Description
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken brings takeout favorites straight to your kitchen with zero fuss. Crispy chicken pieces glazed in tangy sauce make dinner feel like a restaurant-quality treat without the delivery price tag.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
Coating:
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup oil
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Slice 1 pound boneless chicken breasts into 1-inch uniform chunks. Season generously with salt and ground black pepper.
- Whisk 2 beaten eggs in a shallow bowl. Spread ½ cup cornstarch on a separate plate for coating chicken.
- Dredge each chicken piece through cornstarch, shaking off excess. Then dip completely into beaten eggs, ensuring full coverage.
- Heat ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry chicken pieces for 1-2 minutes until golden brown on exterior. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk sauce ingredients: ¼ cup ketchup, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and ½ cup apple cider vinegar in a separate bowl.
- Arrange browned chicken pieces in prepared baking dish. Pour entire sauce mixture over chicken, ensuring each piece gets coated.
- Bake for 50 minutes, rotating chicken halfway through at 25-minute mark to ensure even sauce distribution and cooking.
- Remove from oven when sauce has thickened and chicken looks glossy. Sprinkle chopped green onions on top for fresh garnish before serving.
Notes
- Cornstarch creates a crispy coating that helps the sauce stick to your chicken, so don’t skip this step.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure chicken reaches 165°F for safe consumption without overcooking.
- If preferring less sugar, substitute honey or reduce sugar amount while maintaining sauce’s tangy balance.
- For gluten-free version, replace soy sauce with tamari and ensure cornstarch is certified gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 52 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Chinese-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 436 kcal
- Sugar: 43 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg