Sweet and Sour Chicken with Cherries • Steamy Kitchen Recipes Giveaways (2024)

by Jaden | Asian, Main Course, Recipes | 13 comments

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Growing up in Nebraska, the closest family was nearly 8,000 miles away in Hong Kong and so our “family” was made of neighbors and co-workers of my Dad at the city utility offices. On the weekends, the adults would play cards, mah-jong (my parents taught everyone!) and have grand potlucks.

We spent many weekends with one of Dad’s co-workers, Walt and his wife Alice, who had a lovely backyard full of fruit trees. They were an older couple and became Jay and my substitute “Grandma and Grandpa.”I remember vividly the massive netting contraption that Walt would drape over the majestic cherry tree once the fruit started ripening to prevent darting bird-theives from snatching the prized fruit.

Every year in the summer, we’d be invited over for cherry harvesting, where the netting would be gently lifted off like a veil, revealing the layers and layers of branches holding bright red cherries ready for picking. The rest of the evening and days that followed were dedicated to pitting, pie-making and canning.

Walt and Alice both passed away long ago and I wonder if that cherry tree still stands? I’ve been temped to ask my parents for their old address to use Google Earth to peer into the backyard, but that thought just kinda creeped me out!

This recipe, Sweet and Sour Chicken with Cherries is a tribute to Walt and Alice. When we first moved to the United States, they welcomed us into their home and we became part of their family. Alice taught Mom how to bake Cherry Pie, Mom taught her how to Chinese Egg Rolls. They babysat me and my brother so that my parents could go out on a date. Alice patiently read some of my very first children’s books to me and helped me learn English!

You can use either sweet or tart cherries with this recipe – this is a sweet and sour dish, so adjust the amount of honey or vinegar based on how sweet your cherries are. I love my Sweet and Sour Sauce – it’s a healthy version that uses orange juice for a nice fruity zing. If fresh cherries aren’t in your life right now, feel free to use another fruit – both fresh pineapple and mango work great. Oh, I’ve even used frozen, pitted cherries in the recipe with great results as well.

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Cherries Recipe Video

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Cherries • Steamy Kitchen Recipes Giveaways (4)

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Cherries

You can use either breast meat or thigh meat (or even thinly sliced pork). For a vegetarian version, substitute the meat with extra firm tofu cubes (still following the same recipe instructions)

If fresh cherries aren't available, use fresh pineapple or mango chunks. Also, frozen cherries work well too. Canned cherries are too sweet.

4 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces boneless chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
  • 1/2 onion, cut into 1” chunks
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh cherries (2 handfuls), pitted and halved
  • 1/2 red pepper, cut into 1” chunks
  • 1/2 yellow pepper, cut into 1” chunks

For the Sweet and Sour Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
  • 3 tablespoons orange juice
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons white vinegar

Instructions

  • In a bowl, toss the chicken meat with the soy sauce and cornstarch.

  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce.

  • Heat a wok or saute pan over high heat. Swirl in just 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil. When hot, add in the marinated chicken. Spread chicken out all over the surface of wok in single layer. Let cook for 2 minutes, undisturbed, until browned. Flip chicken pieces and brown the other side, about 1 minute. Chicken should be browned but still uncooked in the middle. Remove chicken from wok and set aside.

  • Keep the wok on stove and turn the heat to medium-high. Swirl in the remaining cooking oil. When hot, add the onions and stir fry for 1 minute. Add in the cherries, red and yellow bell peppers. Stir fry for 2 minutes, until the bell peppers are cooked, but still colorful and crunchy.

  • Add the partially cooked chicken back into the wok and pour in the sweet and sour sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook an additional minute, or until the chicken is fully cooked through. Careful not to overcook the chicken!

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Cherries • Steamy Kitchen Recipes Giveaways (5)Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comment section! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Cherries • Steamy Kitchen Recipes Giveaways (6)Stay in touch with me in our Facebook group, on Pinterest or follow me on Instagram! Sign up for my email list, too where we chat all things recipes, tips, giveaways, and more!

  1. Chris J on 7/10/22 at 4:25 pm

    Sweet and Sour Chicken with Cherries • Steamy Kitchen Recipes Giveaways (7)
    I made this exactly per the recipe. Delicious! It is a perfect base recipe that begs for many variations. My wife commented that it could use more crunchy elements. Next time, I’ll add water chesnuts and bamboo shoots. Also maybe some carrots and celery. I love that the sauce is so flexible. Next time I’ll add minced garlic and bump the acid quite a bit because we like the sour more than the sweet. I can also think of many vegan and vegetarian versions and it is naturally gluten-free (assuming you use gluten-free soy sauce). Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  2. Michael Moore on 4/22/20 at 7:56 am

    Perfect, tastes amazing.

    Reply

  3. Gilles Nadeau on 3/18/14 at 6:11 pm

    I loved your Sweet &Sour chicken with cherries. I now have to wait for cherries to arrive in Québec. I wonder if you have a récipé for crispy lemon chicken?

    Thank You

    Gilles

    Reply

  4. Tara on 3/3/14 at 5:41 am

    Jaden, I am loving exploring your beautiful website! I am living in Guangzhou, and made this dish tonight with our ‘ayi’s’ help. 🙂 The whole family really enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your excellent work with the world!

    Reply

  5. Foodpix on 8/27/13 at 11:06 pm

    This food makes my appetite bigger, looks very pleasant and so colourful. Very keen to make it for my own.

    Reply

  6. Jeff @ Cheeseburger on 8/22/13 at 7:26 am

    Sweet cherries would be perfect for this recipe.

    Reply

  7. Chris on 8/18/13 at 1:11 pm

    I went by my childhood home a last year and it was rather depressing seeing the entire neighborhood so run down, but the sycamore trees that I climbed countless times still were there. I wanted to go climb them but I thought the owners might object 😉

    Reply

  8. Kumar's Kitchen on 8/15/13 at 10:06 am

    Oh how we love having sweet and sour chicken…it is such a treat,but this yummy version with cherries looks like an awesome twist over the mangoes,the colors are so vibrant with cherries speckled here and there, a must try for this weekend… 🙂

    Reply

  9. Ayu Shah on 8/15/13 at 9:35 am

    I love your website. ;). I am on a strict diet so I can’t really eat a lot throughout the week, but I cook on Sundays. Inspirational!

    Reply

  10. Carrie Newman on 8/15/13 at 1:27 am

    Hi Jaden,

    I’ve tried several of your recipes and they are all fantastic! Will have to try this with Mango’s…here in Australia we have awesome varieties! Cheers,Carrie

    Reply

  11. James Braley on 8/13/13 at 4:52 pm

    Hi Jaden,
    Could you send the company name and website where you got that wonderful table? I remember that it was in Eastern Canada and you did a write-up on it.
    Thanks, Jim

    Reply

  12. Betty Ann @Mango_Queen on 8/13/13 at 2:02 pm

    Wow! What a delicious and easy recipe. I just watched the video and can’t stop staring at it. Bookmarked it. Never thought to use cherries in sweet sour chicken. But now you just inspired me. Thanks for sharing, Jaden!

    Reply

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Sweet and Sour Chicken with Cherries • Steamy Kitchen Recipes Giveaways (2024)

FAQs

What is sweet and sour chicken batter made of? ›

Sweet and Sour Chicken Ingredients

For the sauce: water, pineapple juice from a can, white sugar, white vinegar, and orange food coloring. For the batter: cornstarch, self-rising flour, vegetable oil, an egg, salt, and white pepper.

Can I use sweet cherries instead of sour? ›

If the recipe calls for canned sour cherries and you wish to use fresh sweet cherries, reduce the amount of sugar and add a little lemon juice to taste. This works very well for cherry pie, cherry sauce for ice cream or cherry topping for cheesecake.

What to eat with sweet and sour chicken? ›

I usually serve this baked sweet and sour chicken with steamed rice and broccoli. Some other ways you can serve this dish include: Brown rice, cauliflower rice, or fried rice.

What makes cherries sour? ›

The tart flavour of sour cherries is due to the presence of a greater amount of malic acid. They have a titratable acidity of 1.2–1.9% of malic acid. Sour cherries also contain less sugar than sweet cherries.

What is authentic sweet and sour sauce made of? ›

While sweet and sour can be found in diverse forms in China, the American version builds upon the simple mixture of sugar, vinegar, and spices with the addition of fruit juice—most commonly pineapple—and ketchup, giving the sauce both its red hue and uniquely Western flavor.

What is the difference between sweet and sour chicken and Cantonese sweet and sour chicken? ›

Our sweet and sour dishes are either 'Cantonese style' (which is the same as 'Hong Kong Style') or Sweet and Sour 'Balls' (thick battered). Our Cantonese style is cooked with the sauce, onions, peppers and pineapple. Whereas the Sweet and sour Chicken or King Prawns balls come with a separate pot of sauce.

Can I use canned cherries instead of fresh? ›

If you are substituting canned cherries for fresh, you may need to drain or rinse off the syrup before proceeding. Dried cherries, usually made from sour cherries, are called for in recipes for cookies, savory, cold weather meaty dishes, and fall and winter salads.

What's the difference between a tart cherry and a cherry? ›

Tart cherries are bright red in color while sweet cherries tend to be darker red and sometimes even purple. Sweet cherries are also larger than tart cherries. Now, you probably already guessed another difference, the taste! Sweet cherries are obviously sweeter, as they contain more naturally occurring sugars.

What is the difference between cherries and sour cherries? ›

Sour Cherry Varieties

Sour cherries often tend to be smaller than sweet cherries. Whereas most sweet cherries tend to be dark red in color, sour cherries fall into two categories: Amarelle-type cherries - yellow flesh and white juice Morello-type cherries - red flesh and red juice.

How do you thicken sweet and sour chicken? ›

A corn starch slurry thickens the sauce – this sauce is a medium thickness, so depending on your preference add little more or less corn starch slurry (but go slowly – the sauce will take a little time to thicken up once the slurry is added).

Why is sweet and sour chicken red? ›

When I make sweet and sour sauce from scratch, there's a bit of a red colour, but that's because I use ketchup to make some of the “sour” part. It's also got tomatoes in it, which adds some red colour. Usually, my sauce is more of a brown colour from the soy sauce and brown sugar. Because they generally add tomatoes.

Is sweet and sour chicken from Chinese healthy? ›

Nutrition Facts

There are 1765 calories in a 1 order (706.000g) serving size of Restaurant, Chinese, sweet and sour chicken. The calorie breakdown is 46% fat, 38% carbs, and 16% protein.

What are the little white worms in sour cherries? ›

Within 7-10 days, females can begin to lay eggs inside the ripening cherry fruits. The cherries must be straw to salmon colored and not hard and green before the flies can lay eggs in them. Once the eggs are laid, they hatch into little white worms that feed on the inside of the developing fruit.

What happens if you eat too many sour cherries? ›

If you eat more cherries than that recommended dose, there are some potential downsides, adds Blatner: GI distress. "Cherries contain fiber, fructose and sorbitol, which in large amount can cause issues such as gas, bloating, stomach pain, and diarrhea," says Blatner.

What is a sour cherry called? ›

Tart cherries (scientific name Prunus cerasus) are also called sour cherries. They are best known as a key ingredient in desserts; most importantly, the cherry pie.

What is chicken batter made of? ›

Many recipes for batter-fried chicken recommend using wheat flour or a combination of wheat flour and cornstarch.

What is batter made of? ›

batter, mixture of flour and liquid with other ingredients, such as leavening agents, shortening, sugar, salt, eggs, and various flavourings, used to make baked goods and other food products. Similar mixtures—called doughs—are thick and flexible, allowing them to be shaped and rolled.

What is KFC batter made of? ›

In 1983, William Poundstone conducted laboratory research into the coating mix, as described in his book Big Secrets, and claimed that a sample he examined contained only flour, salt, monosodium glutamate and black pepper. KFC maintains that it still adheres to Sanders' original 1940 recipe.

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