Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

30 mins prep + 1 hr cook

1143 kcal

Yields: servings

Skip the Chinese takeout and make baked sweet and sour chicken at home with a delicious sweet and sour sauce poured over tender chicken with a crispy breading.

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup canola oil, (or enough to cover the bottom of your skillet about 1/4 inch)
1 cup cornstarch
3 egg, beaten
3 chicken breast, (roughly 2lbs) cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pinch salt, to taste
1 pinch black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped (for garnish, optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, making sure the sides are also covered (this will help with cleanup), and place nearby.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, ketchup, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic powder until smooth. Mixture may feel grainy - this is okay. Sugar will dissolve while you work on the next steps. Set sauce aside.
Place the beaten eggs in a shallow bowl nearby. For the cornstarch, you can either put it in another shallow bowl OR add it to a Ziploc bag (gallon sized). Finally, place a plate nearby and cover it with a paper towel.
Pour canola oil in a large skillet and warm over medium-high heat.
Coat bite-sized chicken pieces in cornstarch (by either dunking them in the bowl or adding them to the bag and shaking it) and then dip them in the egg. Place coated chicken in the skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the outsides of the chicken are golden brown and lightly crisp. Transfer cooked chicken to the plate with the paper towel. TIP: I use a slotted spoon to dunk and coat the chicken in the egg. I then scoop them into the skillet, making sure to break apart the chicken once it's in the oil so the pieces don't stick together.
Once chicken pieces are cooked, whisk the sweet and sour sauce one more time and then toss the chicken in. Use a spatula to gently turn and coat.
Pour the sweet and sour chicken (both chicken and excess sauce) on prepared baking sheet. Spread chicken out in a single layer so that no pieces are touching.
Bake chicken for 15-30 minutes or until sweet and sour sauce seems baked into breading.
Serve immediately on a bed of rice with chives as garnish (optional).