Sweet & sour chicken balls

Try making these sweet & sour chicken balls at home with this easy recipe. These satisfying chicken bites paired with a tangy dipping sauce are irresistible

  • Prep:20 mins
    Cook:20 mins
  • Serves 4
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 554
  • fat 18g
  • saturates 3g
  • carbs 58g
  • sugars 0g
  • fibre 1g
  • protein 38g
  • salt 2.06g

Ingredients

  • 125g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 160ml semi-skimmed milk
  • 1 tbsp groundnut oil, plus extra for deep-frying
  • 4 chicken breast fillets, cut into 3cm cubes
  • 240ml orange juice
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 6 tbsp water

Method

  1. First, make the sauce. Put the orange juice, sugar, tomato purée, ketchup and vinegar in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 mins. Slowly pour in the cornflour mixture, a little at a time, stirring continuously until you have the desired consistency. Remove from the heat and set aside.

  2. Mix the flour, baking powder and 1 tsp salt together in a large bowl. Beat the eggs, milk and 1 tbsp oil together in a separate bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well to create a smooth paste. Add the chicken pieces and mix, making sure each piece is thoroughly coated.

  3. Fill a deep saucepan or wok no more than a third full with oil and heat to 170C, or until a cube of bread dropped in browns within 30 seconds. Carefully lower the coated chicken pieces into the oil, one piece at a time, and fry in batches of five for about 5-6 mins each batch until golden brown and cooked through. If you have a food probe thermometer, the internal temperature should reach 78C. If you don't have a thermometer, cut a chicken piece in half to ensure the juices run clear.

  4. Drain the fried chicken on a wire rack set over a baking tray lined with kitchen paper, or on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Serve with the sweet & sour sauce for dipping.

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