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Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken is 1000x better than any takeout! It’s crispy on the outside, 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! I love to complete this meal with this dishes like Homemade Egg Rolls, Cream Cheese Wontons or Easy Fried Rice.
The BEST 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. (And that’s saying something, because I love Chinese takeout!)
A simple cornstarch batter makes each piece of chicken nice and crispy, and the sauce is to die for! It’s savory and sweet with the best hint of tang. The sauce thickens as it cooks, coating the chicken perfectly. Everything is super simple to make, so prepare for this sweet and sour chicken to be a regular in your weekly dinner rotation. Easy takeout at home, what could be better than that? (Find more “better than takeout” recipes here!)
Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken Ingredients
Restaurant-quality sweet and sour chicken, but from the comfort of your home! These are all the ingredients you’ll need to make the perfect crispy chicken smothered in a mouthwatering, savory glaze. All measurements can be found below in the recipe card.
- Chicken Breasts: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for easy prep. This recipe also works really well with skinless chicken thighs or pork if you want to switch things up!
- Salt and Black Pepper: Give the chicken its first layer of flavor. Add to taste!
- Cornstarch: Creates a superb crunch.
- Eggs: Helps the coating stick to each piece of chicken.
- Canola Oil: Just enough to give the chicken a quick fry for crispiness.
- Granulated Sugar: Gives the sauce a touch of sweetness. You can also use brown sugar if you’d like! It will give your chicken a deeper, more caramel-like flavor.
- Ketchup: Adds some extra flavor to the sauce.
- White Vinegar and Apple Cider Vinegar: I love adding a combination of both because it gives the sauce a tangy flavor, but a bit of sweetness too!
- Soy Sauce: A must-add for any savory Asian dish! I used low-sodium soy sauce, but whatever you have on hand works great!
- Garlic Salt: Adds the perfect punch of savory flavor.
Sweet and Sour Baked Chicken Recipe
Making this sweet and sour chicken doesn’t take much effort at all! Once you get a taste, you’ll be happy you didn’t order takeout! The crispy breading and flavor of the sweet and sour sauce is seriously the best. You can’t beat the fresh flavor of making Chinese takeout from scratch!
- Prep: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut your chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and then season with salt and pepper.
- Dip: Add cornstarch and slightly beaten eggs to separate bowls. Dip the chicken FIRST in the cornstarch and then coat in the egg mixture.
- Flash Fry: Heat canola oil in a large pan over medium high heat and cook chicken until brown but not fully cooked throughout. Place the chicken in a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Prepare Sauce: In a medium sized mixing cowl, whisk together 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.
Tips and Tricks
These are a few tips to keep in mind so your chicken turns out as delicious as possible! I’ve also included a few ways to switch things up. That’s the beauty of making sweet and sour chicken at home instead of ordering takeout. You can customize it however you want!
- 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.
- Flash Frying: Don’t 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.
- Vinegar: You can use all apple cider vinegar, but I wouldn’t use all white vinegar, the flavor and zing will be different. If you want a lighter flavor you can also use rice vinegar, it’s still tangy but a little milder.
- Make it Saucy: If you like your dish saucy, 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 minutes until thickened.
- Add Veggies: Feel free to add vegetables or pineapple chunks to the dish before baking. (You can even add a little bit of pineapple juice to your sauce!) Chopped red bell peppers, bamboo shoots, chopped onions, broccoli, or snow peas are all great options as well.
Storing Leftovers
One of the great things about Chinese takeout is that it’s super easy to store and reheat. It tastes just as good the next day! Heat up some rice and you have a quick and delicious lunch on your hands.
- In the Refrigerator: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- In the Freezer: Leftovers can be frozen too. Just place in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for 2-3 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- To 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 a saucepan on the stovetop and heat on medium heat, stirring often, until heated through.
More Amazingly Delicious Baked Chicken Dishes
If you have some extra chicken breasts hanging out in your freezer, here are more great ways to use them up! Not only are these recipes insanely delicious, but they’re also super easy to make and use a lot of pantry staple ingredients. Plus, my picky eaters can’t get enough of them which is the biggest win!
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Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
Equipment
- Utopia Kitchen Cooking Knives
- Fine dine Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups cornstarch
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 cup canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
- 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.
- 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you use a sugar substitute like Splenda
Yes, it does have an after taste but it will be great!
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.
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)
How many servings does this recipe make?
This will make about 4 to 6 servings.
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.
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.
What a great weeknight dinner! Hubby and I really enjoyed this! Thank you
So easy, also!
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.
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!
Oh Girlfriend you are on to something with this one. I was skeptical about this at first, not because of the egg/cornstarch mix, I was worried it would be too vinegar-y and it smells the whole house lol but I couldn’t stop tasting them as I basted them and found small pieces that were done. It was amazing! My husband had two full plates. He would have had more if we had more rice left. Good stuff! Will definitely make this one again and I know im going to have to triple the sauce. Thank You!
Love this recipe!! Making for second time, has anyone tried to make it in crock pot after frying?
I haven’t tried that yet. Let me know how it turns out!
I loved this recipe idea. I cooked the chicken as directed and baked it as directed. I only changed the proportions of the ketchup, vinegar etc. Since we love spicy food, I added very hot chilies and fresh garlic. But the basic idea of the recipe is awesome! My family loves chinese food and this one became an instant favorite.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Hi what can I use to coat chicken instead of eggs. My kids & I eat eggs….but I dont want to use it for coating. I dont mind using the cornstarch
I am out of eggs! Can i use milk or something else for the batter?
Yes, milk will work in this recipe. Enjoy!
Why does My breading fall apart when I start mixing in the oven?!
Soaked 1 lb of chopped skinless boneless thighs in salt and water for an hour. Used 2x peanut oil. Added tsp+ of chinese chili garlic paste. Added chunks of pineapple and orange last 15 min. Think it needs a double ration of sauce using the extra as a reserved sauce. Served with steamed rice, broccoli and cauliflower.
Wow, this meal is DELICIOUS and so easy to make. We paired it with the fried rice and everyone had seconds! Thanks so much!