Chicken Sweet and Sour is by far my favourite Chinese dish. It’s super easy to cook in the slow cooker, just pop the ingredients into the pot and get on with your day. Packed with vegetables, Chicken Sweet and Sour is a great option if you’re trying to stick to a healthy diet. Not only that but this Chicken Sweet and Sour costs just 63p per portion.
Fill your freezer with a whopping 8 family sized portions and enjoy quick and easy dinners for months.
Ingredients
- 2.4kg Boneless Chicken £11.80
- 1 Bulb Garlic 22p
- 1kg Onions 80p
- 600g Peppers £1.69
- 6 Apples 99p
- 750g Tinned Pineapple £2.97
- 4 Cubes Chicken Stock 23p
- 100g Brown Sugar 22p
- 180ml Cider Vinegar 59p
- 30g Cornflour 11p
- 150ml Soy Sauce 55p
Total = £20.17
Makes 32 servings = 63p per portion
Food purchased from Aldi. Prices correct at time of publishing.
Cooking Equipment You Will Need to Make Chicken Sweet and Sour
You do not need a lot of equipment to batch cook. You can get started with tools you probably already have in your kitchen.
To make Chicken Sweet and Sour you will need:
- Kitchen Knife
- Chopping Board
- Large Pan
- Measuring Jug
- Freezer Proof Tubs
There are some tools that will make batch cooking quicker and easier.
This Chicken Sweet and Sour is much easier to make if you do it in a slow cooker. You can make it in a pan but you’ll need to be around to watch the pan while it cooks, stirring it every now and then to stop it from burning. With a slow cooker you can sling all of the ingredients into the pot and get on with your life. You can go out and completely ignore your batch cooking.
I like to use a garlic press but you can mince your garlic with a knife if you prefer.
How to Cook Chicken Sweet and Sour
Start by mincing the garlic.
Then dice the onions.
Fry them until soft then pop them into the slow cooker.
Dice the chicken. You can use chicken breast or thigh fillets if you prefer, drum fillets are usually the cheapest option.
Brown the chicken pieces.
Add them all to the slow cooker along with the stock.
I’m using homemade chicken stock because I had some on hand. I’d normally use four chicken stock cubes.
Making the Sweet and Sour Sauce
Mix together the following ingredients in a large jug.
30g of cornflour, that’s about 4 tablespoons.
100g of brown sugar, about 8 table spoons.
150ml of soy sauce (that’s a full small bottle).
180ml of apple cider vinegar, about 12 tablespoons.
And the pineapple juice.
Give the sauce a good stir and add it to the slow cooker.
Final Ingredients
Add the pineapples to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients.
Chop the apples and add them to the slow cooker.
Then finally chop the peppers and add them to the slow cooker too.
Leave it to cook in the slow cooker on low for about 6 – 8 hours or on high for 4 – 5 hours.
Make sure the chicken is cooked through before serving.
How to Store Chicken Sweet and Sour
You can store any leftover Chicken Sweet and Sour in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to Freeze Chicken Sweet and Sour
Portion your cooked Chicken Sweet and Sour into freezer tubs.
These are the freezer tubs I use for most of my batch cook meals. They are a little better quality than some of the cheaper ones I’ve tried. I generally get about 5 years worth of use out of them.
Label the lids with a permanent marker. I’ve tried a few different ones but nothing beats the Sharpie brand markers. The marks easily wash away with a little pressure and a wet cloth.
Place the lids loosely on your tubs and leave them too cool.
Once your Chicken Sweet and Sour has cooled down completely put the tubs into your fridge. Once they are chilled pop them in your freezer to freeze.
How to Defrost Chicken Sweet and Sour
For best results (as they say) take your tub of Chicken Sweet and Sour out of the freezer a day or two before you plan to eat it.
I like to plan my meals a few days in advance and choose from the defrosted meals on the day. That way there’s still some room for spontaneity.
But don’t worry if you forget, you can defrost your Chicken Sweet and Sour in the microwave. Just pop it on defrost for about 10 minutes.
In a real pinch you could cook this Chicken Sweet and Sour from frozen. Ease the frozen mixture out of the freezer tub and into a pan. Gently heat it on the hob until it’s piping hot. You will need to stir it pretty much constantly which is difficult with a solid frozen block. You’ll usually end up having to break it up in order to stop it burning.
How to Serve Chicken Sweet and Sour
My kids love this Chicken Sweet and Sour with egg fired rice, or plain white boiled rice if I’m being lazy. But my favourite way to eat Chicken Sweet and Sour is poured over a jacket potato.
Take a look at this recipe and learn how to make perfect jacket potatoes, quickly and easily.
It’s also great with noodles or chips too.
I do hope this chicken sweet and sour recipe inspires you to have a go at batch cooking.
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Take a Look at More Easy Batch Cook Recipes
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A Note on Food Safety
Freezing and defrosting food really isn’t complicated. But it terrifies me how many people aren’t familiar with basic food hygiene so if you’re new to cooking from scratch and freezing please follow these safety guidlines.
The important things to remember are:
- Wash your hands and anything else that has been in contact with raw meat.
- Meals should last for about 3 days in the fridge.
- Do not defrost your meals at room temperature.
- Do not refreeze meals you have already defrosted.
- Consume food before the use by date.
A Little Bit About Me . . .
Hi there! Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner of the interweb. I’m Bridie.
Each week I cook up a big batch of a single meal. Most of it goes in the freezer, then it’s just defrost and reheat or sling it in the oven. Even on busy school nights my family get to enjoy healthy home cooked meals that my kids actually eat.
Each week I share a new recipe on my blog. Most of my meals cost less than £1 per portion.
I really hope that my ideas can help other people to stretch their budgets.
I’ve included links to my favourite retailers for the products I’ve used to make my crafts. Click on any of the product images and links for full details. If you decide to buy any of these products I may get a small percentage of what you spend. There’s no cost to you at all.
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