This Candy and Bitter Rooster has been one in all our reader favourites for years!
We’ve bought crispy but juicy chicken with a tangy sauce that’s completely balanced with simply the correct quantity of sweetness. Need to know the key to that impossible to resist crispy coating and the sauce that may have everybody asking for seconds? That is my do-it-yourself crispy candy and bitter rooster with a candy and tangy sauce produced from scratch utilizing retailer cabinet elements!
“The very best candy and bitter, at all times a winner in my home, tremendous tasty” – Jacqui Reeves
🧾 Substances
What elements provide you with that candy and bitter rooster with tangy, candy and nicely, bitter flavour?
The sauce is definitely fairly a weird mixture:
- Ketchup – and loads of it – for a tanginess and color. I don’t eat plenty of ketchup, but it surely’s a should for this dish.
- Malt vinegar – it’s the greatest kind of vinegar I’ve discovered for getting the ‘proper’ contact of sourness.
- Brown sugar – for rounded sweetness, and to counteract any bitterness within the vinegar.
- Pineapple chunks in pineapple juice – yep, fairly than chopping up a recent pineapple, I discover pineapple chunks really work higher, and the juice is an all-important factor to the candy–tangy flavour of the sauce.
And naturally we’re doing this candy and bitter rooster Hong Kong fashion – which suggests the rooster is chopped into bite-sized items, dredged in a flavourful coating then fried to crisp perfection, earlier than being coated in that candy and bitter sauce.
📺 Watch how one can make it
***Full recipe with detailed steps within the recipe card on the finish of this put up***
👩🍳 The way to make candy & bitter rooster
We begin by coating the rooster in cornflour (cornstarch), then egg after which seasoned flour. Then fry in oil till crispy. You are able to do this in two batches in case your pan is on the small facet. I can nearly do it in a single batch in my wok. Then take away the crispy rooster from the wok.
Professional Tip
Examine the rooster is totally cooked:
You need to make sure the rooster is totally cooked earlier than serving. Slice open one of many bigger items you’ll find, and ensure it’s now not pink within the center. If it’s white with no pink areas, it’s cooked
Now onto the candy and bitter sauce. We fry onions and bell peppers in a wok till very flippantly softened (simply a few minutes), then add garlic and ginger, adopted by these all-important weird elements: ketchup, malt vinegar, brown sugar and tinned pineapple (together with the juice). Carry it to a mild boil.
Let the sauce bubble for a couple of minutes, so it thickens barely like this (it would thicken a bit of extra if you add the rooster again in).
Then add in that crispy rooster and thoroughly toss within the sauce. So tasty!!
Pin this now to seek out it later
I like take out candy and bitter rooster, however there are a few issues I don’t love:
- The sauce is too vivid orange – like glow at midnight orange. I’ve heard they use meals colouring to get it that vivid (does anybody know for certain? let me know within the feedback). Mine’s very pink (from the ketchup) however the color is toned down by the addition of darkish brown sugar.
- The crisp coating is commonly flavourless. It’s extra there for crunch, fairly than so as to add extra flavour. I add further seasoning and spices into my coating, so even with out the sauce, it tastes scrumptious.
Can bake the rooster as an alternative of frying it?
Yep! I’ve a recipe for baked candy and bitter rooster on the weblog too.
🥡 Extra takeaway impressed recipes
🍽️ What to serve it with
- Boiled rice – try my full put up on how one can boil rice.
- Egg Fried Rice – my private favorite facet for this candy & bitter
- Particular Fried Rice – masterclass put up on getting it good!
- Some Stir Fried Noodles with beansprouts for a stunning noodle facet dish.
- How about Salt & Pepper Chips – Chris likes to pour the sauce over these!
- Perhaps add a facet of spare ribs? These are Asian fashion ribs topped with crispy onions, impressed by a restaurant we went to in China city in London.
Keep up to date with new recipes!
Subscribe to the publication to listen to after I put up a brand new recipe. I’m additionally on YouTube (new movies each week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes tales & stunning meals images).
-
Warmth the oil in a wok or giant frying pan till extremely popular.
5 tbsp vegetable oil
-
While the oil is heating, place the egg in a single shallow bowl and the cornflour in one other shallow bowl. Add the flour, salt, pepper, garlic salt and paprika to a different shallow bowl and blend collectively.
2 eggs flippantly crushed, 3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch), 90 g (3/4 cup) plain flour (all-purpose flour), ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, ½ tsp garlic salt, 2 tsp paprika
-
Dredge the rooster within the cornflour, then dip it within the egg (be sure the entire rooster is roofed in egg wash), and eventually dredge it within the seasoned flour. Repeat till you have coated all of the rooster.
3 skinless rooster breast fillets
-
Add to the wok and prepare dinner on a excessive warmth for 6-7 minutes, turning two or 3 times throughout cooking, till nicely browned. You could have to prepare dinner in two batches (I discover I can do it in a single batch as long as it is not more than 3 rooster breasts).
-
Examine the rooster is cooked (see notes) and take away from the pan and place in a bowl lined with kitchen towels.
-
While the rooster is cooking, you can begin in your sauce.
-
Add the oil to a big frying pan/skillet, warmth it up on a medium-to-high warmth and add within the onions and the peppers . Prepare dinner for 3 minutes, stirring every so often, till the onions begin to go translucent.
1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 giant onion, 1 pink pepper, 1 inexperienced pepper
-
Add within the garlic and ginger and prepare dinner for one more minute.
2 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp minced ginger
-
Add the tomato ketchup, vinegar, darkish brown sugar, and the tinned pineapple (together with the juice) and stir. Carry to the boil, after which flip down the warmth and let it bubble, stirring from time to time, till barely thickened, ought to take 3-5 minutes.
150 ml (2/3 cup) tomato ketchup, 2 tbsp malt vinegar, 6 tbsp darkish brown muscovado sugar, 475 g (17 oz) canned pineapple chunks in juice
-
Switch the cooked crispy rooster to the pan with the sauce and gently toss to coat.
-
Serve with boiled or fried rice and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
egg fried rice or boiled rice, 1 tsp sesame seeds
Examine the rooster is cooked
You need to make sure the rooster is totally cooked earlier than serving. Slice open one of many bigger items you’ll find, and ensure it’s now not pink within the center. If it’s white with no pink areas, it’s cooked
Dietary Info is per serving together with sesame seeds, however not rice (I don’t understand how a lot rice you’re going to serve this with :-))
Energy: 634kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 26g | Fats: 26g | Saturated Fats: 18g | Ldl cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 1086mg | Potassium: 850mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 2018IU | Vitamin C: 78mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 3mg
Vitamin data is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
This recipe was first printed in September 2019. Up to date in September 2024 with further FAQs and housekeeping.
A number of the hyperlinks on this put up could also be affiliate hyperlinks – which suggests for those who purchase the product I get a small fee (at no further price to you). In case you do purchase, then thanks! That’s what helps us to maintain Kitchen Sanctuary operating. The dietary data offered is approximate and might range relying on a number of components. For extra data please see our Phrases & Circumstances.
