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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.
Well after the major success of your Baked Sesame Chicken, I went for the Sweet & Sour. My fussy boy friend loves it. I was worried. Ketchup?? OMG I was stunned. He loved it. I’m glad you;re married lol. He will want this every week! Thanks 🙂
Ok well now you have to try the Firecracker Chicken!!! 😀
Hello! This look really interesting and I would just like to ask something.
In step 4, after making the sauce, can I just mix it with the chicken in the skillet and continue cooking, instead of baking?
It’s too bad my oven got busted.
Yes you don’t need to bake it. Just cook the chicken and add sauce to skillet and cook until it thickens. 🙂
Is there anyway you can make this gluten free?
Try it with rice flour. The texture is coarser than regular flour but taste wise is similar. I’ve been told that in Asian restaurants, most use rice flour for this type of recipe for the breading on meats. I’m not sure how else to cut back on any of the other ingredients, but I hope this helps.
There are gluten free soy sauces that you can try. The corn starch is gluten free.
Could u tell approximately how many pounds is 3-4 chicken breasts as they can be different size and weight?
I would say about 1 1/2 pounds. 🙂
Thanks Alyssa
Made it today, amazing recipe and so simple to make. This is a keeper for sure, thanks so much, I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
hi, I like to make this recipe tonight but I do not have apple cedar vinegar. Can I double the white vinegar?
Thanks
We live in rural France & to get a Chinese meal like that is impossible for us, so when I came across this and seen all the great positive feedback I had to try it. AMAZING! Our 16 year old daughter is so fussy with her food even though she is training to be a chef! She actually asked could she have some put by for snacking on later in the evening! It’s great cold too. Result!!! Just wanted to say thank you sooooooo much for taking your time to share this with everyone. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this recipe, it has become a family favorite! We also tried the honey sesame chicken. And really liked it too.
this looks delicious! i would love to try but all that sugar…..!!!! can i replace 1/2 splenda for the sugar?
I just made this and what a hit ! I do have some questions though.
I plan to add red and green pepper strips and pineapple tidbits
but I am not sure as to when to add them. Advise please…
like within 24 hrs. because we are having guests.
Thank you
I would add them to the sauce right before baking. 🙂
I just made this and what a hit ! I do have some questions though.
1. The breading…it became a really messy task…and it all fell off
by the time it entered the oven. So what is the purpose and if anything,
can I reverse the order of egg and then cornstarch?
2. I plan to add red and green pepper strips and pineapple tidbits
but I am not sure as to when to add them. Advise please…
like within 24 hrs. because we are having guests.
Thank you
I have heard that some people are having issues with the breading and I am not to sure why. The order shouldn’t be reversed and since I have made this hundreds of times, I haven’t run into that issue. I wish I knew what to say to help! I have a recipe here that tells you when to add the peppers and pineapple.https://therecipecritic.com/baked-sweet-sour-chicken-peppers-pineapple/
do u have bake it under 325 degree celcius or lower?
it’s 325 Fahrenheit not Celsius
Was an absolute hit over Easter! Thanx!
LOVED this recipe. The only change I made was adding a can of diced pinneaple. My boyfriend said it was the best sweet and sour chicken he’s ever had!
Only downside is for those cooking neophytes among us that don’t know how to dredge and egg-dip the chicken in a manner that doesn’t make a huge gooey mess of our hands and kitchen counter.
best way to do that is use one hand as “wet” and one hand as “dry”
Pick up the chicken and drop it into the “dry” with one hand, then use the other hand to coat it with the cornstarch and pick it up and drop it into the “wet” then use the first hand to turn it over to coat and place it into the pan. So I used Left hand to put un-coated chicken into the corn starch, right hand to coat it with corn starch and put it into the egg, and then left hand again to coat with the egg and put in the pan. Keeps your hands from becoming balls of goop.
I just used tongs for the entire process and they didn’t gum up at all!
I just made this- it was really excellent.
I added a chopped red and yellow pepper to the dish- excellent taste and a bit more color.
Next time will reduce the amount of cornstarch- far too much- probably get away with half the quantity
YUM!!!
I felt some panic after i started and realized i had no apple cider vinegar and no white vinegar. . . given the chicken was frying i improvised so if you’re out of those ingredients there’s hope.
I used a some white wine vinegar in place of apple cider vinegar and i opened a can of pinapples and used the juice combined with red wine vinegar to make up the difference.
Feeling creative i threw in some sliced red peppers (only a few) a hand full of jarred cherries and a few pinapple chunks after i poured the sauce over.
I think the extra sugar made it crisp up nice and overall this is a fantastic dish and it tasted like the nearest chinese restaurant.
thanks!!