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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.
Love love love this recipe. Works perfect every time. So so easy and way better than buying from a takeaway shop.. I add carrot, green capsicum, onion and pineapple to mine for a bit extra.
I Made this tonight for my family. We all loved it!!! Will be making this again for sure.!
This was an AWESOME recipe! I have tried others before and the family was not impressed. My husband would prefer that I stick to the basics. I on the other hand get bored of the same thing. After his second helping he gave it a thumbs up.
I did add a box of Green Giant Antioxidant Blend and some pineapple as well.
Definitely will make this again!!! 🙂
Wow! This was delicious. I found your blog via Pinterest, and I’m so glad I did! I can’t wait to try out more of your recipes…especially the slow cooker recipes!
Made this and it was AWESOME! Everyone loved it. But I didn’t bake it I just added the sauce to the pan and heated it til it was a great consistency. One less dish for me to wash! I am making this tonight again! Husband is out of town so I’ll have leftovers for breakfast!!
The next time I make this (and there will definitely be a next time), I will start a little bit earlier in the evening but man, oh man, was it scrumptious! I made your fried rice for the first time tonight too and my husband and kids were very happy campers. Thanks so much for the easy to follow, simple ingredients, recipe! I look forward to trying more of your dishes!
I made this recipe last night for my in-laws.. HUGE HIT with everyone! I added some pineapple and raw peppers prior to baking. Thank you for sharing….gonna keep this one in the rotation! Just had leftovers for lunch….reheats wonderfully!
Could you drop the chicken in a deep fryer instead of frying it on the stove?
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I was wondering if you have an orange chicken?
What a delicious dish. I loved the flavor. How easy it was to make. But the only thing its it didnt got to dark like the picture. maybe because I baked it for 50 minutes? not sure vut who cares? the recipe its sooooo good that im making it again tomorrow with your fry rice. YUM. God Bless. ♡
Las Vegas, N.V.
Love this recipe! However, it seems to take me forever to make it. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong… the prep time alone takes me HOURS. Then again, I’m doing more like 6 chicken breasts rather than 3-4… I usually have a few people over when I make it.
Yes. The prep can take a while. I am not sure about hours… haha I have doubled the recipe for a big group before and it does take a lot longer because you have to do two batches but it is so worth it! 🙂
We made this recipe and thought it was absolutely delicious! I want to make sweet-and-sour chicken today, but I don’t want to fry any food. Do you have a recipe for oven-baked chicken breasts that would taste similar to this recipe?
I made this tonight and was amazing. Thank you for sharing
The recipe is good but to make it authentic Chinese you need to add sliced onions and bell peppers as well as pineapple to the sauce and include fresh grated ginger just before serving , this is how it is actually made in Hong Kong where basic ingredients are NOT optional but mandatory for taste and tradition
I just made this and it was awesome! Turned out thick and sweet and sour. The ONLY thing I’m going to add to this is some pepper flakes. I feel it’s missing a little heat but that’s just personal preference. This recipe was awesome and self explanatory. Loved it and thank you so much for this recipe. Great job!
OMG! Have never had much luck in re-creating things from Pinterest, but this is Delicious, with a capital D. Thank you SO much!!!!