A Glug of Oil

Easy and delicious recipes including midweek dinner ideas, English and world cuisine.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

Air fryer Sweet and Sour Chicken

My favourite of all air fryer recipes. You will love this Chinese fakeaway recipe. 

Healthier and better than the takeaway with a cooking time of under 30 minutes!

Sweet and Sour Chicken Actifry - Air Fryer.

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*Post updated January 2023

I must say I really do love my Tefal ActiFry and I have to admit that before I actually had one I thought they were only for cooking chips, but it turns out I was so wrong!

How to make Sweet and Sour Chicken in an Air fryer

What can you cook in the ActiFry or Air fryer?

I've used mine to make loads of recipes now from ActiFry Sweet Chilli Chicken Wings to ActiFry Arancini - yes indeedy! 😋

Chilli con Carne turned out delicious. Who knew you could use an ActiFry to make so many different dishes?!

The ActiFry is fantastic for cooking speedy and healthier meals; my Sweet and Sour Chicken fakeaway cooks in under 30 minutes.

Armed with my Tefal rice cooker cooking the rice for me, dinner was served in next to no time and was virtually fuss-free.

Recipe Top Tips!

  • I used the Tefal ActiFry Express XL for this recipe which does cook up to 30% faster than the ActiFry Family. Therefore timings may need to be increased by a couple of minutes.
  • I particularly like the Ninja Air Fryer Max but if you use that you would have to stir as you go since it's only the actifry that has a paddle. So you will have to remove the crisper plate.
  • You can of course use a regular air fryer with the basket removed and again, you'll have to manually stir now and then.
  • I used Ketjap Manis it's an Indonesian sweet soy sauce - you can use dark soy, but I like ketjap (kicap) manis as it's much thicker and sweeter and can be found in any good supermarket.

A bottle of Ketjap Manis

Did you know? 

One ActiFry spoonful (up to the first measuring line) equals 1 tablespoon.

Making ActiFry Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients

  • skinless chicken breasts
  • cornflour (cornstarch)
  • vegetable oil 
  • onion 
  • red bell pepper 
  • green bell pepper 
  • garlic
  • pineapple from a tin - keep the pineapple juice for later

Sweet and Sour Sauce

  • cornflour
  • brown sugar
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • juice from the tin of pineapple
  • splash of water
  • dried red chilli flakes
  • red wine vinegar
  • tomato ketchup
  • Ketjap Manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
  • white pepper
Sweet and sour chicken.


Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below!

sweet and sour chicken recipe, air fryer sweet and sour chicken recipe, fakeaway recipe,
Main, Chinese, Fakeaway
Chinese
Yield: 2
Author: Jan Bennett
Sweet and Sour Chicken Actifry - Air Fryer Recipe

Sweet and Sour Chicken Actifry - Air Fryer Recipe

If you use a regular air fryer you will have to stir now and then since only the actifry has a paddle. Also, remove the basket and cook in the flat bottom part instead.
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 26 MinTotal time: 31 Min

Ingredients

Main Ingredients
  • 2 skinless chicken fillets - cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon of cornflour - to coat the chicken
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion - cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper - cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 green bell pepper - cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 clove of garlic - finely chopped
  • 5 slices pineapple taken from a 272g (drained weight) tin of pineapple - cut into chunks and drained well. Keep the juice for the sauce.
Sauce Ingredients
  • 1 heaped tablespoon cornflour
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • juice from the tin of pineapple - about 120ml
  • 30 ml of water
  • 2 tablespoons dried red chilli flakes
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 3 heaped tablespoons tomato ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons Ketjap Manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
  • a big pinch of white pepper

Instructions

  1. Add a tablespoon of cornflour to a bowl and very roughly coat the chicken and put it to one side.
  2. Gather together and prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Start by making the sauce; in a small jug add the cornflour and sugar along with the rest of the sauce ingredients, mix well and set aside.
  4. Put the vegetable oil into the ActiFry along with onions.
  5. Cook for 3 minutes.
  6. Open the lid, and add the peppers.
  7. Cook for a further 8 minutes.
  8. Stir the sauce and add it to the ActiFry along with the chicken and garlic.
  9. Cook for 5 minutes.
  10. Open the lid check and add a little more water if it looks like you really need to (remembering there isn't meant to be a lot of sauce in this dish).
  11. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
  12. Add the pineapple chunks and cook for a further 5 minutes by which time the chicken should be perfectly cooked and the sauce nicely thickened.
  13. Please check the chicken is fully cooked and if not continue to cook for a few minutes more.

Notes

Please note; that I used the Tefal ActiFry Express XL for this recipe which does cook up to 30% faster than the ActiFry Family. Therefore timings may have to be increased by a couple of minutes.

Did you make this recipe?
@aglugofoil # aglugofoil

7 comments

  1. Absolutely LUSH Jan and isn't this type of recipe JUST fab when made in the ActiFry? I LOVE mine and wish I'd had one when I started my 5:2 diet 2 yrs ago! Karen

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  2. There really is so much that you can do in the Actifry isn't there. I need to stop just making chips in mine haha.

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  3. Such a good idea to use the Actifry for stir fry!! I only ever use it for chips but there's so much more it can do :)

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  4. Yummy looking sweet and sour chicken. I don't have one of these gadgets but it's good to see how versatile it is.

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  5. I would love an actifry! This looks delicious!

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  6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  7. Oh yum that looks amazing! I would love an actifry!

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Cheers
Jan