Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
No need to order take-out anymore – this homemade version is so much healthier and a million times tastier!
I am a complete sucker for sweet and sour chicken when it comes to take-out. But it’s been hard to find a place that has it down perfectly – crisp on the outside yet completely juicy and flavorful with a sweet and sour punch. Thankfully, I found a homemade version from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe that has it down to a tee.
What makes this recipe so perfect is that the chicken is first fried to get that crisp exterior. Then it gets baked in a low temperature for an hour, really letting the sweet and sour flavors meld right into the chicken. I was worried that the chicken would get overcooked but it was actually so unbelievably tender. And the flavor packs in quite a punch!
The cooking time takes a little over an hour but I promise you – this version is well worth the effort!
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
For the sweet and sour sauce
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9×13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
- To make the sauce, whisk together sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce and garlic powder in a large bowl; set aside.
- In a large bowl, season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in cornstarch and gently toss to combine. Working one at a time, dip the chicken into the eggs.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil.
- Add chicken to prepared baking dish. Top with sweet and sour sauce. Place into oven and bake until the sauce has thickened, about 55 minutes, turning over every 15 minutes to evenly coat the chicken.
- Serve immediately.
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This is the first time I’ve left a comment EVER on ANYTHING. Omg this is so good. I’m making it right now for 2nd time. Last time we didn’t hv vinegar, subbed lemon juice. I think we added orange juice too. This time we did it exact & it’s delicious. It was both times. Fantastic!!!!
This recipe rocks my socks. I made it last week for dinner and it was a hit. The cooking time is a bit longer than other methods I’ve seen but is sooooo worth it. I made this for a fraction of the cost of take-out using items in my pantry! OMG so good. The best recipe ever! We’re eating this every week. I served mine with a few chunks of pineapple and some steamed broccoli.
yum
This has become our firm Saturday night favourite – is in the oven yet again as we speak! I always have to make double the amount as its so good!! I add in a chopped large red pepper and some pineapple chunks and a little of the pineapple juice about 1/2 hour before the end! Bliss!
Any ideas how I could do the same sort of recipe but with a lemon sauce would be gratefully received!!
Here’s a great lemon sauce that you can try out: https://damndelicious.net/2014/02/15/asian-lemon-chicken-tenders/.
Thanks for the recipe – do you think you could cook the lemon chicken using the same method as for the sweet and sour chicken ie browning floured and egg coated chicken then putting it in the oven for 55 mins with the sauce?
Christine, it may be best to bake the chicken as is, separate from the lemon glaze.
Hi. I made it but it became dry. I mean it wasnt juicy. Do u know what might be the reason? Thank s for helping me
Your oven temperature may have been set too high or perhaps you used a deep baking dish that caused the chicken to dry out?
Wow! Just… Wow! Made this the other night and my 5-year old declared it his favorite chicken ever. He asked to have it in his lunch box, but mommy might just have eaten the left-overs as a midnight snack… Will make again this week. Awesome!
My family and friends love this. Thanks for the recipe, we have it once a week now and our birthdays too, its Damn delicious!!!! We serve with peppers, pineapple and onions. Its to die for, I loove our recipe its the best way to make it.
I just made this for my roommate and I and it was amazing! I cannot believe how good this was. I think I’ve found the perfect dish for Heaven.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I love being able to make these dishes we love so much at home! Already forwarded this recipe to my sister in law 🙂
This looks so delicious! I’m making it for my family tonight. Is there a way I can incorporate pineapple into this recipe?
Yes, of course! I would add them in prior to baking.
my family loved it! all of the sauce got absorbed. stayed tender and perfect.
Love Love this since I found it last year.. Only change I made was reducing the sugar from 3/4cup to 1/2 cup.. no change in amazing flavor!
I just made this tonight, and it was EXCELLENT!! Your recipes have been very good, and I really enjoy your copycat ones. Great job!
Oh. Baby. This. Is.Good!
Didn’t have any cider vinegar. Didn’t have any Vinegar vinegar either. So used pickle juice, that’s mostly vinegar. Added a maybe a half tsp of ginger to the sweet n sour sauce. Some hot mustard would be nice too, this recipe is awesome.
Oh my god. This was so amazing. Better than any Chinese restaurant! My husband and kids requested this for our annual Christmas dinner it was so good!
So I just made this and I am currently eating it. I AM IN LOVE. I was worried about all the vinegar. Especially when I tasted the sauce before I cooked it, but the tang toned way down after I baked it. I am next to never ordering chinese again. Now I just need to conquer egg foo young.
I tried this with the sweet and sour and it was great! You can change the sauce to teryaki as well 😀
Made this last night…. It was outstanding! I usually fail at making Asian-inspired dishes because they’re either too complicated, or I don’t have the right ingredients, or technique or what. This was very doable for a relative novice and my whole family just loved it! Thank you so, so much. 🙂
I don’t have any baking dish, can I use baking plate?
Crystal, you can use any baking dish/plate that is oven-safe.
This dish was by far the best sweet and sour I’ve ever tasted.
Cooked to the recipe and I inhaled the plate full. Next time I may add some pineapple chunks for personal preference but I can’t believe how delicious and easy this fish was.
Note to self: check the other recipes