Baked sweet and sour chicken is tender chunks of chicken breast in a light egg and cornstarch coating, baked in a sticky, tangy, sweet red sauce until every piece is glazed. It tastes like the takeout favorite, without a pot of frying oil. The chicken gets a very quick sear in a skillet, then the oven does the rest. Serve it over hot rice for a family dinner that beats delivery.
How to make baked sweet and sour chicken: Toss chicken pieces in cornstarch, dip them in beaten egg and sear in hot oil for 20 to 30 seconds per side. Move the chicken to a 9×13-inch baking dish. Mix sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and garlic salt and pour it over. Bake at 325°F for 1 hour, turning once or twice, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- Takeout flavor at home. Sweet, tangy and sticky.
- No deep frying. A quick sear in a little oil, then the oven.
- A five-ingredient sauce. Stirred together in a bowl, with no cooking.
- Tender chicken. The coating soaks up the sauce as it bakes.
- Great over rice. The extra sauce soaks into every grain.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken breasts. Three to 4 boneless, skinless breasts, about 2 pounds in total, cut into 1-inch or slightly larger pieces.
Cornstarch and eggs. One cup of cornstarch and 2 large beaten eggs make the coating. The cornstarch goes on first, then the egg.
Canola oil. A 1/4 cup for searing. Vegetable oil or coconut oil also work.
Granulated sugar. Half to 3/4 cup, depending on how sweet you like the sauce.
Ketchup. Four tablespoons. It gives the sauce its color and body.
Apple cider vinegar. Half a cup. This is the sour in sweet and sour.
Soy sauce and garlic salt. One tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of garlic salt.
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 2 pounds, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Salt, for seasoning the chicken
- Black pepper, for seasoning the chicken
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
How to Make Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Coat the chicken. Cut the chicken into 1-inch or slightly larger pieces and season lightly with salt and pepper. Put the cornstarch in a gallon-size zip-top bag, add the chicken, seal and toss to coat.
3. Dip and briefly sear. Whisk the eggs in a shallow pie plate. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot and rippling. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken in the egg, then place it in a single layer in the skillet. Cook for 20 to 30 seconds per side, until the crust is golden. The chicken will not be cooked through.
4. Fill the dish. Transfer the chicken to a single layer in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Repeat the dipping and searing with the remaining chicken.
5. Add the sauce. Mix the sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and garlic salt in a medium bowl. Pour over the chicken.
6. Bake and check doneness. Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken once or twice to coat it evenly with sauce. Check that the chicken reaches 165°F with a food thermometer.
7. Serve. Serve over hot, steamed rice.
Is the Chicken Supposed to Be Raw After the Quick Sear?
Yes. This surprises people the first time. The chicken spends less than a minute in the skillet, and when it goes into the baking dish it is golden on the outside and still raw in the middle. That is exactly how it should be.
The sear has one job, which is to set the coating. The oven has the other, which is to cook the chicken.
| Stage | How long | What it does | Is the chicken cooked? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skillet sear | 20 to 30 seconds per side | Sets the egg and cornstarch into a golden crust | No |
| Baking in sauce | 1 hour at 325°F | Cooks the chicken and thickens the sauce into a glaze | Check for 165°F |
If you leave the chicken in the skillet until it is cooked through, it will be dry and tough after an hour in the oven. Keep the sear short.
A golden crust is not a sign of doneness, and neither is the timer. At the end of the bake, check one of the largest pieces with a food thermometer. It should read 165°F.
Tips for Success
Why cornstarch first and egg second?
It is the reverse of most breading, and it works. The egg on the outside puffs into a soft, light crust in the hot oil, and the cornstarch underneath helps it hold on to the sauce.
How hot should the oil be?
Very hot and rippling. Hot oil sets the coating in seconds. Oil that is not hot enough soaks into it.
Why turn the chicken during baking?
Turning it once or twice coats every side in sauce, so the pieces glaze evenly.
How sweet should the sauce be?
Use 1/2 cup of sugar for a tangier sauce and up to 3/4 cup for a sweeter one.
Should I sear in batches?
Yes. Keep the chicken in a single layer with a little room around each piece.
How Long Does It Take?
About 120 minutes: 60 minutes of prep, which covers cutting, coating and searing in batches, and 60 minutes in the oven.
What Goes With Sweet and Sour Chicken?
Hot steamed rice is the classic, and it catches the extra sauce. Steamed broccoli or stir-fried vegetables make it a full plate.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow, covered containers. They keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator, not on the counter. To warm it up, cover and reheat in the oven or microwave until the chicken reaches 165°F.
What to Serve With It
For another sweet and tangy dinner, try the sweet and sour meatballs or sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken. For more baked chicken, there are the Ritz cracker chicken casserole, the chicken broccoli Alfredo pasta bake and chicken enchiladas with sour cream white sauce. And for a hands-off night, make 4-ingredient slow cooker chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the chicken supposed to be cooked through after its quick sear?
No. It is only browned. It cooks through during the hour in the oven.
How do you cook sweet and sour chicken from scratch?
Coat chicken pieces in cornstarch and egg, sear briefly, then bake them in a simple sweet and tangy ketchup and vinegar sauce.
How do you warm up sweet and sour chicken?
Cover it and reheat in the oven or microwave until it reaches 165°F.
What goes with sweet and sour chicken?
Hot steamed rice.
Final Notes
I use one hand for the cornstarch bag and the other for the egg, which keeps my fingers from turning into paste. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
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Ingredients
- 3 to 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless, about 2 pounds total, cut into 1-inch or slightly larger pieces
- salt for lightly seasoning the chicken
- black pepper for lightly seasoning the chicken
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 eggs large, beaten
- 1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable or coconut oil
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar to taste
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Cut the chicken into 1-inch or slightly larger pieces and season lightly with salt and pepper. Put the cornstarch in a gallon-size zip-top bag, add the chicken, seal and toss to coat.
- Whisk the eggs in a shallow pie plate. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot and rippling. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken in the egg, then place it in a single layer in the skillet. Cook for 20 to 30 seconds per side, until the crust is golden. The chicken will not be cooked through.
- Transfer the chicken to a single layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Repeat the dipping and searing with the remaining chicken.
- Mix the sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and garlic salt in a medium bowl. Pour over the chicken.
- Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken once or twice to coat it evenly with sauce. Check that the chicken reaches 165°F with a food thermometer.
- Serve over hot, steamed rice.
