Skip the take out – this Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe is so good that you’ll put it on the permanent rotation. Chicken is coated in a sweet and sticky sauce and baked to perfection.
Want even more sweet and sour recipes? Try these Sweet and Sour Meatballs or this Sweet and Sour Pork Rice Bowl.
Years ago, I worked in an office where they would bring in lunch every day. I mostly skipped that lunch and opted to head home for my lunch hour instead, but every once in awhile, I’d stick around and have some of the lunch that was provided that day.
I remember one day, (I was pregnant with my first child, so let’s blame this on pregnancy haha), the lunch was from a local Chinese restaurant. And it smelled so good. So I decided to have lunch at work that day. I chose out an egg roll and some sweet and sour chicken, then went to my desk to eat – only to be completely disappointed. It was not good at all, and I don’t think I even ended up eating it.
That is what led me to this recipe so many years ago. It has now been here on Taste and Tell for over 10 years and remains a favorite for a good reason – it’s so stinking good. It’s one of those rare meals that everyone in my family likes. And yes – it’s so much better than that takeout sweet and sour chicken! I think I’ll forget the take-out Chinese from now on and make this Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe!
How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken
This recipe is a little different, but trust me here!
- Start by cutting the chicken into bite sized pieces and seasoning them with salt and pepper.
- Place the cornstarch in one shallow bowl, and the eggs in another shallow bowl. Beat the eggs lightly.
- Take each piece of chicken and dredge it in the cornstarch. Then dip it in the egg. Transfer that to a skillet with oil that has been heated over medium-high heat. And yes – you dip in the cornstarch then the egg – this is a little different than a lot of other recipes.
- Cook the chicken in batches, just until it is browned. The chicken will bake in the oven, so this is just to brown and crisp up the chicken, not to cook it through. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish.
- In a bowl, combine your sauce ingredients – sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce and garlic powder. Pour this mixture over the chicken in the baking dish.
- Bake the chicken at 325ºF for an hour, stirring it every 15 minutes.
- Serve the sweet and sour chicken over rice and be prepared to never want to get it for take out again!
More Chinese Recipes
Daddy Wu’s Chinese Chicken
Pressure Cooker Cashew Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken Recipe
Easy Lo Mein Recipe
Easy Egg Roll Recipe
Orange Chicken
General Tso’s Chicken
Tools Used to Make this Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
- My favorite skillet, especially for this recipe, is my cast iron skillet.
- I like to use tongs to dredge the chicken into the cornstarch, eggs and oil.
- I love my rice cooker and rarely cook rice any other way.
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Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoon ketchup
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks. Season with salt and pepper.2 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, salt and pepper
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- Put the cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Put the eggs in a separate bowl. Place the oil in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, dredge the chicken in the cornstarch, then dip in the egg. Add to the hot oil and brown on all sides. You do not need to cook the chicken through, just brown the outside to get a crispy exterior. Transfer the chicken to a 9×13-inch baking dish and continue with the remaining chicken.1 cup cornstarch, 3 eggs, 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- In a bowl, combine the sugar, ketchup, cider vinegar, soy sauce and garlic powder. Pour the sauce over the top of the chicken.1 cup sugar, 6 tablespoon ketchup, 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- Bake the chicken for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Serve over prepared rice.
Penny Lane says
This is one of my favorite recipes! A few things I’ve learned in the year I’ve been making it twice a month for my family: if the sauce is little too punchy for your family, a generous squeeze of honey helps so much without taking away the flavor. Also, I make an extra batch of sauce and simmer it in the stove, adding in a little cornstarch slurry to thicken it, for dipping and topping the rice. Such a crowd pleaser too!
Tracy Baker says
Delicious! I lwould cut back a little on the apple cider vinegar next time.
Deborah says
Thanks, Tracy – I’m glad you enjoyed it!
al says
I have made this many times now, and it’s a winner every time!
yababdo says
amazing
Jasa says
Nice Thank You very delicious
personal says
This Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe is a total winner! It’s crispy, flavorful, and coated in a deliciously sticky sauce that’s way better than takeout. The easy step-by-step process makes it simple to whip up, and the end result is perfect over rice. Definitely a family favorite.
Jeni says
This took a little bit of time, but it was totally worth it. SO delicious!
gyan says
This was a really wonderful recipe.
Hayat says
This was Great!