If there's anything in the world I adore, it's sweet chile with chicken. I'll have it any way I can! Much of those tender little nuggets of chicken encrusted in a crispy bread-crumb coating are fried before being dipped into their delicious sweet and spicy sauces - and while their being fried doesn't bother me so much, I understand the health risks when it comes to fried food and hence, turned my favorite ever fried food into a baked phenomenon. Yes - you don’t have to fry your chicken, and you also don’t have to dip it in preservative-laden sauces either. I’m giving you my prize recipe. You can now make the stuff you buy in jars right at home.
Ingredients:
For the Sauce:
1 cup water
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons fresh ginger root, minced or grated
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced or crushed
2 teaspoons hot chile pepper, minced
2 teaspoons ketchup
1 teaspoon mustard
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoon corn flour or starch
Salt (as needed - i usually add 1 to 2 teaspoons to break the sweetness)
For the Chicken:
600g chicken breasts, cubed
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Cooking spray
Method:
For the Sauce:
Pour water and vinegar into a deep saucepan and bring to boil
Add sugar, ginger, garlic, chile, ketchup, mustard, soy sauce and sesame oil, and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes so the flavors infuse.
Add salt to taste (remember, just enough to break the sweetness).
Stir in corn flour or starch, and keep staring until slightly thickened - about a minute.
Remove saucepan from the store, and leave to cool.
For the Chicken:
Spray a foil-lined baking tray with cooking spray, and pre-heat your oven to 200.C
Season chicken cubes with salt and pepper, and then douse each cube into the breadcrumbs until completely coated.
Arrange your coated chicken cubes onto the baking tray, and pop them into the oven to cook for about 20 minutes.
Chicken cubes should be sizzling and golden brown when you take them out. Set aside to cool for a few minutes, and move to a deep bowl.
Pour your cooled sweet chile sauce over the chicken and with a metal spoon, stir to evenly cover all the cubes.
Serve warm sprinkled with sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Note: Any leftover sweet chile can be stored in an airtight container or jar in the fridge. It works perfectly as a dipping sauce or with noodles and stir fries. I personally make a jar and keep it handy.
For variety: You can substitute ingredients in the sauce if you wish — honey instead of sugar, preserved garlic instead of fresh, olive oil instead of sesame - it really is all about your preference. Enjoy!