Sweet and Sour Chicken with Onions and Carrots with olives is within everyone’s reach, an economical and easy solution.
Forget culinary complications; all you need is to pay attention to timing, allowing the slow cooking to transform the meat, making it very tender, infused with flavor in every fiber, and ready to fall off the bone.
You’ll find a Journey of Taste in this dish made with Sweet and Sour Chicken with Onions and Carrots
There’s a reason why sweet and sour cuisine is loved all over the world: it’s a magical balance of flavors that awakens the taste buds and makes every bite an experience.
Today, I take you on a culinary journey with a timeless classic, revisited with the simplicity and sweetness that only fresh and seasonal ingredients can offer: Sweet and Sour Chicken with Onions and Carrots.
Don’t think of the usual take-away dish! This is a homemade recipe, comforting and incredibly easy to make, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, but refined enough to impress guests.
You can then decide whether to use a whole chicken cut into pieces or opt for the parts that are usually the most coveted when served at the table: thighs and drumsticks.
The tender chicken pairs with the crunchiness of the carrots and the (almost caramelized) sweetness of the onions, all enveloped in a thick and glossy sauce.
Feel free to add a touch of color and flavor! Sliced bell peppers or a pinch of freshly grated ginger for a spicy note can further enhance the dish.
And remember: a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper at the end can make all the difference!
I leave you with many Chicken Recipes with more imaginative and simple ideas to try.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 3 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 474.32 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 10.27 (g) of which sugars 6.01 (g)
- Proteins 38.73 (g)
- Fat 31.84 (g) of which saturated 8.63 (g)of which unsaturated 14.90 (g)
- Fibers 2.02 (g)
- Sodium 1,075.13 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 240 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Sweet and Sour Chicken with Onions and Carrots
- 1 chicken (or 4 whole chicken drumsticks)
- 2 onions (Golden or Brown Onions)
- carrots (2)
- to taste olives
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1.35 oz white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- to taste vegetable broth (or broth/white wine in other variations if needed)
- salt
- pepper
- bay leaf
Tools
- Pan
- Lid
Steps
Sweet and Sour Chicken with Onions and Carrots
Cut the chicken into pieces, removing the giblets but leaving the skin (this can be done by the butcher).
Wash the carrot under running water, peel the onions, and chop all the vegetables.
Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a large frying pan or saucepan.Add the chopped vegetables. (Be generous with the onions and carrots)
Also add the whole bay leaves.
Place the chicken pieces directly on the onions, raise the heat, and brown them on all sides. Once well browned, cover the pot, lower the heat to the minimum, and continue cooking for about 40/45 minutes, turning the meat occasionally.
If it dries out too much and needs more cooking, add a ladle of vegetable broth.
After the time, you will notice that the chicken has released a large amount of liquid.
Remove the lid, raise the heat, and let the liquids evaporate until the chicken starts to brown in its own juices and the onions are beautifully caramelized.
Add the black taggiasca olives. (Olives pair wonderfully with sweet and sour, adding a salty note and Mediterranean flavor).
At this point, add the vinegar and sugar. Mix well, let the vinegar completely evaporate, and brown for a couple more minutes.
Turn off the heat, cover, and let the dish rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Enjoy your meal.
Advice
Although you can use breast, thighs and drumsticks are ideal for slow cooking. The fattier meat remains incredibly juicy and tender, literally falling off the bone, as promised in the introduction.
Don’t rush! The 50 minutes of slow cooking on low heat are crucial. They allow the meat to infuse with the vegetables and the connective tissues to dissolve. Don’t open the lid too often to not lose the essential steam.
The phase where you remove the lid and turn up the heat is vital.
Wait until the base is almost completely evaporated before adding the sweet and sour: this step is what truly caramelizes the onions and chicken in their juice, concentrating the flavor.
If you decide to use olives, add them in the last 10 minutes of slow cooking. Pitted taggiasca olives are perfect for a salty and aromatic touch that breaks the sweet and sour.
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