Here’s a delicious recipe for baked sweet and sour chicken that you can easily make at home. This recipe involves baking the chicken to make it healthier, while still delivering that tangy and sweet flavor you love.
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients:
For the Chicken:
- 1 lb (450g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
For the Sweet and Sour Sauce:
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper.
- Prepare the Chicken:
- Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
- Place the cornstarch in a shallow bowl and the beaten eggs in another bowl.
- Dip each chicken piece first in cornstarch, coating it evenly, and then dip it in the beaten eggs. Set aside.
- Cook the Chicken:
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken pieces in batches, frying until golden brown on all sides (the chicken does not need to be cooked through at this stage, just browned).
- Once browned, transfer the chicken pieces to the prepared baking dish.
- Make the Sweet and Sour Sauce:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and water until well combined.
- Bake the Chicken:
- Pour the sweet and sour sauce evenly over the browned chicken pieces in the baking dish.
- Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring the chicken every 15 minutes to ensure it is evenly coated with the sauce and doesn’t dry out.
- Serve:
- Once the chicken is done baking, remove it from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. Serve the sweet and sour chicken over steamed rice, garnished with chopped green onions or sesame seeds if desired.
Enjoy your homemade baked sweet and sour chicken!