These sweet and sours chicken thighs can be made with a classic sweet and sour sauce or spice them up and make them hot and sour. Cooked along with fresh vegetables for an all in one meal.
This is one of my favourite bone-in chicken thigh recipes. I’m sure you’ve all made or tried sweet and sour chicken that uses chunks of boneless chicken. This dish is a bit of a mash-up between those delicious sweet and sour flavours, together with whole chicken pieces and hearty vegetables.
The beauty of this dish is that it can be either classic sweet and sour (and family friendly), if you make it with red bell pepper, or you can up the heat with a bit of Sambal Oelek. Or if you’re in the mood for something fiery, try a bit of hot Thai red pepper and make it Hot and Sour Chicken.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Chicken – this recipe uses skin on, bone-in chicken thighs. While other chicken cuts will work, cooking times will vary.
Thai Peppers – My version here used a bit of those little red Thai peppers. I say a bit, because that’s all you need. Those peppers pack a lot of punch :) That said, if you’re in the mood for fiery, there’s no quicker route to that than Thai peppers.
Sambal Oelek – A nice compromise in the heat department is a bit of Sambal Oelek (or Asian Chili Garlic Sauce, would also work). Add in small 1/4 tsp. bits until it reaches the heat level you’re after.
Recipe tips!
- You can save a step in this recipe by starting with already cooked (left-over) vegetables. Alternately, you can cook them in the microwave or boil, as detailed in the recipe. Note that when starting with whole beans and carrot chunks that they won’t cook to tender just in the sauce, so they do need to be pre-cooked just until tender, before adding them to the sauce.
- If you plan on serving this with some rice, you may want to double the sauce to have lots to flavour the rice, as well.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
For the freshest flavour and texture this dish is best served freshly cooked.
Store leftover in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
This chicken should freeze well.
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Get the Recipe: Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 5 bone-in/skin on chicken thighs
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, low sodium recommened
- 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar or cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice, (or orange juice, chicken stock or water)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- handful fresh or frozen green beans
- 1/2 small onion, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon red bell pepper, diced (or 1/2 tsp. Sambal Oelek for a little heat or 1/2 a thai red pepper, finely diced for lots of heat!)
Instructions
- Preheat oven 375 F. (regular bake option/not fan assisted)
- Heat a bit of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until golden brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a baking sheet and place in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, clean out the frying pan and bring an inch or so of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the beans and carrots and cook until just tender. Drain and set aside. While vegetables are cooking, mix together all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. (*Alternately, you could cook the vegetables in a covered bowl in the microwave, if you prefer).
- Heat a bit of oil over medium heat in the frying pan. Add the onion and red pepper and cook, stirring, until just softened. Add the sauce, vegetables and cooked chicken to the pan. Allow to simmer, stirring regularly, until sauce thickens.
Notes
More bone-in chicken thigh recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Yum Jen this recipe is a complete sell out, the family really loved it and i did it in the pan too following your instructions.
So glad you all enjoyed it! Thanks :)
Hi there Jen, could I just brown the thighs and pour your sauce over them in the slow cooker and leave them to cook
Hi Miss Molly, I’m not sure I’d go with the slow cooker on this one. Bone-in chicken thighs tend to fall apart in a slow cooker and of course, the lovely browned skin will just disappear.