Quarter-Hour Sweet-N-Sour

This 15-minute sweet and sour chicken is built entirely from shortcuts, and that’s the whole point. Frozen breaded chicken chunks, a bag of mixed vegetables, pre-cooked rice, and bottled sweet and sour sauce come together in one skillet faster than you could order takeout.

The breaded chicken gets cooked first until golden and crispy, then set aside so it doesn’t steam and lose its crunch. Vegetables go in next for a quick stir-fry, then the rice, chicken, and sauce all get tossed together just long enough to heat through.

Keeping the cook times short is key. Everything is either pre-cooked or frozen, so you’re really just heating and combining. Overcook it and the vegetables go limp and the chicken turns soggy.

Kitchen Tips

• Cook the chicken pieces in a single layer so they crisp up. Piled-up frozen chicken steams instead of browning.
• Use leftover rice or microwave instant rice for this. Freshly cooked hot rice can make the dish too wet.
• Drain the chicken on paper towels before adding it back in. Excess oil makes the sauce greasy.
• Add the sweet and sour sauce at the very end. It burns quickly if left on high heat too long.