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Surprise! This chicken is delicious! Wait, that may not be much of a surprise after all. Surprise Chicken is actually surprising in how it isn't a stir-fry at all, despite having the sweet, tangy, sticky sauce coating golden, pan-fried chicken. It just tastes like stir-fry, but it's a lot more easy-going about it. Surprise Chicken is perfect for piling on rice or for eating popcorn style... although we recommend a fork for the latter.
Surprise! This chicken is delicious! Wait, that may not be much of a surprise after all. Surprise Chicken is actually surprising in how it isn't a stir-fry at all, despite having the sweet, tangy, sticky sauce coating golden, pan-fried chicken. It just tastes like stir-fry, but it's a lot more easy-going about it. Surprise Chicken is perfect for piling on rice or for eating popcorn style... although we recommend a fork for the latter.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup canola vegetable, or coconut oil
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- white rice optional, to taste, cooked and hot, for serving
- mixed stir-fry vegetables optional, to taste, cooked and hot, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Season the chicken pieces with the salt and the black pepper.
- In a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag, add the chicken pieces and the cornstarch and seal the bag.
- Shake the bag until the chicken pieces are fully coated in the cornstarch.
- In a shallow pie plate, add the eggs and whisk until they are beaten.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and heat until it is rippling.
- Dip the coated chicken pieces into the beaten egg and carefully transfer them to the oil hot in a single layer. You may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Cook the chicken pieces on all sides until they are golden but not cooked through, about 20-30 seconds per side.
- In a 9x13-inch baking dish, add the browned chicken pieces.
- Repeat the pan-frying process with the remaining chicken pieces.
- In a medium bowl, add the granulated sugar, the ketchup, the apple cider vinegar, the soy sauce and the garlic salt and whisk to combine.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken in the baking dish.
- Bake the chicken mixture, turning the chicken pieces to ensure they are fully coated, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 1 hour.
- Serve with the rice and the mixed vegetables.
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