Tuesday, September 2, 2025
HomeCookingAir Fryer Candy and Bitter Hen

Air Fryer Candy and Bitter Hen


Candy and bitter rooster with a pleasant crispy coating, loads of tangy-sweet sauce and beautiful chunky items of bell pepper, onion and pineapple. The rooster and greens are all cooked up within the air fryer, whereas the sauce is made rapidly and simply within the microwave or a saucepan. A superb solution to make that takeaway favorite at house!

Tall overhead image of a bowl of sweet and sour chicken with chunks of onion, red & green peppers and pineapple in sauce. The bowl is on a wooden surface and a pair of black chopsticks rest on the bowl. A further bowl of sweet and sour chicken is partly in shot at the top of the frame. Small bowls of chopped green onion and sesame seeds are nearby.

Nicky’s Recipe Notes

I really like a home made candy and bitter, however I’m not so eager on the oil splatters from frying up the rooster, so this air fry model is an excellent different.
The coating is a combination of cornflour (cornstarch in USA), salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder – the cornflour provides it its crispiness and the opposite seasonings add flavour, so these crispy rooster bites are tremendous tasty even earlier than the sauce is added.

The sauce is a store-cupboard seize that solely takes 5 minutes to place collectively. You may make it within the microwave (every part for the sauce goes into one bowl) or a saucepan. Each cooking strategies work equally nicely!

📋 Substances

Crispy Hen

Chopped chicken thigh in a bowl, cornflour, spray oil, onion, red and green peppers, and spices on a wooden table. Each item is labelled.Chopped chicken thigh in a bowl, cornflour, spray oil, onion, red and green peppers, and spices on a wooden table. Each item is labelled.
  • Hen thighs are greatest for this recipe – they keep juicy with the excessive warmth that’s required to get the crispness on the coating.
  • Spray oil is your greatest pal with the air fryer. I’m a complete convert to this Vilgain Avocado oil (<–aff hyperlink) – it’s provides a pleasant even mist, has no flavour and may stand as much as excessive warmth cooking with out burning. I don’t assume it’s obtainable within the USA, however Chosen Avocado oil (<–aff hyperlink) is an identical one which works nice and is extra broadly obtainable.

Candy and Bitter Sauce

Six ingredients on a wooden surface, including garlic paste, ginger paste, tomato ketchup, malt vinegar, muscovado sugar, and tinned pineapple in juice. Each item is labelled.Six ingredients on a wooden surface, including garlic paste, ginger paste, tomato ketchup, malt vinegar, muscovado sugar, and tinned pineapple in juice. Each item is labelled.
  • The malt vinegar may be swapped out for rice vinegar, white wine vinegar or cider vinegar.
  • You possibly can after all use recent ginger and garlic as a substitute of paste. I’m utilizing the pastes as that is for my fast model.
  • You possibly can swap the common ketchup for a low salt and sugar model. I typically do that if I don’t have common ketchup in.

Professional Tip

Cooking the rooster first, after which the greens make sure the rooster has a crispier coating. We testing cooking the rooster with the greens and located the moisture from the greens makes the rooster coating go too gentle.

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  • Take the rooster thigh fillets, trim off the surplus fats, and lower into bite-size items. Put to 1 facet.

    6 giant skinless rooster thigh fillets

  • In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cornflour, salt, pepper, garlic salt, and paprika.

    6 tbsp cornflour (corn starch in USA), 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika

  • Place the rooster within the bowl with the cornflour, and blend, making certain every bit of rooster is totally lined.

  • Spray the air fryer basket with slightly oil, then place the rooster within the airfryer basket in a single layer. Spray the rooster with spray oil (or you may brush on some oil). You’ll have to work in two batches you probably have a small airfryer.

    spray oil

  • Cook dinner on the air fryer setting at 190C/375F for about 16-18 minutes – till the rooster is totally cooked and not pink within the center. Examine on the rooster and provides it a shake at the least 3 occasions throughout cooking, to make sure the rooster would not stick collectively.

  • Whereas the rooster is cooking, make the sauce. Add the entire sauce components to a microwave-safe bowl and stir collectively. Microwave on excessive for about 3-4 minutes, stirring each minute, till the sauce is scorching and barely thickened (see notes for saucepan different). Put to 1 facet.

    1 tsp minced garlic (garlic paste), 1 tsp minced ginger, 150 ml (2/3 cup) tomato ketchup, 1 tbsp malt vinegar, 6 tbsp darkish brown muscovado sugar, 432 g (15.2 oz) canned pineapple chunks in juice

  • When the rooster is cooked, take away from the air fryer basket and place in a bowl. Place the chopped onions and peppers within the air fryer basket spray with oil and cook dinner at 200C/400F for 6-7 minutes, till softened and really barely charred.

    1 giant onion, 1 pink pepper, 1 inexperienced pepper, spray oil

  • Add the rooster again in with the greens and cook dinner at 200C/400F for 1 minute (simply to heat the rooster again by).

  • Switch the rooster and greens to a bowl and pour over the sauce (you might must warmth for for 30 seconds first if it is cooled slightly). Toss along with the sauce.

  • Serve with boiled or fried rice and a sprinkling of sesame seeds and spring onions.

    egg fried rice or boiled rice, sesame seeds, chopped spring onions (scallions)

Examine the rooster is cooked

You need to make sure the rooster is totally cooked earlier than serving. Slice open one of many bigger items yow will discover, and ensure it’s not pink within the center. If it’s white with no pink areas, it’s cooked.

Wish to make the sauce in a saucepan as a substitute?

Place the entire sauce components right into a saucepan and blend collectively to mix. Warmth over a medium warmth, stirring sometimes, till the sauce begins to bubble and thicken barely (this could take about 3-4 minutes). Then flip off the warmth.

Make the sauce forward

Place the entire sauce components in an hermetic container and stir collectively. Place the lid on and refrigerate (for as much as a day), then warmth up when prepared.
Dietary Info is per serving not together with rice (I don’t understand how a lot rice you’re going to serve this with :-))

Energy: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 31g | Fats: 9g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 4g | Trans Fats: 0.03g | Ldl cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 637mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 44g

Diet info is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

Serve with egg fried rice or boiled rice. I prefer to high with a number of chopped spring onions and sesame seeds too.

Air Fryer Candy and Bitter HenAir Fryer Candy and Bitter Hen

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🍽️ What to serve it with


? Continuously Requested Questions

Can I swap the rooster thighs for rooster breast?

Sure! It’s rather less juicy, however in the event you choose rooster breast then it is going to work tremendous.

Can I make candy and bitter sauce forward?

Sure! Place the entire sauce components in a bowl and stir collectively. Cowl and refrigerate (for as much as a day), then warmth up when prepared.

Can I make this dish forward?

I wouldn’t suggest making this entire dish forward because the rooster coating will begin to go gentle after being blended with the sauce.

🍲 Extra Air Fryer Favourites

A few of the hyperlinks on this put up could also be affiliate hyperlinks – which implies in the event you purchase the product I get a small fee (at no further price to you). Should you do purchase, then thanks! That’s what helps us to maintain Kitchen Sanctuary working. The dietary info offered is approximate and may fluctuate relying on a number of elements. For extra info please see our Phrases & Situations.



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