Japanese Sweet and Sour Chicken
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
30 mins
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Servings
3 servings
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Calories
407 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Japanese-Chinese Fusion
Japanese Sweet and Sour Chicken
Description
This Japanese Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe uses boneless, skin-on chicken thighs marinated in soy sauce, sake, and ginger, imparting a subtle savory and aromatic base. Dusting the chicken with potato starch before frying creates a light, crispy coating once deep-fried. Various vegetables including Japanese eggplant, lotus root, sweet potato, carrot, and green pepper are prepared in specific cuts for even frying and texture contrast. Each type of vegetable is coated lightly in potato starch and fried separately to achieve optimal doneness and maintain crispness where desired.
The sweet and sour sauce combines cane sugar, sake, soy sauce, black vinegar, and rice vinegar, delivering a balance of sweetness, acidity, and umami. After frying, the chicken and vegetables are typically tossed in or served with this sauce, creating a dish that merges tender fried protein and vegetables with flavorful, tangy glaze. The approach showcases careful preparation of both protein and vegetables to maintain individual textures and flavors in harmony.
Ingredients
For Chicken
- 350 grams chicken thigh boneless skin-on
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- ⅓ cup potato starch
For Vegetables
- 100 grams Japanese eggplant (1 small one)
- 100 grams lotus root (½ rhizome)
- 100 grams Japanese sweet potato (½ small one)
- 100 grams carrot (about ⅔ of a large carrot)
- 100 grams green pepper 1 or 2 small ones, mild
- vegetable oil (for deep frying)
For Sweet & Sour Sauce
- 3 tablespoons cane sugar evaporated
- 3 tablespoons sake
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons black vinegar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into large bite-sized pieces and marinate with the soy sauce, sake, and grated ginger. It's best to let the chicken marinate for a few hours.
- To prepare the vegetables, cut the eggplant, sweet potato, and carrot into an oblique cut by slicing bite-sized pieces off at a 45° angle and then rotating the ingredient a quarter turn between each cut.
- Peel and slice the lotus root into ¼-inch thick rounds and soak them in water acidified with lemon juice or vinegar.
- Remove the seeds and membranes from the peppers and cut them into squares.
- Preheat 1-inch vegetable oil in a high-sided pot to 340°F (170°C). Prepare a cooling rack by lining it with a few sheets of paper towels.
- Drain the lotus root and dry them well with paper towels. Dust all of the vegetables except the peppers in a thin layer of potato starch.
- Fry the vegetables one at a time. The peppers take about 20 seconds, the eggplant will take about 1.5-2 minutes, the lotus root will take about 1 minute, and the sweet potatoes and carrots will take about 3-4 minutes. Drain the vegetables on the paper towel-lined rack as they cook.
- To fry the chicken, dust them in a thick coating of potato starch and then fry them for about 4-5 minutes until they're golden brown and crisp. Drain the chicken on the paper towel-lined rack as well.
- To make the sweet and sour sauce, add the sugar, sake, and soy sauce to a 12-inch frying pan and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once the sugar has dissolved and it no longer smells like alcohol, add the black vinegar, rice vinegar, and fried chicken and vegetables to the pan.
- Toss everything together to glaze with the sauce. Once the black vinegar sauce has thickened and coated everything, serve the Japanese sweet and sour chicken with rice.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 3servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 407 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 407kcal | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 49g | 16% |
| Protein | 20g | 40% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 60mg | 20% |
| Sodium | 1238mg | 52% |
| Potassium | 855mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 7g | 28% |
| Sugar | 18g | 36% |
| Vitamin A | 10416IU | 208% |
| Vitamin C | 24mg | 27% |
| Calcium | 65mg | 7% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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