Sweet and Sour Fried Chicken with Peppers and Cashews

A classic of fusion cuisine, easy to prepare and irresistible!

Sweet and sour fried chicken is a dish that combines oriental tradition with the convenience of home cooking. The crispiness of the fried chicken marries perfectly with the sweetness of the sweet and sour sauce, creating a truly unique balance of flavors.

We discovered it with the Casa Pappagallo dragon chicken recipe, but this recipe has many variations all over the world.

In this version, the use of organic chicken, the addition of two types of peppers and cashews makes the dish even richer, tastier and healthier.

Why prepare this dish? It's easy to make : Even though it seems complicated, preparing this dish is easier than you think. It's versatile : you can customize the recipe to your tastes, adding other vegetables - such as onions -, spices (such as sweet paprika) or using a different cut of chicken that lends itself to frying. It is perfect for any occasion : whether for a family dinner or a dinner with friends, this dish will always make a great impression.

Dragon Chicken Recipe: Tasty Sweet and Sour Chicken

Fried sweet and sour chicken ingredients

• 500g chicken breast, diced
• 1 red pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 100 g cashews
• Oil for frying
• Flour or corn starch to taste
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sesame oil to taste
• 1 fresh spring onion (for garnish)
• Sweet and sour sauce (bought or homemade)

For the sweet and sour sauce (if homemade)

• 100 ml rice vinegar
• 50g of ketchup
• 100 g of sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 piece of grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in a little water

Preparation of sweet and sour fried chicken

The secret to this, and most Asian recipes, is to prepare and cook all the ingredients separately and then assemble them to sauté at the end. This will keep the texture and crunchiness of all the ingredients.

Chicken Marinade: In a bowl, mix the chicken with the flour (or cornstarch), egg, salt and pepper.

Let's get ready to fry the chicken: heat plenty of oil in a pan and fry a few chicken cubes at a time until golden brown. They should be nice and crispy and not too dark. Drain them on absorbent paper.

Toast the cashews in a non-stick pan with a drizzle of seed oil and set aside.

Let's prepare the vegetables: cut the peppers into strips and sauté them in the same pan as the cashews - if necessary add a drizzle of oil - until they are tender but still nice and crunchy.

Sweet and sour sauce: In a pan, heat the rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ketchup and ginger. When the mixture boils, add the cornstarch dissolved in water and stir until the sauce thickens.

In the pan with the vegetables, add the fried chicken, cashews and sweet and sour sauce. Sauté everything together for a few minutes, adding a drizzle of sesame oil if you have it at home.

We serve the sweet and sour fried chicken hot, with a generous helping of raw spring onion and - if we want - accompanied with basmati rice or noodles.

Additional Tips for Sweet and Sour Fried Chicken

• Sweet and Sour Sauce : You can buy ready-made sweet and sour sauce or make it at home. The homemade version allows you to adjust the sweetness and acidity to your liking.
• Variations : You can add other ingredients to your sweet and sour sauce, such as fresh chili pepper for a spicy touch, or honey for a sweeter note.
• Accompaniments : In addition to basmati rice or noodles, you can serve the sweet and sour fried chicken with sautéed vegetables or salad.