Sweet and Sour Chicken

In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and ½ cup water until well combined. This is your cornstarch slurry. Set aside.
Dice chicken thighs into 1.5-inch pieces, about 4-6 pieces per thigh. Avoid patting the chicken dry as moisture is needed for the next step.
In a large mixing bowl, add diced chicken thighs, followed by ¼ cup cornstarch. Give it a few tosses with tongs until each piece is coated in cornstarch. Set aside. If the starch is falling off, feel free to add more cornstarch.

Then in a large pan or wok on medium-high heat, heat vegetable oil. Fry chicken in small batches until golden brown on both sides, about 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and transfer to a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.

On medium heat, add ginger, garlic, and red chili. Fry for 10 seconds.
Next add hoisin sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and mix well before adding cornstarch slurry. (You may need to give the cornstarch water another stir before adding to the hot pan). Mix sauce ingredients until combined. Simmer to thicken.
Toss in fried chicken and mix everything together. Remove from heat.

Transfer to serving dish. Optional: Garnish with red chili and green onions if desired.
Serve with fried rice.