After years of perfecting Chinese language takeout favorites at residence, I’ve found that making restaurant-quality candy and bitter rooster isn’t simply attainable—it’s surprisingly easy. The key lies in double-frying the rooster for final crispiness and utilizing recent citrus for an genuine sauce that places bottled variations to disgrace.
This submit accommodates affiliate hyperlinks. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
What makes Candy and Bitter Hen so good?
This isn’t your atypical takeout duplicate. Right here’s why this model stands out:
- Restaurant-quality outcomes at residence
- Double-frying approach creates extra-crispy coating
- Makes use of recent fruit for genuine taste
- No MSG or synthetic substances
- Customizable spice ranges
- Extra economical than takeout
- Good sauce-to-chicken ratio
Why you must do this recipe
Don’t be intimidated to strive making restaurant-style Chinese language meals from scratch. You are able to do it; your on a regular basis grocery retailer ought to have all the pieces you want for this recipe. The fundamentals are rooster, cornstarch, flour, white pepper, oranges, lemons, ketchup, and a few rice-cooking wine or dry sherry. If you put together this at residence, it can save you cash, merely put together some fluffy white rice, and you should have a whole meal.
I do know you received’t overlook the variety of your native Chinese language take-out restaurant, however now you possibly can comply with my recipe and make a scrumptious CopyKat candy and bitter rooster proper in your kitchen.
Good For…
Wish to know when you possibly can serve this dish? We have now some concepts for you!
- Household dinners
- Chinese language New Yr
- Make-ahead meals
- Weekend cooking
- Social gathering meals
- Date night time in
Advantages of cooking candy n bitter rooster at residence
One of many advantages of constructing restaurant-style recipes from scratch is understanding precisely what’s in your meals. You possibly can make certain that the substances are exactly how you want them on this recipe.
As an example, in the event you attempt to eat as a lot natural meals as attainable, you should use all-organic substances, together with free-range rooster that hasn’t been dosed with antibiotics. And, in the event you make Chinese language meals at residence, it is not going to comprise any MSG.
Candy and bitter sauce – Home made vs Retailer-Purchased
You might purchase ready-made candy and bitter sauce in a jar, however this home made recipe tastes a lot better. This candy and bitter sauce is made with actual fruit, which supplies it a depth of taste that you just’ll love.
Additionally, by making your individual candy and bitter sauce, you possibly can remove the bogus coloring normally present in a store-bought product. In spite of everything, not everybody needs to eat meals containing dyes. In the event you do this recipe as soon as, this would be the on you seize the following time you need candy and bitter rooster. The sauce is a simple recipe, so you may make simply the sauce in the event you like. This fashion you by no means need to seize additional packages of sauce, when you may make it at residence, you at all times have additional sauce.
What’s Chinese language candy and bitter rooster manufactured from?
This dish is stuffed with wealthy and flavorful substances. Orange and lemon give it a fruity side, vinegar and ketchup present tang, garlic and white pepper give earthy taste, and rooster is the star of the dish.
Home made candy and bitter sauce substances
- Orange
- Lemon
- Recent ginger
- Sugar
- White vinegar
- Ketchup
- Pink meals coloring (non-obligatory)
- Cornstarch
- Water
Chinese language fashion fried rooster substances
- Boneless, skinless rooster breasts
- Eggs
- Floor white pepper
- Granulated garlic
- Salt
- Rice cooking wine
- Cornstarch
- Self-rising flour
- Floor white pepper
- Granulated garlic
- Water
- Vegetable oil
See the printable recipe card beneath to get the precise quantities.
Easy methods to make candy and bitter rooster
There are two elements to this recipe; the sauce and the rooster. You’ll first make the sauce after which the rooster. You’ll serve the rooster with the sauce both on the facet or poured over it.
Easy methods to make candy and bitter sauce
- Slice the orange, lemon, and ginger and place the slices in a medium pot with water. Convey it a boil after which simmer it for half-hour.
- Drain the water via a strainer into a big bowl. Press the fruit and ginger to launch the juices into the water. Place the water again into the pot over medium warmth. Add sugar, vinegar, ketchup, and meals coloring. Whisk till nicely blended.
- Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Slowly stream the liquid into the sauce, stirring continuously. When the sauce thickens, take away it from the warmth and funky to room temperature.
Easy methods to make Chinese language fashion fried rooster
- Use a fork to whip an egg in a medium-sized bowl.
- Lower rooster into small bite-sized items and add the rooster to the overwhelmed egg combination. Add white pepper, granulated garlic, salt, rice cooking wine, and cornstarch.
- Marinate the rooster for quarter-hour earlier than persevering with the recipe.
- Make the batter: In a medium bowl, mix self-rising flour, white pepper, granulated garlic, salt, water, egg, and vegetable oil. Stir till this batter has a uniform consistency.
- Add sufficient oil to a pot to be 4 inches deep. Warmth oil to 350 levels.
- Use a skewer to dip the items of rooster into the batter and the recent oil. Fry the rooster till it turns into gentle brown.
- Take away the rooster from the oil for a minute, after which place the rooster again in and fry it for the second time, however simply a further minute for the second time. Drain the rooster on a wire rack. Don’t drain the rooster on a paper towel, it’s going to steam that means and make your rooster much less crisp.
Serve the rooster with candy and bitter sauce.
Make Forward Choices:
- Put together sauce as much as 5 days forward
- Make batter day of cooking
- Lower rooster upfront
What are another makes use of for candy & bitter rooster batter?
This recipe might be barely versatile – you don’t have to stay with rooster. In the event you like, you may swap the rooster out for pork. Everybody loves candy and bitter pork. When you have a bit of batter left over, you may simply slice up some onions and make onion rings – it’s as much as you.
Prime your sweet-and-sour rooster in the event you need
You possibly can high your candy and bitter rooster with canned candy pineapple chunks. Some individuals wish to high theirs with chopped purple or inexperienced bell pepper. You possibly can hold it easy and slice some inexperienced scallions on high.
What goes nicely with candy and bitter rooster?
Candy and bitter rooster is scrumptious, however it might probably accompany a number of dishes to make it a whole meal. Listed below are a couple of options for you.
What else are you able to eat candy and bitter sauce with?
Candy and bitter sauce is a type of condiments that’s excellent for therefore many dishes. Ought to you could have some leftover, reserve it in an hermetic container in your fridge, and you should use it for the next.
Easy methods to retailer candy and bitter rooster and candy and bitter sauce
Ought to you could have leftovers, I like to recommend that you just place the sauce and the cooked rooster in several containers. Don’t pour the sauce over the rooster and put it within the fridge as a result of the breading will get soggy.
The sauce and the rooster will final within the fridge for 3 to five days.
Easy methods to reheat candy and bitter rooster
I wish to reheat the rooster in an air fryer or a convection oven. I’ll reheat it for 7 to eight minutes at 350 levels.
Heating the rooster in an air fryer actually helps to crisp up like the primary time. You possibly can reheat it within the oven at 350 levels, however it’s going to take about 10 to 12 minutes.
Reheat the sauce on low warmth on the stovetop till simply heat.
Like Chinese language restaurant recipes? Try these favorites
Finest Japanese Meals Recipes
Remember to try extra of my Chinese language recipes and copycat restaurant rooster dishes.
Candy and Bitter Hen
Candy and Bitter rooster might be made at residence.
Print
Pin
Charge
Add to Assortment
Servings: 6
Energy: 555kcal
Elements
Candy and Bitter Sauce
- 1 orange sliced
- 1 lemon sliced
- 2 or 3 slices recent ginger
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- purple meals coloring non-obligatory
Chinese language-Type Fried Hen
- 2 eggs overwhelmed, divided use
- 1 pound boneless skinless rooster breasts lower into bite-sized items
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper divided use
- 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic divided use
- 3/4 teaspoon salt divided use
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch divided use
- 2 tablespoons rice cooking wine
- 2 1/4 cups self-rising flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus extra for frying
Directions
-
To make the candy and bitter sauce, place the orange, lemon, and ginger right into a medium pot with 5 cups of water. Convey to a boil and simmer for half-hour.
-
Drain the water via a sieve into one other pot, urgent the fruit into the sieve to launch all of the water and juice. Discard the solids.
-
Add the sugar, vinegar, and ketchup to the pot with the water and juice and whisk till nicely blended. Place the pot over medium-high warmth and convey to a simmer.
-
Mix the cornstarch and three tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the sauce, stirring continuously till the sauce thickens. Take away from the warmth and retailer any unused sauce in an hermetic container.
-
To make the fried rooster, place the rooster in a medium bowl together with 1 egg, 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and the rice cooking wine. Combine nicely. Permit the combination to marinate for about quarter-hour.
-
In one other medium-sized bowl, mix the self-rising flour, 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of granulated garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1 egg, and a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and stir till the batter has a uniform texture.
-
Add the vegetable oil to a pot till it reaches a depth of 4 inches. Warmth the oil to 350°F.
-
Batter the rooster by taking a chunk from the marinade and utilizing a skewer to dip it into the batter.
-
Rigorously lay the battered rooster into the oil and fry till calmly golden brown. Take away the rooster from the oil for about 1 minute. Return the rooster to the oil and fry for a further minute to make it additional crispy.
-
Drain the rooster on a wire rack and serve with candy and bitter sauce.
Notes
Professional Ideas for Success
- Double-fry for optimum crispiness
- Drain on wire rack, not paper towels
- Hold oil at constant temperature
- Marinate rooster absolutely
- Make sauce forward for higher taste
- Use recent citrus for finest style
Diet
Energy: 555kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 24g | Fats: 8g | Saturated Fats: 4g | Ldl cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 822mg | Potassium: 537mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 23.7mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1.2mg
