Sweet and sour chicken recipe

Name: Sweet and sour chicken
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 400g chicken breasts, cubed; 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped; 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped; 2 spring onions, sliced; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 1 tsp grated or finely chopped ginger; 225g tin bamboo shoots, drained; 227g tin pineapple chunks, reserving 100ml of the juice for the sauce; 1 tbsp cornflour; 300g easy-cook long-grain rice, cooked following pack instructions, to serve; ½ red chilli, deseeded and chopped, to serve; handful coriander, chopped, to serve; 3 tbsp tomato ketchup; 2 tbsp white wine vinegar; 2 tbsp caster sugar; 1 tbsp soy sauce

Created by The Tesco Recipes team

Sweet and sour chicken is a takeaway favourite, but actually very easy to make at home. With a sweet, sticky sauce, crunchy veg and juicy pineapple, this homemade version is great to rustle up for a Friday night in, or to celebrate Lunar New Year.

See method

Serves 4
10 mins to prepare and 15 mins to cook
530 calories / serving

Healthy

Shop your ingredients

Tesco Pure Vegetable Oil 1L
Aldi Price Match
2 tbsp vegetable oil
£1.45
£1.45/litre
Tesco British Diced Chicken Breast 400G
£3.50 Clubcard Price
(£8.75/kg)
Offer valid for delivery from 16/09/2026 until 06/10/2026
400g chicken breasts, cubed
£4.00
£10.00/kg
Nightingale Peppers 600G
Aldi Price Match
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
£1.59
£2.65/kg
Tesco Green Peppers Each
This product's currently out of stock
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
Tesco Bunched Spring Onions 100G
49p Clubcard Price
(£4.90/kg)
Offer valid for delivery from 08/09/2026 until 05/10/2026
2 spring onions, sliced
£0.69
£6.90/kg
Tesco Large Garlic
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
£0.50
£0.50/each
Tesco Root Ginger Loose
1 tsp grated or finely chopped ginger
£0.56
£5.60/kg
Kingfisher Bamboo Shoots In Water 225G
Everyday Low Price
225g tin bamboo shoots, drained
£1.15
£9.58/kg DR.WT
Dole Gold Pineapple Chunks In Juice 227G
227g tin pineapple chunks, reserving 100ml of the juice for the sauce
£1.00
£7.19/kg DR.WT
Tesco Cornflour 500G
1 tbsp cornflour
£2.55
£5.10/kg
Grower Harvest Long Grain Rice 1Kg
Aldi Price Match
300g easy-cook long-grain rice, cooked following pack instructions, to serve
£0.52
£0.52/kg
Tesco Red Chillies 60G
Aldi Price Match
½ red chilli, deseeded and chopped, to serve
£0.51
£8.50/kg
Tesco Fresh Cut Coriander 30G
Aldi Price Match
handful coriander, chopped, to serve
£0.50
£16.67/kg
Hellmann's Tomato Ketchup Sauce Squeezy 430ml
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
£2.15
£5.00/litre
Tesco White Wine Vinegar 350Ml
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
£1.55
£4.43/litre
Silver Spoon Caster Sugar 1Kg
2 tbsp caster sugar
£2.25
£2.25/kg
Tesco Light Soy Sauce 150Ml
Aldi Price Match
1 tbsp soy sauce
£0.55
£3.67/litre

Method

In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the sauce with the reserved 100ml pineapple juice from the tin until smooth. Set aside.
Heat a large wok or frying pan over a high heat until very hot. Add 1 tbsp of the oil, swirl around the pan, then add the chicken. Cook for 5-7 mins, stirring all the time, until golden and just cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the pan, then add the peppers and cook for 3 mins or until softened. Add most of the spring onions, along with all the garlic and ginger, and cook for 30 secs.
Return the chicken to the pan and add the bamboo shoots and pineapple chunks. Pour over the sauce and leave to bubble for a couple of mins, stirring often, until cooked through.
Mix the cornflour with 2 tbsp cold water in a small bowl until smooth, then add to the pan. Cook for 30 secs or until the sauce starts to thicken. Serve with the cooked rice and garnish with the reserved spring onion, the chilli and coriander.