This sweet and tangy chicken in tomato sauce is a kosher for passover, aka"K4P," twist on a classic that's been gracing our Seder table for generations.
The blend of tomato sauce, sugar, lemon, and onions all bring just the right amount of zing to this dish, paired with homemade tender chicken patties. I can promise this family favorite will steal the show, or the afikomen.
**Passover is about recipes that are simple, easy, satisfying, and of course, without any leavening or wheat ingredients. Be sure to check your pantry for ingredients to use before making this dish if you are adhering to traditional Pesach rules.**
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Recipe at a Glance
- Cook Level: Multiple things are happening at once in this sweet and tangy chicken recipe, but it is definitely approachable for the majority. I'd say this recipe falls under an easy-intermediate level.
- Cook Time: In total, the recipe is around 2 hours, inclusive of sautéing the onions, browning the chicken wings, making the sauce, and forming and pan frying the patties before they go into the sauce to simmer for an hour.
- Taste: Think of this as a kosher twist on a sweet and sour chicken meatball (the original recipe for this dish is in fact Sweet and Sour Chicken). Sweet, zesty, tangy, hearty, and well balanced.
- Best Paired With: Serve this with a side of roasted vegetables like garlic butter rainbow carrots or sautéed green beans. You can also make this along with a soup like matzo ball soup (just leave out the noodles). In my family, we serve this as an appetizer before the main course of oven roasted chicken thighs or oven baked chicken with rice and fruit.
Trusted Tips and Reminders
- Use a large dutch oven or stock pot to make the entire dish. You can use an additional large skillet to fry the chicken patties and then add to the pot directly after browning them.
- Rake the ingredients together using your four fingers and mix gently. This alleviates any overmixing causing the chicken patties to become gummy and chewy.
- Sear the chicken wings first, and use the same pan to cook the sauce in. It'll give a lot of robust flavor.
The Main Ingredients
- Ground Chicken - A combination of light and dark meat ground chicken helps to make the chicken patties super moist and tender.
- White Carrot or Parsnip - The parsnip or white carrot gets grated into the patty mixture for more moisture and tender flavor.
- Eggs - There are a lot of eggs used during Passover, and in these patties we use 6 to bind the ingredients together.
- Matzo Meal - I made my own for this recipe because I forgot to buy it (whoops), but you can easily find Matzo Meal in a metal canister at your local grocer.
- Chicken Wings - I've only ever known my grandmother's recipe to include browned chicken wings, it adds flavor and more chicken to eat. If you don't want it, simply leave it out.
- Onion - One large yellow onion thinly sliced and sort of caramelized. This gives the tomato sauce a richer, heartier flavor.
- Butter - Butter is used to help caramelize the onions and add more flavor and creaminess to the sauce.
- Oil - I typically use extra virgin olive oil to sauté the onions and brown the chicken wings.
- Tomato Sauce - Two or three cans of traditional tomato sauce is what we use here, not necessarily crushed or diced.
- Lemon Juice - Freshly squeezed lemon juice helps give the tanginess in this recipe and helps balance out the sugar and the savory flavors.
- Sugar - The sugar makes this sauce sweet, hence the title of the recipe.
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.
Step by Step Process Photos
Step 1: In a large dutch oven or stock pot, add olive oil, butter and onions, then sauté on a medium flame until the onions begin to caramelize.
Step 2: To the onions, add in the chicken wings. Brown the wings on all sides for 5-7 minutes.
Step 3: Once the chicken wings are browned, pour in the tomato sauce and sugar, stir to fully combine and incorporate.
Step 4: Squeeze one full lemon into the sauce, then stir.
Keep the sauce pot on a medium low heat.
Step 5: Add the ingredients for the chicken patties into a large mixing bowl, then rake the ingredients together until fully combined.
Step 6: Take 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture and form into small patties, place in a frying pan with olive oil over medium heat. Brown on all sides, then add directly to the pot of sauce. Repeat.
When all the chicken has been turned into patties, browned and added to the sauce, cover the pot and cook on a low flame for 40 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store any leftovers? How do I freeze this?
We always make so much of this sweet and tangy chicken that we have a ton of leftovers. They stay well in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
You can absolutely freeze this in a container for up to two months. To thaw, add to a pot and heat on a simmer until warmed thoroughly.
Can I prep this ahead of time?
YES! The last time I made this, I made it four days in advance and threw it in the freezer until the first night of Passover. I heated it up in a crockpot (the best low stakes appliance) and served when we were ready for it.
Do I need to add the parsnip or white carrot?
We always use it in my family as it gives a natural sweetness and extra tender texture to the chicken patties, but it's not a requirement.
Could I use a different type of meat?
If you don't want to use ground chicken, you can use ground turkey, but I wouldn't use ground beef or anything else. If you are using ground turkey, opt for the dark meat as it is more flavorful and won't dry out.
Hungry for More
Looking for other K4P recipes, here are some we love making during Passover!
Did you love this recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you're just as in love with this recipe as I am, please share a comment below and rate it! Better yet, share this recipe with family and friends!! Thank you!
Sweet and Tangy Chicken in Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- dutch oven
- frying pan
- wooden spoon
- large mixing bowl
- spatula
Ingredients
For the chicken patties:
- 2 lb Ground Chicken
- 6 large Eggs room temperature
- 1 cup Matzo Meal
- 1 large Parsnip grated
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil for browning
For the Sauce
- 1 large Yellow Onion
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 4 tablespoon Butter
- 1 pkg Bone in Chicken Wings
- 3 15oz Tomato Sauce Cans
- 1 medium Lemon freshly squeezed
- 10 tablespoon Sugar
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or stock pot, add olive oil, butter and onions, then sauté on a medium flame until the onions begin to caramelize.
- To the onions, add in the chicken wings. Brown the wings on all sides for 5-7 minutes.
- Once the chicken wings are browned, pour in the tomato sauce, water, and sugar, stir to fully combine and incorporate.
- Squeeze one full lemon into the sauce, then stir. Keep the sauce pot on a medium low heat.
- Add the ingredients for the chicken patties into a large mixing bowl, then rake the ingredients together until fully combined.
- Take 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture and form into small patties, place in a frying pan with olive oil over medium heat. Brown on all sides, then add directly to the pot of sauce. Repeat.
- When all the chicken has been turned into patties, browned and added to the sauce, cover the pot and cook on a low flame for 40 minutes.
Rebecca says
I can't get over how delicious this was!!! We made it for Pesach this week and everyone at the Seder devoured it, there was some leftover for me and my husband the next day and I cant wait to make it again for Pesach everyyear.