I've been trying to perfect a homemade sweet and sour sauce recipe for so long and I can now proudly say that I've succeeded. This sweet and sour chicken noodles recipe is tangy, sweet, comforting and absolutely delicious. It takes less than 30 minutes to make and uses simple and accessible pantry ingredients.
The balance of flavours in the sweet and sour sauce is so perfect (in my opinion). The chicken is also shallow fried instead of the more authentic deep-fried method, making it a healthier than the takeaway version. I've served this sweet and sour chicken with noodles but you can absolutely serve it with rice if you'd prefer.
We've got red and green bell peppers as well as white onion as our main vegetables. The sauce is super simple requiring just 7 ingredients plus some chicken stock. The full recipe for the dish is at the bottom of this blog post. There is also a step-by-step section further down in the middle of this blog that also has images alongside it if you find that helpful!
For those of you looking for more noodle recipes, I adore my one pan vermicelli noodles recipe, my egg noodles with ground beef recipe, my teriyaki chicken stir fry recipe, my spicy peanut butter noodles recipe that has hints of Thai red curry paste, or my shrimp with ramen noodles that takes less than 10 minutes to make! They're all super simple and great for mid-week dinner options.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Better than takeout: this is a homemade sweet and sour sauce with chicken and noodles, and honestly, it beats a takeout. Not only is it healthier, but it takes less than 30 minutes to make...which you could make quicker than getting a takeout delivered.
Accessible ingredients: we're using simple and accessible ingredients for this sweet and sour noodles with chicken because there's nothing worse than having to traipse across the city to different shops to buy stuff.
Simple: this recipe is easy to follow and simple to make. I hope you love it!
Some of my favourite chicken noodles dishes that I've made are my viral marry me chicken ramen, my Wagamama ramen which is a take on their takeaway meal, and my lemon chicken ramen which packs in so much flavour.
Ingredients & Substitutions
For the sauce
Ketchup: it adds sweetness, acidity, tomato richness.
Brown Sugar: this adds a caramel-like sweetness. If you don't have brown sugar, you could use honey or agave.
Soy Sauce: light soy sauce for the best flavour.
Garlic: fresh garlic cloves, finely minced. Garlic powder could also work.
Ginger: fresh ginger, finely minced. I'd recommend using fresh over powdered because it tastes considerably better. If you don't have fresh ginger, then I'd just omit that ingredient entirely.
Pineapple Juice: for sweetness and fruitiness. You could use pineapple juice from a carton or from tinned pineapples. If you don't have pineapple juice, apple juice could work.
Rice Wine Vinegar: for acidity, this is essential.
Chicken Stock: this is to make the sweet and sour sauce SUPER saucy. You could also use veggie stock if you wanted to make this dish vegetarian.
Cornstarch: to thicken up the sauce, we'll be using some cornstarch.
Bell Peppers: red and green bell peppers work great in this dish. If you don't like them or don't have them, aubergine/eggplant or courgette/zucchini would work really well.
White Onion: I like to keep my white onions pretty al dente and crunchy. You could also use shallots or red onions if you'd prefer.
Chicken: breast is great for this recipe but if you'd like to use a fattier more moist cut, then chicken thighs would be a great option. For a vegan option, tear up some firm tofu or use roughly chopped aubergine.
Scroll further down near the bottom of this blog to find the full ingredients list and method.
Step by step instructions with photos
Step 1: In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add in your cubed chicken breasts and toss to coat the chicken pieces fully.
Step 2: Place a frying pan on medium heat and drizzle in 2 tablespoon of oil. Add in your floured chicken pieces and fry, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until golden. Then remove and set aside.
Step 3: In the same pan, add in your red and green bell peppers, and your onions. Fry for 3-5 minutes until slightly softened but still crunchy.
Step 4: Add back in your chicken, give everything a toss, then turn off the heat.
Step 5: Meanwhile, you want to make your sauce. So, in a saucepan, combine ketchup, soy sauce, pineapple juice, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, chicken stock and your cornstarch slurry. Place on medium heat and cook for 5-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Prepare your noodles according to packet instructions.
Step 6: Once your sauce is ready, your chicken and veggies are cooked, and your noodles are ready, it's time to serve up. Divide your noodles between two bowls, then top with your fried chicken and veggie mixture. Top with as much sauce as you'd like. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onions. Enjoy!
Top Tips!
- If you'd like to air fry your chicken, simply spray the flour coated chicken with some oil and cook in the air fryer at 160C/320F for 8-12 minutes depending on your air fryer.
- Taste the sauce as you go, but remember that you want it to taste pretty powerful because the flavour will become more mild once combined with the rest of the ingredients.
- If you'd like to sub out the chicken for a veggie option, tofu would be a great choice!
What to do with leftovers
Storage: Place any leftover noodles and sauce in an airtight container and into the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing: You can freeze the sauce, veggies, and chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the noodles but they might not retain the same texture once reheated. Leave the sweet and sour chicken noodles to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Either place the container, lid slightly ajar, in the microwave until piping hot. I'd recommend adding a splash of water to up the moisture. Or, place the meal in a saucepan with a splash of water and reheat on medium heat until piping hot.
FAQs
I like to serve mine with noodles or rice. For side dishes, some fried green vegetables would be great.
Absolutely! Simply swap out the chicken for torn firm tofu and the chicken stock for veggie stock.
For sure! Making the recipe enough for 4 people.
Other related recipes you might enjoy
If you tried this Sweet and Sour Chicken Noodle recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you!
Sweet and Sour Chicken Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper roughly chopped
- 1 green bell pepper roughly chopped
- 1 white onion sliced and roughly chopped
- 2 chicken breasts sliced into ¾ inch cubes
- 100g plain flour
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
For the sauce
- 60ml ketchup
- 120ml light soy sauce
- 60ml pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 inch ginger minced
- 500ml chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoon water
For garnish
- black sesame seeds
- spring onions finely chopped
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add in your cubed chicken breasts and toss to coat the chicken pieces fully.
- Place a frying pan on medium heat and drizzle in 2 tablespoon of oil. Add in your floured chicken pieces and fry, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until golden. Then remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, add in your red and green bell peppers, and your onions. Fry for 3-5 minutes until slightly softened but still crunchy.
- Add back in your chicken, give everything a toss, then turn off the heat.
- Meanwhile, make your sauce. In a saucepan, combine ketchup, soy sauce, pineapple juice, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, chicken stock and your cornstarch slurry. Place on medium heat and cook for 5-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly to a saucy viscous consistency. Prepare your noodles according to packet instructions.
- Once your sauce is ready, your chicken and veggies are cooked, and your noodles are ready, it's time to serve up. Divide your noodles between two bowls, then top with your fried chicken and veggie mixture. Top with as much sauce as you'd like. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onions. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you'd like to air fry your chicken, simply spray the flour-coated chicken with some oil and cook in the air fryer at 160C/320F for 8-12 minutes depending on your air fryer.
- Taste the sauce as you go, but remember that you want it to taste pretty powerful because the flavour will become more mild once combined with the rest of the ingredients.
- If you'd like to sub out the chicken for a veggie option, tofu would be a great choice!
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