by Alyssa Rivers
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken is 1000x better than any takeout! It’s crispy on the outside, tender juicy on the inside and exploding with flavor. There is a reason why this is our favorite recipe on the blog!
This meal is going to blow your family away! We love to complete this meal with this dishes like Homemade Egg Rolls, Cream Cheese Wontons or Easy Fried Rice.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
I am going to keep this as short and simple as possible…you NEED to make this Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe. This recipe is number one for a reason, it’s absolutely incredible. We have yet to find any takeout restaurant beat this recipe.
The secret to the breading is the cornstarch, it makes such a huge difference and the flavor of the sauce is unbeatable. It will thicken as it cooks, coating the chicken perfectly. It’s also easy enough that you just might have to add this to your menu every week, it’s just that good! Easy take out at home!
Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken Ingredients
Amazing restaurant quality sweet and sour chicken that you can make from home!
- Chicken Breasts: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for easy prep.
- Salt and Pepper: To taste
- Cornstarch:Creates a superb crunch
- Eggs: Well beaten to help the coating stick.
- Canola Oil: Just enough to give the chicken a quick fry for crispness.
- Sugar: It wouldn’t be sweet without the sugar
- Ketchup: Classic ingredient in the sauce
- White Vinegar and Apple Cider Vinegar: I like the combination of both.
- Soy Sauce: Sweet and sour wouldn’t have that classic flavor without the soy sauce
- Garlic Salt: Adds the perfect punch of flavor.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Prep: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut your chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
- Dip: In separate bowls, place the cornstarch and slightly beaten eggs. Dip the chicken FIRST in the cornstarch and then coat in the egg mixture.
- Flash Fry: Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and cook chicken until brown but not fully cooked throughout. Place the chicken in a 9×13 inch dish.
- Sauce: In a medium sized mixing cowl, combine sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, soy sauce and garlic salt.
- Bake: Pour over the chicken and bake for an hour. Stir every 15 minutes to coat them in the sauce.
Trust Me on these Tips
- Method to the Madness: Make sure you first coat your chicken in the cornstarch and then the egg. This method makes the perfect breading for the chicken.
- Fast: Do not cook the chicken all the way through before baking. You just want to get the chicken lightly brown on the outside, and then it bakes to perfection.
- Low and Slow: Baking the chicken at a low temperature will not over cook the chicken. This helps to cook the chicken all the way through and thicken up the sauce.
Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken Tips
- Vinegar: You can use all Apple Cider Vinegar, but I wouldn’t use all White Vinegar, the flavor and zing will be different.
- Substitute: If you want a lighter vinegar flavor try Rice Vinegar, it’s still tangy but a little milder.
- Chicken: Cut the Chicken into even bite sized pieces so it’ll cook evenly. Using thighs might result in uneven cooking as light and dark meat cook differently.
- Pork: This recipe would also work perfectly with pork.
- Saucey: If you like your dish saucey, double the sauce recipe and place half on the chicken and another half on the stove in a pot at a simmer for 8-10 min till thickened.
- Veggies: Feel free to add vegetables or even pineapple to the dish before baking.
Storing Leftovers
- Fridge: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: This can be frozen too. Just place in a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Sweet and Sour Chicken is best reheated on the stove. Reheating it in the microwave can make the chicken rubbery and overcooked. Place leftovers in pan on the stove top and heat on medium heat, stirring often, till heated through.
More Amazingly Delicious Baked Chicken Dishes
- Baked Honey Sesame Chicken
- Firecracker Chicken
- Baked Orange Chicken
- Amazingly Easy Kung Pao Chicken
- Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken with peppers and pineapple
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
Description
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken is 1000x better than any takeout! It's crispy on the outside, tender juicy on the inside and exploding with flavor. There is a reason why this is our favorite recipe on the blog!
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken breasts boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
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In separate bowls, place cornstarch and slightly beaten eggs. Dip chicken into cornstarch then coat in egg mixture.
-
Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until browned. Place the chicken in a 9 x 13 greased baking dish.
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In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic salt. Pour over chicken and bake for 1 hour.
-
I stirred the chicken every 15 minutes so that it coated them in the sauce.
Recipe Notes
Updated on November 1, 2020
Originally Posted on July 4, 2013
Nutrition Facts
Serves: 6
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
This is so good and easier to make then the pandas orange chicken recipe I got on facebook. The orange chicken is very good too but this is just as good if not better. Lets see…do I want to stand in front of a hot stove deep frying or do this? The orange chicken has a lot of ingredients and a lot of steps. I am making this again tonight. Not too sweet or too tangy….just right…and only a few steps to make…yum!
AWE! Thank you so much! That is so nice of you to say! I really appreciate this review. Thank you for sharing!
Can you freeze this?
Yes! Freeze the chicken before adding the sauce to it. When heating them in the oven you can add the sauce afterwards and stir it all together.
Can this be baked instead of deep fried, trying to cut down on fats and calories…sounds really good though!!!
Yes, totally! You can bake the chicken prior to baking it with the sauce to get that crispy texture.
How long to bake before baking with the sauce.
You will bake them with the sauce on them.
So dip in corn starch then eggs not the other way around??
Yes, that is correct! You will dip the chicken in the corn starch and then eggs.
How many servings does this recipe make?
This will make about 4 to 6 servings.
Tried this with some changes. In lieu of breasts, used 18 large wings and five thighs with skin and bones.
Used grade b maple syrup vs sugar, regular soy and brined the chicks for an hour. Temp probe was at or above 170 F. Next batch will cut up the wings. (rate it five can’t adjust the 4)
Is it possible to reduce the sugar? If so, how much?
You can make it your own way if you prefer. It will alter the taste and how the chicken is cooked.
Can you use a sugar substitute like Splenda
Yes, it does have an after taste but it will be great!
Liking the look of a lot of your recipes. Do you have an email newsletter?
Thank you! I do have a newsletter each week. If you go to my site at therecipecritic.com, scroll down to the picture of me, you will see the free subscription to my free emails.Thank you so much for following along with me!
Made this for dinner tonight and can I just say…YUM! Will definitely be making this again. ??
Can you substitute pork for the chicken (and follow the recipe exactly)?
Yes, that will be tasty!
Would olive oil be ok or does it have to be canola?
You can use olive oil but it will alter the taste. Let me know how you like it!
I am a terrible cook and this still came out delicious!!! Thanks for making me look good!
Can you use flour? Instead of corn starch
Yes, that will work great too.
How much is a serving ( e.g. 1 cup, 3/4 cup)?
A serving size is about 1 cup.
Made this tonight! It didn’t get very crispy though :/ besides that it was good.
Tonight I will make this for the second time in 2 weeks. My whole family loved it!! My husband isn’t biggest sweet and sour chicken fan and he raved about it. Loved the sauce and how crispy the outside is with a moist tender inside!! Thanks for the recipe. Going to make your mongolian beef recipe tonight too. Can’t wait!
This recipe turned out great. I made a couple of changes. I used 10x whole thighs (skin on+bone in). I followed the recipe as is and it gave a great flavor and outcome. I added roasted red peppers and red onion and also added a can of sliced pineapple. I cut half the canned pineapple into quarters and left 5 rings an cut in half, so 10 (half per piece of pineapple per thigh). I added the pineapple juice to the sweet and sour liquid. So follow the recipe, brown the chicken, add sauce, add cooked peppers/onion, place a half-piece of pineapple on top of each thigh to keep it moist, cover and cook in oven. Served over rice. This gave me plenty of leftovers to reheat or freeze. Not possible to leave a photo, but it looked great!
Do you think ising vegetable oil would alter the taste?
It may a bit but it will still be okay and taste good.
My sons new favourite…. really yummy 🙂
This one is a family favorite! So good!
Any suggestion on what rice to use I heard its best to cook the rice the night before
This rice is just a white rice. It is best to cook the side of rice the day of. If you are making fried rice, then yes, the riches best the night before. It is less sticky and cooks up better with all the eggs and vegetables.
Made this for my wife tonight as she likes a certain Chinese dish from takeaway. Used extra virgin olive oil instead, To say she liked it was an understatement! I added a few red chillies (10) as we like a bit of heat and DAMN it was tasty, served with egg noodles and stir fry veg.
I have made this countless times over the years but I have a question after pre-cooking the chicken dipped in cornstarch and egg after I pour Pour the sauce on and put the pieces in a crockpot on low and cook instead
Yes, that will work great too! It may not be as crispy on the outside but the chicken will be nice and tender with the orange flavoring!
What do you have sprinkled on the chicken after the baking is complete?
I added some scallions over top for garnish.
Delicious and easy to make. Followed the recipe as provided. Will make again and again.
Thanks.
I made this last night and it was a huge hit! Paired it with basmati rice and a shredded Brussels sprout salad. Will definitely be enjoying this again.
Awesome! Family loved it!
Definitely one to add to the monthly menu.
great post.
very fantastic post.
Made this tonight for the first time. It turned out so nice. The hubs and I ate every bit. Naturally the fur babies got a piece too. My only suggestion to anyone is double the sauce.
Thanks for a new recipe staple for my kitchen.
In My Humble Opinion You Can’t EVER Go Wrong When You’re Gonna Fix Sweet-N-Sour Chicken For Supper Or Lunch!! This IS One Of The BEST Recipe’s For S&S Chicken And There Aren’t ANY Complaints From My Family!! The ONLY Complaint I Have Is There Aren’t ANY Leftovers For Lunch The Next Day!!
THANK YOU For SHARING This DELICIOUS RECIPE!!!!!
My first time making this recipe, the sauce is INCREDIBLE taste just right beat all the other sweet and sour recipe I had tried but no success, it is so good!!! Will make it again, this is a keeper. Thank You!!!