Dinner in Under 30 Minutes: Sweet and Sticky Chinese Plum Chicken
Get ready for a flavor-packed feast that comes together in just 30 minutes! In this quick recipe, we’re whipping up Sweet and Sticky Chinese Plum Chicken, where crispy chicken meets a luscious sweet and tangy sauce.
Don’t worry about complicated steps; everything is done in one bowl! Coat your chicken effortlessly and fry it all at once—no need to hassle with batches! As the chicken sizzles, toss in vibrant veggies and juicy plums, then finish with a mouthwatering sticky sauce that’ll have you coming back for seconds.
Perfect for busy weeknights, this dish pairs beautifully with boiled or egg fried rice and is bound to impress everyone at the table. Let’s dive into easy cooking that delivers big flavors!
Watch the video by Kitchen Sanctuary
Recipe Instructions
Sweet and tangy sauces paired with crispy chicken is always going to hit the mark when it comes to making a stir fry! Don’t let the need to coat the chicken put you off, I make this chinese plum chicken one as EASY as possible:
✅ The chicken coating is all done in one bowl.
✅ I’m also a bit lazy about frying the chicken. I fry it all in one go, rather than working in batches. It works just fine!!
✅ The peppers, plums and sauce are added in once the chicken is cooked. ✅ No need to scoop out the chicken and add it back in again later.
If you’re in a really pinch, shop-bought crispy chicken pieces also work great. You can bake or air-fry the chicken and then add to vegetables, plums and sauce in the wok.
Free printable recipe is available on our site: https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/chinese-plum-chicken/
Ingredients:
3 chicken breast fillets chopped into bite-size chunks
2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in USA)
1 egg
75 g (10 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic salt
2 tsp paprika
3 tbsp oil
3 plums sliced
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 green bell pepper sliced
1 yellow bell pepper sliced
2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
Sticky sauce:
2 tbsp tomato puree (paste in USA)
1 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar (white wine vinegar will work too_
3 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp chili flakes
180 ml (3/4 cup) pineapple juice
To serve:
boiled rice or egg fried rice
shredded spring onions (scallions)
chilli flakes
Instructions
1. Place the chicken in a bowl and sprinkle on the cornflour. Mix together with a fork or your hands until the chicken is coated.
2. Now break the egg into the bowl with the chicken, and use a fork to mix everything together thoroughly. There should be no egg pooling at the bottom of the bowl. If there is, discard it.
3. Next, sprinkle on the flour, followed by salt, pepper, garlic salt and paprika. Mix everything together with your hands. The chicken should be well-coated, but will also be sticky.
4. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan until hot.
5. Add the chicken to the wok and cook on a high heat for 6-7 minutes, turning two or three times during cooking, until well browned. You may need to cook in two batches (I find I can do it in one batch so long as there are no more than 3 chicken breasts).
6. Once golden brown, add the plum slices, peppers, and garlic. Cook, with the chicken for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the plum starts to soften.
7. Now add all of the sauce ingredients to the wok (you can mix them together first or add to the wok one-at-a-time), stir, and bubble on a high heat until the sauce reduces by about a third (should take 2-3 minutes).
8. Turn off the heat and divide between four bowls. Serve with rice and top with spring onions and chilli flakes.
Notes
Can I make it ahead?
You can prepare the sauce ahead, by mixing the sauce ingredients together and covering (store at room temperature or in the fridge). The chicken can be covered in the coating ahead of time (a few hours ahead maximum). The coating will be sticky, but it will crisp up when fried.
Don’t like it spicy?
Replace the sweet chilli sauce with ketchup and leave out the chilli flakes. The kids LOVE it!
Can it be refrigerated or frozen?
It’s best served right away, but yes, you can cool, cover and refrigerate or freeze in an airtight container.Defrost before reheating thoroughly (heat in the microwave or covered in the oven or in a wok/frying pan). The chicken won’t be crispy, and the vegetables will soften slightly, but it’s still tasty for a quick meal.
#CookingShow #Recipe #quickdinner
Video “Dinner in under 30 minutes: Sweet and sticky Chinese Plum Chicken” was uploaded on 06/09/2025 to Youtube Channel Kitchen Sanctuary