
Excellent! Followed recipe exactly except my air fryer doesn’t go hotter than 400° so I had to cook for 15 minutes to get golden and crispy chicken. But I did! Perfect recipe.