Description
This Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe combines tender chicken pieces with a tangy and sweet homemade sauce, creating a classic dish that’s perfect for a family dinner. The chicken is lightly coated and quickly pan-fried before being baked in a flavorful sauce to achieve a perfect balance of textures and tastes.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
- Preheat and prep chicken: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Prepare coating: Place cornstarch in a shallow dish. Crack eggs into a separate bowl and beat them until smooth.
- Coat chicken: Dip each chicken piece first in the cornstarch to coat, then dip into the beaten eggs, ensuring an even coating.
- Pan-fry chicken: Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Quickly pan-fry the coated chicken pieces just until they are slightly browned but not cooked through.
- Arrange chicken for baking: Place the pan-fried chicken pieces into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Prepare the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, ketchup, distilled white vinegar, low sodium soy sauce, and garlic salt until well combined.
- Combine and bake: Pour the sweet and sour sauce evenly over the chicken pieces in the baking dish.
- Bake and stir: Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, stirring the chicken every 15 minutes to coat the pieces evenly in the sauce and ensure even cooking.
- Serve: Once baked and fully cooked, serve the sweet and sour chicken hot and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure not to overcook the chicken when pan-frying as it will finish cooking in the oven.
- Stirring every 15 minutes during baking helps the chicken absorb the sauce and prevents sticking.
- You can add vegetables like bell peppers or pineapple chunks to the baking dish for extra flavor and texture.
- Use low sodium soy sauce to control the saltiness of the dish.
