This Chinese Plum Chicken Stir Fry is a spicy chicken dinner that makes a great takeout alternative! My Crispy Chinese Plum Chicken with Sticky Chilli Sauce is super-quick to make (20 minutes!).  Also, check out my trick to save on the washing up!Chinese plum chicken stir fry and rice in a bowl. Further bowl at the top of the frame. Whole and halved plums and blue napkin next to bowls.If you’re looking for a sweet and sour, spicy sauce for chicken, I’ve got just the thing!

This was going to be crispy pineapple chicken – until I started cooking and realised part-way through that I had no pineapple!

We’ve ALWAYS got tinned pineapple in, so I’m thinking the kids have been raiding my cupboards for sneaky snacks. I guess I can cope with that – so long as they don’t find my chocolate supply!

Plum being pushed from a chopping board into a wok of stir fried chicken by a lady in a blue shirt. Kitchen and fruit in background

So I made a last minute change and went for Crispy Chinese Plum Chicken Stir Fry instead. I had some pineapple juice in the fridge, so that still went in, along with lots of other store cupboard favourites to produce an addictively delicious, sweet-and-slightly-spicy sauce.

The chicken is perfectly crispy – with a cornflour/seasoned-flour/egg coating. I also successfully experimented with saving on the washing up for this 3-stage coating.

Bowl with flour dusted chicken pieces and a raw egg

That’s it – I’m done with those three bowls for each of the coatings. If you get the quantities right, the coating can all be done in one bowl (it’s the little things that make me happy :-)).

This is a recipe I first came up made over a year ago. When I originally photographed it, I put the food in cute little Chinese takeaway boxes (I’ve kept one of those photos below).

I think Chris and I had been watching too much Big Bang Theory (yeah, we’re a little late getting started with that series). They always seem to be eating Chinese food out of those little boxes, and we both decided that we wanted some!

Crispy Chilli Plum Chicken – with a trick to save on the washing up too. A sticky Asian chicken meal made without the shop-bought sauce.

Takeaway boxes in the UK (at least in my area) are simple plastic or foil boxes, so I guess the little cardboard boxes are an American thing.

Anyway, I found some online and bought them! One of those things you REALLY don’t need, but you want anyway! We have used them in a number of our Asian recipes like Crispy Sesame Chicken, Crispy Chilli Beef, Crispy Chilli Chicken, Quick Chicken Stir Fry or my Spicy Ginger Beef stir fry.

And I love them! I’d like to say that they help with portion control – but I usually end up going back for seconds. However they are useful on saving on washing up. That never gets old.

Can I make it gluten free?

Yes, replace the soy sauce with tamari and the flour with gluten free flour blend. Sweet chilli sauce is often gluten free, but best to check (I use Linghams sweet chilli sauce). Rice vinegar and tomato puree are generally gluten free, but it’s best to check.

How can I make my chicken extra crispy?

The absolute best way to get extra crispy chicken is to use more oil to fry the chicken, and make the veggies and sauce in a separate pan. Remove the cooked chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and dish out onto the rice. Spoon the veggies and sauce over the top.
If you cook the chicken in the sauce, like I have (still delicious and saves on the washing up), the chicken will be less crispy the longer it’s in the sauce. So add your sauce ingredients just a few minutes before you’re ready to serve.

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 frozen?

Yes, you can cool, cover and freeze, then defrost before reheating thoroughly (heat in the microwave or covered in the oven or in a wok/frying pan). However, the chicken won’t be crispy, and the vegetables will soften. It’s still tasty for a quick meal though.

Chinese plum chicken stir fry and rice in a bowl. Further bowl at the top of the frame. Whole and halved plums and blue napkin next to bowls.

The Chinese Plum Chicken Stir Fry Recipe:

4.93 from 13 votes

Chinese Plum Chicken Stir Fry

A spicy chicken dinner that makes a great takeout alternative! My Crispy Chinese Plum Chicken with Sticky Chilli Sauce is super-quick to make (20 minutes!). Also, check out my trick to save on the washing up!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
  • 3 chicken breast fillets chopped into bite-size chunks
  • 2 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
  • 1 medium egg
  • 10 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp garlic salt
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 3 plums sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic peeled and minced

Sticky sauce:

To serve:

  • boiled rice
  • shredded spring onions scallions
  • chilli flakes
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Instructions 

  • Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan until very hot.
    3 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
  • Whilst the oil is heating, place the chicken in a bowl and sprinkle on the cornflour. Mix together with a fork or your hands until the chicken is coated.
    3 chicken breast fillets, 2 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
  • 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.
    1 medium egg
  • 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.
    10 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, ½ tsp garlic salt, 2 tsp paprika
  • 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).
  • 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.
    3 plums, 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 2 cloves of garlic
  • Now add all of the sauce ingredients to the wok, stir, and bubble on a high heat until the sauce reduces by about a third (should take 2-3 minutes).
    2 tbsp tomato puree/paste, 1 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar, 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
  • Turn off the heat and divide between four bowls. Serve with boiled rice and top with spring onions and chilli flakes.
    boiled rice, chilli flakes, shredded spring onions

Video

Notes

Can I make it gluten free?

Yes, replace the soy sauce with tamari and the flour with gluten free flour blend. Sweet chilli sauce is often gluten free, but best to check (I use Linghams sweet chilli sauce). Rice vinegar and tomato puree are generally gluten free, but it’s best to check.

How can I make my chicken extra crispy?

The absolute best way to get extra crispy chicken is to use more oil to fry the chicken, and make the veggies and sauce in a separate pan. Remove the cooked chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and dish out onto the rice. Spoon the veggies and sauce over the top.
If you cook the chicken in the sauce, like I have (still delicious and saves on the washing up), the chicken will be less crispy the longer it’s in the sauce. So add your sauce ingredients just a few minutes before you’re ready to serve.

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 frozen?

Yes, you can cool, cover and freeze, then defrost before reheating thoroughly (heat in the microwave or covered in the oven or in a wok/frying pan). However, the chicken won’t be crispy, and the vegetables will soften. It’s still tasty for a quick meal though.
.
Nutritional Information is per serving, WITHOUT the serving suggestion of boiled rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 1290mg | Potassium: 767mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 2110IU | Vitamin C: 128.2mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

Welcome to Kitchen Sanctuary

Hi, I'm Nicky and I love to cook! I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

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Comments

  1. Jacques Michales says:

    You need to take part in a tournament personally of the most useful blogs on the internet. I am going to recommend this page!

  2. Gary says:

    5 stars
    Have made this recipe many times: so delicious! It’s now a real family favourite.

    As with all Kitchen Sanctuary recipes we’ve tried, it simply works.

  3. Park Avenue says:

    This recipe is just what I need. Fruit and meat. Great combination.
    Cornstarch is a superior ingredient for making crispy breading. Especially if you have time to let it set up for a few hours in the fridge.
    Plums with anything is a delicious meal. Thank you.
    (I’m going to try this with Pork ( yum

  4. Carolina says:

    5 stars
    We loved it!!!

  5. Karen says:

    5 stars
    Delicious. With the exception of adding broccoli made it as written.

  6. Michelle says:

    5 stars
    Wasn’t sure about the plums but they go really well. Very tasty. Will definitely make again. Lovely recipe. Thank you Nicki.

  7. Aviva Emery says:

    5 stars
    An absolutely delicious recipe. I didn’t have plums so used a tin of peaches. It worked very well too. No leftovers and very clean plates. Love all your recipes I’ve made so far.

  8. Kate says:

    5 stars
    As always an amazing recipe! Even some of my more picky eaters who will never eat any kind of Chinese were coming back for more.

  9. Kelly Dunsmore says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! I had leftover plum sauce from Chinese takeout so I just used that to substitute for the sauce. Such a great and easy recipe!