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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.
Made this today and it was nice, if just a bit on the sweet side. You only need 1/2 cup cornstarch and 2 eggs, also I used 3/4 cup sugar. Would recommend anyone to try this one.
Made this recipe along with the fried rice you have on your blog for diner tonight and both came out really good! I ended up mixing the rice, chicken and excess sweet and sour sauce all together. Oh and I added a tablespoon of chili powder to the sweet and sour sauce which seemed to work out well. Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes! look forward to trying more of them 🙂
Just made this tonight with your easy fried rice recipe. I was a little intimidated by the smell of the sweet and sour sauce before, during, and even after cooking. I was worried I added too much of the vinegars or something, but it was absolutely delicious.
Fantastic! Alyssa, will you marry me?
“The Perfect Wife” Award
Hi…I just made this…and though it smells wonderful…it is NOT think and coated like your picture.
In step 4..you say to add the sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy and garlic salt…is there something missing from this step….like 1/4 cup of corn starch??
I really wanted this to be sticky sweet like the rest. style.. 🙁
You could add cornstarch although I have made it several times and haven’t needed it. As it baked the sauce should have thickened up and if you let it sit for about 5 minutes after it should be thick and sticky. Try whisking in 1 T of cornstarch the next time and that will give it a thicker consistency if it is not. 🙂
Made this with your easy fried rice and was very happy I did. I thought both recipes where easy to follow and easy to complete. The only thing I did different is the way I dredged the chicken. I like a thicker coating so I stuck with dry, wet, dry for dredging. Great recipes though. Thank you
For people who have a corn allergy would flour work?
I think I saw in the comments someone used flour and it came out ok. Although I feel the cornstarch is the secret in this breading. Let me know if you make it!
I haven’t tried this yet, and this comment may be a little bit late, but I’m thinking potato starch might work better then flour?
I wanted to give some great feedback on this recipe. I made this for the first time last night, and it is the bomb.com.
My boyfriend has an undying hate for vinegar, and he started freaking out when I made the sauce, because of the strong vinegar smell. Let’s just say, once he tried the chicken, he went for 2nds and took back all the complaints he made about the vinegar. This recipe was very easy to make and easy to follow.
This dish is definitely something I will make for my friends and family.
Also, as a side note, sriracha compliments this chicken very well if you want a little heat every now and then.
Fantastic! Tasted like the real thing! My husband came home late to leftovers and was surprised I made it myself- he thought it came from a restaurant. Recipe was perfect, I doubled the sauce since I had lots of chicken. Kids loved it too. Thanks and keep,those recipes coming!
Hi, I want to make this recipe today but I don’t have any apple cider vinegar. However I have white, champagne, rice, sherry, raspberry, and red wine vinegar. Could any of these possible substitute for the apple cider vinegar for the sauce? Thanks!
Sorry I am just getting this. You can use white vinegar, the apple cider is just a little more sweet. Let me know how it goes!
Making this for our New Year’s Eve celebration – a quiet night at home. Thanks!
I made this last night and it was so good that I made a late-night trip to the fridge for some leftovers! I was intrigued by the technique of using cornstarch rather than flour, and also by dredging first then dipping in egg, without the final dredge usually done with fried chicken. It worked great! The cornstarch sticks so much better than flour and creates a thick covering. I dredged all of the pieces first and layered on a plate, then dipped in egg as I added to the skillet. I still can’t believe that it doesn’t taste eggy in the end. The sauce was so good that I kept “tasting” it as I was browning the chicken. I think it is perfect as is. Might make a double batch of sauce next time and simmer the other half on the stove while the chicken bakes. I served it with your fried rice recipe (also delicious) and the meal was fabulous!!!! Helpful hint to your readers: When dredging, put the cornstarch in a pie plate. It has plenty of room and the sides keep the cornstarch off of the counter (and the front of your shirt!). Thank you for posting. I will definitely be making this again.
This was VERY good!
A bit tangy for some reason, but still super yum 🙂
slight modification – spice the corn starch with LOTS of s&p, onion & gralic powder and a tiny bit of cumin
I .absolutely love this recipe!! I have shared it with a dozen or more people.. My husband won’t even try anything like this, so I am always looking for recipes that can be made in smaller amounts. I use one chicken breast, but I make the full sauce recipe because I add carrot coins right away. Then the last 15 minutes, I add chunks of green pepper and fresh pineapple. I sprinkle sesame seeds and green onion tops on right before serving it over rice. I can’t believe how easy it is to make and that it turns out looking just like the picture!!! Also, I do the whole thing in one frying pan that can go in the oven. I brown the chicken, add the carrots and sauce and stick the whole thing in the oven uncovered.
Made this last night and it is fantastic!! I needed it sugar free so used Agave Nectar instead of the sugar and it was absolutely wonderful! Thank you!
I loved this recipe! The only thing I changed was the breading part. I dried the chicken pieces with paper towel. Then, I dipped them in foamy egg whites. Finally, I pressed them down in a cornstarch and flour mixture. It was great and just like the restaurants’ chicken!