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Easily the most popular recipe on my blog, this baked sweet and sour chicken is a miracle of a dish. Baked, not fried, it has been a family favorite for over a decade!
Invented on a college budget almost 20 years ago, this baked sweet and sour chicken is the most popular recipe on my blog. And even better, it still remains one of our family favorites.
You may have seen this recipe floating around the internet; it’s everywhere! And for good reason. It’s crazy delicious.
But I’m happy (and yes, a little proud) to acknowledge that the delectable sweet and sour chicken recipe originated here (posted way back in 2008, it was one of the first recipes I ever shared on my blog!).
With over 800 comments, 50+ 5-star reviews, and almost half a million pins/shares, that quick glance will tell you there is something special about this recipe.
If you’re new to the world of baked sweet and sour chicken, let me give you a quick rundown.
First, this recipe, while delicious and absolutely and totally worth it, is going to be a bit more work than your average Tuesday night spaghetti.
It’s not complicated. It’s not hard. But it’s also not a 30-minute meal. So with that caveat in place, here’s the 5-second overview.
Chicken pieces are coated in cornstarch followed by a quick dunk in a bath of lightly beaten eggs. They are then dropped into a piping hot skillet with a smidgeon of oil and browned quickly before being crammed in a single layer in a baking pan.
The super easy sauce is whisked together, poured on top, and the whole sweet and sour chicken concoction bakes for about an hour.
There is just the right amount of sauce for the breaded chicken pieces to bake in without becoming saturated and soggy (and allowing the sauce to thicken and caramelize while baking).
But if you are a saucy kind of person (like my husband), as I mention in the notes of the recipe, you can very easily whip up another batch of sauce, simmer it on the stove, and serve it alongside the tender, amazing, baked sweet and sour chicken.
Because this recipe has been around for a long time and because there have been a lot of questions in the comments, I’ve put together a quick FAQ for your reading pleasure.
INGREDIENTS
CHICKEN:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola, vegetable or coconut oil
SAUCE:
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar (depending on how sweet you want the sauce)
4 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (see note for substitutions)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
INSTRUCTIONS
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