Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Chicken (2024)

Better than takeout air fryer sweet and sour chicken that has crispy juicy chicken and crunchy vegetables served with a rich sauce. It’s so easy to put together, uses way less oil than the regular version, and tastes so great! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

After posting my no-deep fry sweet and sour chicken, I keep getting asked how to make the dish in the air fryer. That’s why I adapted my original recipe so you can make it in the air fryer.

I have to admit that making sweet and sour chicken in the air fryer doesn’t save you a lot of time. Because you will still need to make the sauce on the stove. But I do think making the chicken in the air fryer makes the process a lot easier because it’s more hands-off. Plus, you need even less oil to create extra crispy chicken than you would with the no-deep fry version.

Ingredients

You only need a few pantry ingredients to make air fryer sweet and sour chicken.

Although I always emphasize mise en place and recommend you get all the ingredients prepared before you start cooking, this dish is an exception. You can actually prepare the sauce and the vegetables after the chicken has gone into the air fryer. When the chicken is done cooking, you actually want it to cool off for a second before tossing it in the sauce. The cooling process will further crisp up the chicken.

How to make air fryer sweet and sour chicken

Cook the chicken in the air fryer

1. Spread all the chicken pieces in your air fryer basket without overlapping
2. Spray oil onto them so there’s no dry flour left
3. Air fry until pale golden
4. Flip and air fry until golden

NOTE:

When cooking in the air fryer, the inside of the chicken pieces cook faster than they do with the stovetop method. To make sure the chicken is still juicy, do not wait until the chicken turns completely golden brown. The chicken pieces will be crispy as long as the edges turn golden.

Make the sauce on the stove

1. Cook the ginger and garlic to release fragrance
2. Gently stir fry and pepper and onion
3. Pour in the sauce
4. Cook until the sauce thickens
5. Add back the chicken
6. Stir everything together and serve!

I like to toss the chicken with the rest of the ingredients so the pieces coat evenly with the sauce. The chicken will be crispy enough to withstand the sauce.

I’ve seen in many restaurants that sweet and sour chicken does not contain vegetables at all. But I always prefer to add onion and pepper to mine for a better appearance and texture. If you want to skip both ingredients, that’s totally fine.

How to serve sweet and sour chicken

You can serve sweet and sour chicken by itself as a main dish, or serve it over rice for a more filling meal. To make your meal more balanced and colorful, you can add easy sides such as egg drop soup, baby bok choy stir fry, egg fried rice, and soy sauce pan fried noodles.

Other delicious air fryer recipes

• Air Fryer Garlic Ribs (蒜香排骨)
• Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
• Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken
• Air Fryer Fries with Spice Mix
• Air Fryer Tofu with Broccoli and Carrot