Ingredients
- Chicken:
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- Chicken Batter:
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 + 1/8 cup cold water
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper (try a squirt of Siracha)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil (for frying)
- Sauce (may need to double sauce):
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons ketchup (try 2 T)
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice (maybe try a bit of orange juice too)
- 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- a few rounds of ginger
- 1 small onion quartered
- 1/2 bell pepper large dice
- 1 small carrot, sliced diagonally
- Pineapple (fresh, canned or frozen)
Preparation
Step 1
Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour into a saucepan, cook on a gentle simmer for 30 mins.
In the meantime, add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 2 inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.
Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Place the 1/2 cup cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Put the chicken into the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken.
For the batter, whisk cornstarch, water, pepper, and salt together in bowl until smooth. Transfer half of chicken to batter and turn to coat. Remove chicken from batter, allowing excess to drip back into bowl, and add chicken to hot oil. Fry chicken, stirring to prevent pieces from sticking together, until slightly golden and just beginning to crisp. Transfer parcooked chicken to platter. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining raw chicken and batter.
Return oil to 350 degrees. Return first batch of chicken to oil and fry until cooked through and crisp. Transfer to wire rack. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken.
In a saute pan, saute vegetables with sauce over high heat to reduce. Add in chicken. Serve over hot, steamed rice.