Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe – lightly breaded chicken in a rich sweet and sour sauce, all baked to perfection. This homemade sweet and sour chicken is healthier than takeout, and just as tasty!
I love finding great restaurant recipes that I can make at home. Not only do they save money, but I can control all of the ingredients. Two more of our favorite copycat recipes are Red Lobster Biscuits and Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup. Absolutely delicious!
Everyone in my family loves Chinese food, and whenever we order takeout, sweet and sour chicken is always on the menu. It’s a family favorite from my husband and I down to our youngest daughter. I mean, who can resist crispy chicken dripping with flavorful sweet and sour sauce?
The only thing I don’t like about Chinese food is that many of our favorite dishes are fried. Tasty, but so many empty calories that I don’t feel good about serving it very often.
I wanted a healthier option, and I got this recipe for easy sweet and sour chicken from my friend Michelle. Thankfully, instead of having to fry chicken, you just brown the exterior, then bake it. We don’t miss the extra fat, it is downright delicious!
How to make Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients needed:
- boneless, skinless chicken breast
- eggs
- cornstarch
- oil (I use vegetable, canola, and sometimes olive oil)
- sugar
- chicken bouillon
- vinegar (I use regular white vinegar)
- ketchup
- soy sauce (for a gluten free dish, make sure your soy sauce is gluten free)
- garlic powder
- salt
- water
You need to lightly bread your chicken. First dip the chicken pieces in beaten eggs, then coat each piece with seasoned cornstarch. You may have egg and cornstarch mix leftover, that is fine.
After all the chicken is coated, you are going to lightly brown it in oil. Just sear the outsides, no need to cook through. I like to brown it in small batches in a non-stick skillet.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then cook up the simple sweet and sour chicken sauce. Dump the chicken and sauce into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish, and stir till well coated.
Bake at 350° for about an hour, stirring a few times, till sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through.
Serve over steamed rice. I usually use long grain white rice, but brown rice is also tasty. You can use any type of rice your family enjoys.
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I like to store the rice and chicken in separate containers.
Delicious Gluten Free Dinner Recipe!
My daughter in law can’t have gluten, so I am always looking for recipes to serve when she and my son come over for dinner. Since the breading on this chicken is made from cornstarch instead of flour, it is a great gluten free chicken recipe.
Just make sure that you use gluten free soy sauce! I wasn’t even aware that soy sauce contains gluten until she told me. Now I keep a special jar in the fridge to use whenever she’s coming. I use La Choy gluten free soy sauce, and it tastes just as great as my regular soy sauce. Honestly, I can’t tell the difference in the recipes I’ve used it in.
Variations on Sweet and Sour Chicken:
– Feel free to add some chopped peppers or thinly sliced carrots. I like to add them during the last 15 minutes of baking so that they are heated through but still crisp.
-Add some pineapple chunks or tidbits to the sauce. Just make sure it’s drained well so you don’t end up with too much liquid.
-If you like thinks spicy, add some red pepper flakes to the sauce. Or you could add some cayenne pepper to the cornstarch mixture for a spicy coating.
-I sometimes add a little garlic salt to the cornstarch. It adds a pop of flavor for you fellow garlic lovers out there.
LOVE CHINESE FOOD? TRY THESE:
MORE CHICKEN RECIPES:
- Chicken Fajita Rice
- Chicken Flautas
- Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie
- Dijon Chicken
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Poppy Seed Chicken
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Easy and delicious sweet and sour chicken that is baked instead of fried.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed (about 4 breasts)
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 3 Tbsp oil (I used vegetable oil)
Sauce
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Place cornstarch in one shallow bowl, and beaten eggs in another. Dip cubed chicken with egg, then coat with cornstarch.
- Brown all sides of chicken in oil in a non stick skillet over medium high heat. You do not need to cook completely, just brown. Spread browned chicken pieces in a 9x13" pan that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan bring to a boil, whisking often.
- Pour sauce over chicken pieces, stirring to coat evenly.
- Bake at 350° for about an hour, turning chicken every 20 minutes or so. Sauce should be thickened and bubbly and chicken should be cooked through.
- Serve over steamed white rice.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 497Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 191mgSodium: 525mgCarbohydrates: 38gNet Carbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 22gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 55g
Mouthwatering dish !! I will surely make this recipe and serve my family. Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe 😄
Thanks for stopping by Sam! I hope you like it as much as my family does. 🙂