This post Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken has been updated in 2022.
A Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe that shows you how to make the Chinese takeout favourite Sweet and Sour Chicken in the oven so the chicken is CRISPY but not dried out inside. Coated generously in a sticky sauce with a perfect sweet-sour balance!
I don’t like to shout out from the rooftops “this is the BEST baked Sweet & Sour Chicken!” because who’s to say that theirs is the best? This is a great recipe. And it’s MY favourite way of making Sweet & Sour Chicken in the oven. Here’s why:
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Sweet but not too sweet. It’s made with 1/2 cup of sugar which is still a lot compared to my usual midweek meals. But it is less than the 3/4 to 1 cup that you’ll see in many recipes.
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Sour is not something to be squinted at. I don’t know how to properly describe my reaction when I accidentally eat something far too sour! It’s tart but not overly sour. 🙂
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It tastes just like restaurant sauce. Many Sweet & Sour Sauce recipes taste like they’re missing “something”. Usually that “something” is either Worcestershire Sauce and/or oyster sauce (sometimes also soy sauce). You can omit one of these but don’t leave out all of them, the sauce will taste very “flat”.
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The chicken is crispy! The fact is, you will never be able to make chicken in the oven that is truly as crispy as deep fried (except wings – see my recipe for Truly Crispy Oven Baked Wings!). This is close, however.
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The chicken is NOT dry. I have seen recipes that call for the chicken to be baked for 45 minutes to 1 hour which I find dries out the chicken. I’m really fussy about dry chicken! Mine is baked for 20 minutes – tops. That’s all you need.
Pretty hard to pick what I love more about this – the Sweet & Sour Sauce, or the crispy chicken! The chicken itself is so yum, it’s hard to resist nicking the pieces straight off the baking tray before they even make it to the sauce.
It’s hard to resist! I promise it’s worth the wait. 🙂 – Nagi x
PS: I also think that using some of the pineapple juice from the can to make the sauce makes a big difference. It gives the sauce a fruity flavor that is comparable to Chinese restaurants.
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Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb/500 g Chicken breast Cut into small cubes
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 large egg or 2 small eggs Lightly beat (enough to coat chicken).
- 1 Cup cornstarch/cornflour Place in a large ziplock bag
- 3 to 5 tbsp Oil (vegetable, canola)
- Oil spray
Stir Fry
- 1/2 tbsp Oil
- 1 Clove of garlic
- 1 Small onions , cut into large dice
- 1/2 red bell pepper , cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 green bell pepper , cut into bite size pieces
- 1 can (8oz/250g). Canned pineapple pieces in natural fruit juice. Separate the juice from the pineapple.
Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Sugar (White or Brown – I use any)
- 1/3 Cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 – 3 tbsp pineapple juice (From the canned pineapple pieces).
- 3 tbsp Ketchup (Australia: tomato sauce)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (Note 1)
- 1 tsp soy sauce (Note 1)
- 1 tsp Oyster Sauce (Note 1)
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Thickener
- 1 tbsp cornstarch / corn flour + 4 tbsp of water Mix them together
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 200C/390F.
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Salt the chicken and then add it to a bowl. Use the egg to coat the chicken. Drain any excess egg. (Note 2)
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Start by removing a handful of chicken at a stretch. Next, take out excess egg mixture and place it in a ziplock bag. Once all the chicken is inside the bag seal it (trap as much air as possible to create a “balloon”) then shake the bag to coat the chicken with cornflour. Recycle any excess cornflour.
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Heat oil in large skillet. If your skillet is too small, add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, turn it over and let cool. The chicken should remain raw on the inside.
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Transfer to a baking sheet and coat with oil. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until it is golden brown and crispy.
Sauce
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Discard any oil from the skillet and wipe it with paper towels. Heat 1/2 tbsp of oil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic and sauté for 20 seconds, then add onion and cook for 2 minutes.
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Stir in bell peppers, and cook for one minute.
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Add Sauce ingredients. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the sauce bubbles.
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Add Thickener. Continue to heat, stirring continuously. Continue to cook the syrup for about 3 minutes.
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Mix in the pineapple pieces, just until warm, and then turn off the stove.
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After the chicken has been cooked, put it into a skillet. Toss the chicken in the sauce to coat.
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Serve immediately with rice, or Cauliflower rice, for a low carb, high cal option. If desired, garnish with scallions.
Recipe Notes
2. I use my hand to keep the chicken from falling out, while allowing the egg to flow out.
3. The following nutrition assumes four servings. I have included this information because 1 tbsp oil can be thrown away.
Nutrition Information:
