Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
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.
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.
How to Make Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
The chicken for this recipe is flash-fried in a little bit of oil before going into a pan and into the oven to be baked fully.
There’s a good reason for this process:
- It gives a delicious browned “crust” on the chicken pieces
- The sweet and sour sauce is poured onto the par-baked chicken and everything bakes together in the oven – this fully cooks the chicken AND thickens and develops the flavors of the sauce
I have streamlined the chicken coating-and-cooking process to make it ultra-simple.
First, place the chicken pieces in a ziploc-style bag and toss with a bit of salt and pepper.
Second, add the cornstarch, seal the bag, and shake until the chicken pieces are evenly coated.
It might seem strange to coat the chicken pieces in cornstarch before dipping in egg, but it’s the preferred method here, and it works – I promise!
Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces into the egg mixture.
Instead of doing this one little piece at a time, I dump several pieces of chicken in at once, toss around with a fork until the egg mixture fully coats the chicken and then replenish with more chicken as they go into the hot pan.
A Key to Making Sweet and Sour Chicken
Remember that the chicken pieces are just getting a quick minute in the hot pan so they are golden on the outside.
You don’t need very much oil, but you DO need to make sure the pan is hot and rippling before adding the chicken.
Here are a few things that will help:
- Use a nonstick pan – this means you can use less oil and still get beautifully golden chicken pieces.
- Heat the oil in the pan until it is hot enough that the chicken sizzles immediately when added to the pan.
- Cook for just a few seconds on each side until the “crust” is golden brown – you don’t want to cook the chicken completely in this step!
Sweet and Sour Sauce
The sauce for this baked sweet and sour chicken consists of:
- sugar
- ketchup
- vinegar
- soy sauce
- garlic powder
There is just the right amount of sauce for the breaded chicken pieces to bake in without becoming saturated and soggy. As the sauce simmers in the oven with the chicken, it thickens and coats the chicken with a caramelized sweet and sour glaze.
If you like extra sauce, simply whisk together another batch of sauce and simmer it on the stovetop for 8 to 10 minutes to serve alongside the baked sweet and chicken.
A Very Popular Recipe
There are over 500 5-star reviews for this amazing recipe; I’ll highlight just a few:
Stephanie: Amazing! My whole family loved this recipe! Tasted like it was from a restaurant and it was SO easy to make! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Erin: First time poster – this was FANTASTIC. I doubled the sauce, threw in a can of pineapple chunks and used rice vinegar. Thank you – this is going in the rotation. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kimberly: I was worried about the one hour cooking time drying out the chicken but every bite was tender. Will make again. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vicki: Oh my- officially a fav in our house. It’s been requested 3 times in as many weeks. I add peppers and onion to mine over rice. So good! Thanks for sharing it!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Below is a list of the most frequently asked questions for this recipe – and if you scroll through the comments, you can see many, many variations!
Sweet and Sour FAQ:
Many people have commented that they have reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup and I’ve done the same (if not more) over the years, too.
Yes. Vinegar, while baking, gives off a strong aroma, but the strong aroma/taste bakes off during the recommended time in the recipe leaving a delicious sweet and sour taste.
That’s up to you. Many people in the comments have adapted the recipe ingredients; however, other than sometimes reducing the sugar to 1/2 cup and using a different type of vinegar (see the question below), I make the recipe as written and can’t vouch for results for other adaptations. I have made this sweet and sour chicken recipe at least 50 times (probably more) and even though the vinegar seems overpowering, the recipe works. Promise. If you are determined to adapt the vinegar, several others have used half vinegar and half pineapple juice for a milder taste (but you’ll lose a bit of the sweet and sour punch).
Why yes! I often substitute rice vinegar which has a slightly milder/sweeter taste and many others in the comments have substituted the same or even used white vinegar. Feel free to experiment.
All-purpose flour will not give the same light coating as the cornstarch. The only decent substitute I’ve found is tapioca flour/starch. Works great!
I encourage you to make the recipe as written. Like I said above, I’ve made this recipe many times and the hour baking time is not a typo. Keep in mind that you don’t want to cook the chicken through while browning it. That step should be a quick flash in the pan in hot oil in order to give the chicken a crispy outer layer, but the pieces should still be raw in the center. Many have commented that they have cut the baking time down to 30 minutes. You can try that; the sauce won’t thicken as much as if baking for the full hour.
I’m not often right, but in the case of cornstarch and egg, I am. The chicken is coated with cornstarch and then dipped in egg.
I don’t see why not! Many commenters have tried that with good results.
I prefer the Heinz Natural brand (without HCFS) but when I can’t find it, I go with regular Heinz.
What to Serve With This:
Baked Brown Rice
Steamed Broccoli
Creamy 5-Cup Fruit Salad or fresh, seasonal fruit
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup canola, vegetable or coconut oil
Sauce:
- ½ to ¾ cup granulated sugar, depending on how sweet you want the sauce
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar (see note)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch or slightly larger pieces. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Put the chicken into the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken.
- Whisk the eggs together 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 pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet.
- Cook for 20-30 seconds on each side until the crust is golden but the chicken is not all the way cooked through (this is where it’s really important to have a hot skillet/oil). Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in a 9X13-inch baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
- Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken. Bake for one hour, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce. Serve over hot, steamed rice.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe original recipe
Recipe originally published July 2008; updated Sept 2018 with new pictures, recipe notes, etc.
1,124 Comments on “Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken”
Became an empty nester. Made this the first night with no kids. It was a total hit!
Can this be cooked in crockpot how long? Thanks.
I tried it once in the crock pot and it was just okay, but it is AMAZING when done as listed in the recipe.
I’ve been making this recipe since 2012 when I made it for a friend who just had a baby. It was amazing!! Originally I got the recipe from a different blog but then searched around to find the original posting so I could read the real recipe and comments. I do think it is better with rice vinegar but my husband loves the apple cidar vinegar flavor. Also, I do cut back on the sugar. Great recipe with fresh steamed broccoli and my favorite fried rice recipe.
I’ve been making this recipe since 2012 when I made it for a friend who just had a baby. It was amazing!! Originally I got the recipe from a different blog but then searched around to find the original posting so I could read the real recipe and comments. I do think it is better with rice vinegar but my husband loves the apple cidar vinegar flavor. Also, I do cut back on the sugar. Great recipe with fresh steamed broccoli and my favorite fried rice recipe.
This truly is a family favorite. My five year old said that she likes this chicken better than the take out version. I roasted half an onion, and a red and yellow bell pepper with some of the sauce while I was cooking the chicken on the stove (I wanted to avoid the steam from the veg making the nice fried chicken soggy). When the chicken was done cooking in the oven I added the roasted veg. Due to allergies in the family I use Organicville agave sweetened ketchup, as well as honey and agave vs sugar. I do simmer the sauce on the stove top to thicken it up because I use sugar substitutes. I did try using coconut sugar the first time I made this, and do not recommend that! Curious if you have had success freezing the chicken to be baked later? Thank you for this recipe though, its a highly requested dinner at my house.
This was so good!! I’m not much of a cook so I was scared of my abilities on this one, but it was a win. Hands down one of my favorite dishes I have ever made and I look forward to it in our rotation. I honestly would rather just make this at home than go out for it. And my whole family loves it! They smell the vinegar filling the house and everyone’s mouth starts watering!!
This recipe is a keeper. So so good!!! I did double the sauce. Everyone from the five year old to the 71 year old grandpa asked for seconds. Thanks
This recipe is AMAZING! Made it multiple times already! I always double the sauce though! Soo good on white rice! Tastes better then restaurant’s sweet n sour chicken for sure! We can’t get enough!
Amazing! My whole family loved this recipe! Tasted like it was from a restaurant and it was SO easy to make!
Excellent!! I make this recipe all the time! I use the rice vinegar, and only use 1/3 of a cup!!
First time poster – this was FANTASTIC. I doubled the sauce, threw in a can of pineapple chunks and used rice vinegar.
Thank you – this is going in the rotation.
Hi Mel,
Because I am too lazy to read through the comments I was wondering if you had ever done a pork version of this before? This pregnancy has me craving sweet and sour pork.
Yes, works great!
Can you make it with pre cooked and pre breaded chicken? If so, just put the sauce on and into the oven???? Wonderful chicken btw
If doing that, I’d suggest simmering the sauce on the stove until thickened and pouring it over the precooked chicken (may not need to go in the oven at all)
Would this recipe work in an air fryer?
I haven’t tried it, but it is certainly worth experimenting!
After making this for many years I just had to comment. My family absolutely loves this dish and yes it is time consuming. I like to double it and have it for two days in a row because it’s that good. It’s one of those meals that you want to make when you have extra time in the kitchen but it is well worth it. I like to add a chunked Vidalia onion and chunks of pineapple and green pepper as well before baking.. Make it ..you won’t be disappointed!
Sounds gorgeous plan to make this at weekend for family visit. Can I make this the day before and reheat the next day. Would this make it soggy?
I think this is one of those recipes that is best fresh from the oven but you could try reheating and see how it goes!
Oh My SOUL! The best S&S chicken EVER!!! I will never order again at a restaurant. Loved the sauce too (made a double recipe). Love that it doesn’t have the heavy batter you get at the restaurants. This is DEFINITELY a keeper! Yum! Yum! YUUUUUMMM!!!
Amazing! This recipe has become part of our rotation! My husband always asks when I’m going to make it again.
awesome recipe i love it
I was worried about the one hour cooking time drying out the chicken but every bite was tender. Will make again but will double sauce.
Loved this recipe! As someone who is gluten free, I often crave a breaded chicken! I swapped out the cornstarch for arrow root powder and use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. I’ll definitely be making this again!
I’ve been making this for some time, but I use my extra large cast iron skillet. I make the chicken, take it out of the skillet, wipe out the skillet, and stick it back in the oven. One less dish to clean and it ALWAYS turns out perfectly. Sometimes I add pepper, onion, and/or pineapple; it just depends on what I have on hand. We absolutely love it and it is an oft requested meal from my 16-year-old.
This is a great recipe!!! Can I freeze the chicken after frying, and add sauce and cook in the oven at a later time??
Thank you
I haven’t tried that, but you probably could!
So Im at work and Im improvised really hard.. Made it completely in a skillet, no baking, no measurements, mostly just looked at the ingredients and winged it. Added peppers and onions. Clients loved it, I loved it. 100% making this again.
Simple to make and very tasty. I have a Pintrest board for my husband’s favorites and he said to please add this recipe to it. Thank you.
Oh my- officially a fav in our house. It’s been requested 3 times in as many weeks. I add peppers and onion to mine over rice. So good! Thanks for sharing it!!
This was amazing! Thank you Mel.
I made this recipe as suggested, used rice wine vinegar and I didn’t have ketchup so I used chili sauce and sauteed red, green pepper and pineapple, added to chicken after it cooked and it was just like take out only much better! Next time I will make the extra sauce as well, it’s delicious. When I can finally see my grandchildren again they are going to LOVE this too.
I double breaded the chicken. We will see how it turns out. Hopefully more crispy! Love making this, but it takes FOREVER!
Love the recipe, better than Chinese restaurant, absolutely amazing. It does take a long time, so I’ve been making a lazy version of it, I just fry chopped up pieces of chicken breast in some olive oil, sprinkle a little flour over it, pour the sauce over it and let it simmer in the pan on the stove for 20-30 minutes. Tastes amazing over rice, we can’t get enough. Hope the lazy way helps someone!
I have an egg allergy so what can I use as replacement? Thanks
I’m not sure this recipe would work quite as well without the eggs – it might be better to find a sweet and sour recipe that’s been tested without eggs.
Late reply, but my son has an egg allergy and I just use corn starch and a little salt and pepper. I think it turns out the same. I’ve had it both ways. 🙂
This is the best “better than takeout” recipe I have ever tried. Thank you for being a staple in our home, Mel. Without fail, I make at least 3 of your recipes every week. Haha! You are my go-to when meal planning. Thank you for all you do!!
Absolutely Yummy, so good we had to make it again.
This was delicious!!! Added a few things later since I had no rice. Package of precooked veggies and onions and sweet peppers with lomein noodles in the end. I also increased temperature.
I made this tonight and, in a word, this is so good. I have made sweet and sour chicken for years but the recipe I was using becam boring and stale. I looked for a new one and this is it. My kids asked why I haven’t made this before. I wish I found this sooner, it would have made thinking about what to make for dinner a lot easier. Thank you.
It’s a bit fussy. The breading and frying takes some finesse. I’m not good at it and end up with a huge mess and grease burns. But it’s fun to make your own take out. And I think with some practice I could get better.
Wish you’d supply nutrition info. I’m tracking my recipes/meals and it very helpful for me to have that info for my meal planning. Nice recipe – look forward to trying it.
Hi Wendy, I’m in the process of adding nutrition info to all my recipes. Should be showing up on the archived recipes shortly!
I can’t use cornstarch and I notice that you mention tapioca/flour. What about arrowroot and if so is that a 1 to 1 ratio? We can’t wait to make this!!
I haven’t used arrowroot, but it’s worth a try. Yes, I think it would be the same amount as using cornstarch.
It’s Father’s Day again and guess what I’m making? 🙂 His favorite recipe, hands down. Some tips I’ve picked up after making this twice a year for the past few years:
1. If you are making 2 pounds or more of chicken, do the corn starch into batches. You get a better coating.
2. When you are coating the chicken in corn starch and then in egg, use separate utensils to transfer from the corn starch to the egg, to the pan. It prevents all of the gunk from sticking to your tongs or forks. I worked with two sets of tongs and two forks.
3. You may need to add an additional egg half way through if the egg batter starts to get clumpy.
4. We prefer mostly rice vinegar in the sauce and 1/2 cup of sugar is perfect. Don’t make my mistake and use the unrefined organic cane sugar (has a slight brown color to it), just go with the good old white granulated.
Needless to say, this is a family favorite and way better than take out. Thank you Mel!
Hi Mel!
Quick Q, please.
Would it be okay to bake in a 9×13″ cake pan?
How should I adjust oven temperature, please?
Many thanks
By cake pan, do you mean an aluminum/metal pan? That’s a great question – but I’m not entirely sure how it would work since I’ve always used a glass or ceramic pan. I *think* it should work fine without altering the recipe.
Making this again today (family favourite) and just seen I’ve forgotten to report back! Yes, it works fine in a metal cake pan (used Wilton) – thank you! 🙂
This is a regular for my family dinners. I have also cooked and used as meal prep for lunch for my work week and it is so good! I sub coconut aminos rather than soy. I also cut the cornstarch in half and it was just the perfect amount. I add rice and steamed broccoli for dinners and it is always a hit!
You can also use arrowroot powder, instead of cornstarch.
Made this for the first time today. Got distracted and forgot the egg dip. Didn’t even think about it until after dinner. Anyway, it got 2 thumbs up. I made the extra sauce, but it tastes stronger than the sauce with the chicken. I guess it is the corn starch and cooking time that mellows it somewhat. Nonetheless, it was good and I will make it again. I added yellow and red peppers; next time I will add half way through when I stir.
I cut the sugar between 1/3 and 1/2 cup; my partner is diabetic. I also substitute crushed garlic cloves for the garlic salt – helps reduce the sodium in my recipe and we love fresh garlic in our cooking. Otherwise, this recipe has been come a staple in our home and in others’ homes where I’ve shared it out.
So I made this and I think I cut up the chicken too small. It probably would’ve been easier/better with larger pieces. I did top it with 1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds and I liked that addition quite a bit. I’ll give this another try with bigger pieces and maybe I’ll like it better. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
What are the nutrition facts for this recipe?
I’ve made this recipe so many times, it’s by far the best one. I started adding a little bit of ground ginger to the sauce, too. Tonight, I’m using cubed pork sirloin, instead of chicken, and I know it’ll be fantastic. Thanks for this recipe!
I added sriracha for a little heat.
Made this tonight – still as delicious as the first time I made it 5 years ago. We drizzled a healthy amount of Siracha when it came out of the oven. Served over cauli rice and steamed broccoli. Thanks again, Mel!
I wasn’t ready for the oil explosions. It did taste good and my husband loved it but I’m going to be cleaning my kitchen tomorrow. I would have loved that warning.
I would love some frying tips. If I got it hot enough to brown quickly, it was splashing everywhere.
Made this for the first time last night and it was amazing!! Everyone loves it!! That never happens!! Thank you!!
Hi, Have your ever used this recipe to make sweet and sour pork?
Thanks
Yes, it’s delicious!
Delicious! Unfortunately, I had only half the required amount of apple cider vinegar so I used that and half fig balsamic vinegar, and cut the sugar in half. It was perfect! Not too sweet, not too acidic. The cooking time for 3 breasts was perfect and with some rice and steamed veggies on the side, it’s 4 meals for me. Thanks! Another keeper!
Sadly, it was supposed to be a second meal for my husband and I as well, Diane! But sneaky fingers in the fridge a few times post dinner and now there’s hardly enough for tomorrow’s lunch! Oh, yum.
So so. I still like the authentic Chinese-style sweet and sour chicken. I followed instructions as specified, but resulting taste not really comparable to how a Chinese restaurant makes it. Will not try again.
Really good recipe, not too sweet on the sauce which we like! Easy too!
I love this recipe! I have made it multiple times and my kiddo requests it allll the time! I double the sauce lower the sugar and use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. I don’t even order takeout anymore since finding this recipe!!!!
Thanks sooo much. I just did it..I added green, yellow, red & orange pepper, fresh pineapple ..sesame seeds & green onions on top..with fried rice. I used a substitute for the soy..(I’m allergic to soy) .
I wished I can send you the picture ☺️
This was so good! I prepared everything during the baby’s nap and threw it in the oven for an hour and by the time my husband got home and the baby was awake, dinner was ready! My husband even said it tasted like what you would get at a Chinese restaurant and I totally agree.
Way better than takeout! My 3 year old eats it and he eats NOTHING. Thank you, Mel!
This is such a tasty meal! I had a baby last week and before the baby came I made a bunch of our families favorite recipes from this website and froze them. We are BIG fans of you, Mel! 🙂
I tripled this recipe two months ago. I followed the recipe as follows. However, after frying the chicken part way I froze it. I also made the sauce and put it into a ziplock bag and froze it as well. It was the perfect baby meal! An hour before dinner I pulled out the gallon sized ziplock bag with everything in it, sprayed a 13X9 pan with nonstick spray, dumped in the chicken, ran the bag with the sauce in it under some hot water, and poured it over the chicken. Then I threw some rice in my rice cooker! I let the chicken cook in my oven at 325 for an hour. It was so simple!
It came out perfectly!! My husband was so happy to finally get to eat some of his favorite meals after a week of people bringing us meals and I was happy to easily make him yummy food while surviving the newborn and toddler. Huge thanks to Mel for this awesome recipe!! I want to try doing this again but with your orange chicken sauce. 🙂
I prefer chicken tenderloins over the breast, will the bake time still be the same?
I think tenderloins will cook much faster
This has been one of our family favorites for a long time! Recently though, I’ve chosen to eat vegan. But we all still love and missed this recipe, so I decided to be brave and try subbing in some tofu (extra firm) in place of the chicken…and it was so DELICIOUS! The key to eating yummy tofu is to flavor it before pan frying. I used two 16 oz blocks (family of 6), pressed and torn into pieces, 2 TBS coconut aminos (or soy sauce), 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, and 1/3 cup cornstarch. Toss it all in a zip loc bag to coat, then pan fry in oil. The only other ingredient I didn’t use in the recipe was the eggs. I also cooked it at 350 for close to 30 minutes…just enough to get the sauce bubbly. I am so happy to eat one of my favorite recipes again!!
Can I do this recipe without frying the chicken first? Frying isn’t good for me. How would I do it without frying?
You may want to try a different recipe – this one relies on the breading and pan frying (although if you scroll quickly through the comments, I believe others have skipped the breading and just used the sauce). I haven’t tried that but you could experiment. Good luck!
My family loves this recipe. Is it possible to get nutritional information
Than you!
You can put ingredients in My
Fitness Pal to get the nutritional info.
I am excited to try this!
Hi! I have 3 teenage boys and a daughter that can almost rival them in eating. Could I double this recipe? Should I put it in a sheet pan instead? What do you think? Thank you in advance! I LOVE your blog!
Yes, you can definitely double! When I do, I use two 9X13-inch pans but a sheet pan might work as long as the sauce doesn’t spill over into the oven.
This recipe has become a staple in our home. I double the sauce and add a sliced onion and green pepper. It’s always a hit!
Can I substitute coconut flour instead of the corn starch?
I haven’t tried that but you could experiment!
Love this recipe and even make it in advance and freeze it after frying an then after fully defrosting crisp it in a hot oven and prepare the sauce. The sauce is so nice I usually double the ingredients for it. My chicken refusing 4 year old even eats this so it’s a massive hit in our house!
So I have been craving sweet and sour chicken ALL DAY and decided to check the internet for a recipe as I have no clue how to cook these fancy things lol….I came across your recipe and decided why. I was a bit skeptic at first when I saw the amount of vinegar to use but I put my doubts aside and went ahead with it. I always have chicken seasoned in the refrigerator so I went ahead and got a parcel of de-boned chicken thighs with no skin. I followed all the steps up until the sauce where I added my own little flair to it. I added some scotch bonnet infused honey to my mix and let me tell you it came out AMAZING!!!!!!!! Just like some of the other skeptics of this recipe I was scared for the warf of vinegar smell when you open the open but let me tell you this….I Love this recipe, it is easy to make and the instructions were perfect. Thanks a million. I will definitely be looking at your other recipes to see what I can make.
The first time I made this I fried the chicken pieces too long and after baking, they were like rocks, but it was my mistake. Very lightly browning them at first and following the rest of the recipe it comes out amazing! I have since made this many times. We like to add chunks of red pepper and onion that have been sautéed in a little olive oil but still keeping them a bit crunchy, into the sauce after the baking, just delicious!!
This recipe is delicious, I always get raves when I make it. I usually double up on the sauce and sometimes add fresh broccoli to the chicken. I have loved every recipe that I have used on Mel’s page. Thanks for another great one.
I didnt have vinegar, used half cup water, was still very good. kids and I loved it. definitely making again with the vinegar. this dish was much beed since we been stuck home for six weeks now.
My son loves sweet and sour chicken but is allergic to eggs. Any recommendations on how to substitute the egg for this recipe?
Hi Jennifer,
I made this for an egg-free allergy using 1 1/2 Tbs oil + 1 1/2 Tbs water and 1 tsp baking powder as an egg replacement. Doesn’t get as golden in fryer but was very similar at the end 🙂
Do you think this will work with boneless skinless chicken thighs?
Yes
How many? Or is it the same measurements for thighs?
Everytime we tend our grandkids they always ask to make this. We always double the sauce, it’s delicious as is, Love it!
Forgot to mention, we have to double the eggs too>>>>
Ive left a comment for a recipe… but this was DELECTABLE. My pickiest eaters loved it.
*** never left.
I should have taken the warning that this is labor intensive more seriously. I’d love to see a video of you making this (mostly the frying part) to see what I could do to streamline it. I one and a halved the recipe and it took me over 1.5 hours just to get it into the oven. My family liked it a lot but I‘d have to cut down the prep time to want to make it again.
My family’s favorite and often-requested dinner! We double the sauce as mentioned above, and serve with rice, steamed broccoli and fresh pineapple (in season). So good!
Love this recipe! It’s definitely a favorite in our house. Even the kids like it! I do 1.5 lbs of chicken and always double the sauce. Also, I usually need 3 eggs. Last, my chicken comes out perfect when I only cook in the oven for about 20 minutes. Might be because my chicken cooks a little too long on the pan. Either way, it works for us! Thank you for the recipe, Mel!
Another one for the books. You really never disappoint Mel!
My son loved this recipe. He did need more sauce so the second time I made it I simply made an extra batch of the sauce and it was great.
Have you ever made this in the instapot? 🙂
I haven’t – sorry!
I have made this before but never commented. I used one boneless chicken breast for the two of us, but made the full amount of sauce (1/3 cup sugar). It was perfect over rice with spring rolls on the side. Sadly, the broccoli that I had planned, was yucky!
This is a great recipe! A couple things: I definitely will double the sauce next time. But still was great. I also had to do 3 eggs, 2 wasn’t enough to cover all the chicken. It also seemed like there wasn’t enough oil but it was fine. A little vinegary for me but my fiancé loved it. Either way, great recipe!
How do you think this recipe would turn out if I used a thin coating of potato starch instead of corn starch?
Could definitely try! (Haven’t tried it myself and don’t know how potato starch acts as a sub for cornstarch).
FIRST TIMERS READ THIS FIRST… I was so skeptical about this dish and I have been searching for a good recipe. I tried a few and was not satisfied. I made this tonight and thought…. the sauce is gross ( I tried it after I mixed it), the cornstarch first and then egg is not going to end well AND when I was cooking the ckn in the pan (on the stove) I thought extra egg was going in the pan and I was going to have some scrambled egg pieces in the mix. And a 1 hour cooking time, it’s hoing to be dry. But I read the other comments and did the recipe as followed and WOW! I’m so glad I did. It is awesome. I am so pleased with this recipe and it will now been a staple in my meal planning. THANK YOU!
Wow, Mel, this is another total winner! I was skeptical about baking it for an hour, thinking the little chicken pieces would be WAY over cooked, but you haven’t let me down so I went with the recipe. It was amazing, and the chicken was so tender! Thanks for providing us with such awesome recipes!
This is easily my favorite recipe of yours! For some reason, I feel like the cornstarch makes the oil splatter more than usual… Is this normal?? My kitchen is destroyed after I make this! It’s still amazing and my kids always request it as their birthday meal!
Have you tried this with pork? Maybe with tenderloin? I have made this with chicken MANY times and it turns out great. My husband loves sweet and sour pork though, so I was thinking of trying that. Just was not sure how it would turn out with the long baking time, etc.
Yes, it works great with pork (I use pork tenderloin)
Has anyone used boneless-skinless chicken thighs?
Absolutely amazing! Our family loves this recipe!!
Hey Mel!! I am a huge fan and absolutely LOVE all of the recipes that I have tried so far!! I made this last night and it was a huge hit! I wanted to make sure I did it correctly though. After frying and baking are the chicken pieces supposed to be crunchy or more like a softer breading? Mine were soft (still super delicious!!) but wondered if maybe I should have fried them longer?
Yes, after baking they are definitely more soft than they are crispy (but the sauce should caramelize a bit which leaves a delicious texture on the breading).
This is better than you can get at the local Chinese restaurant. I would recommend doubling the sauce.
Ive made this for years and we love it. I eat mostly paleo so I thought I would add my substitutes for other needing paleo or gluten free:
I use 1/3 cup honey* or 3/4 cup coconut sugar.
I use rice vinegar (not true paleo) or coconut vinegar for a more mild flavor.
I use tapioca starch instead or cornstarch.
I use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
I use garlic powder instead of garlic salt. The same measurement.
I serve mine on top of fresh spinach or caulirice and my family eats it on top of rice.
*If using honey, cook chicken longer in pan and less in the oven. If you bake for more than 30 minutes, the honey sauce burns.
This looks amazing. My husband is allergic to cornstarch. Is there another thickener I could use instead?
I always use tapioca starch instead of cornstarch. I just use the same amount and find it works the same, but it’s gluten free
Like others have said, I think tapioca starch would work well!
This was sooooooo good! Yeah you have to fry a little but it hardly takes that much time. Everything turned out so good and so yummy! I’ve made this recipe multiple times
I have a gluten allergy so I cook with coconut aminos instead of soy sauce? Do you know if this would work in the recipe?
Yes, it should work just fine here.
The baked sweet and sour chicken recipe in my opinion is very misleading when a person needs to fry the chicken for a small amount of time.
this was not a good meal, you could taste straight up apple cider vinegar! it was too strong and i couldn’t eat it.
Another fantastic recipe…like all the others on this site. I’ve yet to try something I didn’t like. Thanks for sharing.
This recipe looks delicious and I would like to try this recipe but usually I do the prep work before I go to work in the morning and my husband will place in the oven when he gets home since I usually get home late.
Do you think it would still come out good if the chicken is lightly fried in the morning then refrigerated, then sauce added and placed in the oven 8 hours later?
Hi Jade – I’m honestly not sure since I haven’t tried that. Good luck if you experiment prepping it ahead of time!
One poster below said she prepared it in the morning up to the point of baking, then baked when she got home, and it worked great
Yes, I do that often. As long as you don’t add the sauce until right before baking!
Hubby requested this be put on regular rotation and tbh I would’ve cooked it often even if he didn’t. It’s a really nice recipe.
– Used tapioca starch
– Added half a sliced onion, two thinly sliced carrots, a cup of frozen & thawed cauli/broccoli mix, and 1/4c pineapple (all I had in the freezer) halfway through the baking time
– I didn’t double the sauce because I ran out of tomato ketchup (how does that even happen?) But I would definitely double it next time as there wasn’t enough sauce to coat our rice as well.
I would probably try it with regular white vinegar as I quite like a bit more zing than the apple cider vinegar gives.
Reheats fine, seems pretty close to reheated take-away (which I enjoy). If there are any leftovers next time (unlikely), I will try freezing a portion to see how it goes.
OMG!! I have been craving this for weeks and have multiple recipes, promising that it taste the same. Only to make it and be disappointed. But this, this was top notch. You hit the nail on the head… NAILED IT!! I will be making this again and again. Thank you!
Absolutely delicious! Messy to make, but well worth it. Kids loved it too!
This is my family’s favorite sweet and sour recipe! The only thing I do different is I mixed it around every 15 minutes to make sure the chicken is all coated in the sauce!
This is my favorite chicken recipe! It reminds me of chicken I would get in a little Chinese restaurant when I was younger. I always make it when I want to treat myself, and it’s so quick and easy to make! Your best recipe for sure!
This has been my go-to sweet sour chicken recipe for YEARS, except I usually leave the sauce on the side. I think the first time I made it, I didn’t like it all coated, but I am trying it again tonight with the coated chicken!
ALSO, I followed the advice of another of coating and cooking all the chicken at once in a big blob and it worked SO WELL. It broke apart perfectly coated as it fried. Such a nice hack for this already simple recipe!
Wow! Made this for dinner and it turned out delicious! Followed the recipe and doubled the sauce. Even my picky grandson devoured his plate and went back for seconds! Thanks!
I’ve made this twice and both times, it has been devoured!! I add a can of pineapple juice to the sauce and I drizzle it with honey before I bake it. Also, I decided to use Kikkoman Sweet and Sour Sauce and it worked great!
Very yummy! Made some extra sauce to cook some onions and bell peppers in and added some pineapple chunks towards the end of cooking. Definitely a more tedious recipe but was worth it!
Fantastic recipe!
My family went crazy for this recipe!! You were exactly right, it is simple but does take a little longer than a quick weeknight meal. However, I cooked my rice during nap time so it made the “long” process seem a little less so. It was so good, I can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!!
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it! Have you ever made this recipe using boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts? I have thighs and my husband doesn’t care for chicken breasts!
Yes, works great!
Made this recipe for dinner tonight, it was fabulous! Thank you!
So simple to make. Huge hit! It tastes like it came right out of a Chinese restaurant. I did add red and orange peppers, onions and pineapple. Thanks!!!
Amazing! Followed recipe with the 3/4 sugar and it turned out great! Family loved it and said it is definitely one of their favourite dishes now ( it even scored a “my mom is the best cook ever!” from my 10 year old).
My family loves this recipe (made it countless times before) but my husband is no longer able to have egg whites. Could I make this just using the yolks? Or is there a substitution you would recommend?
I think egg yolks would work just fine.
How many calories is in this dish and what is the portion size.
Thanks
This was soooo good. My family loved it. The suggestion to make double the sauce was excellent as we used it all up. The only problem was I wish we had more left-overs. When my son heated up the last serving the next day it smelled so yummy I wanted some too! I will definitely be making this again and soon!
One of the best recipes I have found. Tastes BETTER than take out. I double the sauce recipe and used white vinegar instead of apple cider (it’s what I had on hand) and it was perfect! Will definitely make this again! Thank you!
I never post comments, but OMG this was too good. I used the 1/2 cup sugar, as I was a bit leery after reading other comments, but it was perfect. Thank you!
I made this recipe twice so far, and each time following the recipe exactly, and it has been delicious both times!! Add a few sesame seeds for “sesame chicken”..
Can I make this with cubes of Rotisserie chicken?
I haven’t tried that – I think the chicken would dry out pretty significantly.
Do you cook covered with tinfoil?
No, it bakes uncovered.
An absolutely fantastic recipe. Make it just the way it reads as it is PERFECT! My grandkids salivate when I serve it to them.
This was a huge hit- It was worth the time it took to prep.
I will be making this new. Looks delicious.
I would highly recommend cutting down on the vinegar. It’s way too overpowering. Personally, I wouldn’t make this recipe again (not worth the effort) but other people seem to have liked it!
Can I substitute the sugar with honey?
You could definitely experiment – I haven’t tried that myself.
This is absolutely yummy! It is so worth the effort. I did use white vinegar in the sauce and will again.
It was amazingly good and very easy.
Ahhhhmazing! I added green and red pepper and pineapple chunks to it. Also, I doubled the sauce and it turned out soooo delicious. I prepared it this morning, covered it in foil and stuck in the fridge until dinner time. It baked up perfectly. Served over white rice with steamed broccoli. Will definitely be making again!
I make a similar recipe but use brown sugar instead of white and a touch of hot sesame oil. This gives a sweet/sour with a hint of heat. It is on my family’s list of must haves at Christmas.
Best sauce ever! I did the half cup of sugar and it was perfect! I did make my chicken differently. I used chicken thighs cut into chunks and coated it in half cornstarch/flour (wanted crunchy) and fried it all the way through while I boiled the sauce. Right before serving I coated the chicken and it was wonderful! Next time I make it which will be soon because I had many complaints of not enough left overs I am going to use more flour to cornstarch ratio because it was crunchy but not as crunchy as I’d like it to be.
Hello Mel, I’ve made this recipe countless times and want to let you know what a special dish this has become in our family. My son is coming to visit tomorrow, and I asked him if he wanted me to make “his” sweet/sour chicken. He said well what a silly question Mom! Not long ago he was coming with my 9-year old grandson – he asked his Dad do you think Grandma will make her special chicken? My son says it’s even better the next day and will even eat it cold out of the fridge! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe. Best to you and your family.
Thanks so much for sharing this!!
Really good and easy
I made this recipe last night just as it is written and it was the best sweet and sour chicken we have ever had. So much so that my husband said to make sure I thank whoever gave me the recipe. So thank you very much for sharing. By the way the viniguare smell isn’t bad at all. I make a balsamic vinegar chicken which is really strong while cooking so this is nothing.
Can not waite to make this. Had a few thoughts on the ingredients. Could you use the frozen bags of already coated popcorn chicken, could uou sub brown sugar for the regular kind? Being a diabetic, I have used the substitute brown sugar in Holiday baking and cookies with good success. Could you use Apple Cider instead of the ACV? I make a delicious pork chop recipe that bakes on a bed of diced GS apples, walnuts and raisens that calls for alot of brown sugar and apple cider and it bakes up so tasty. It doesn’t have the candied look of the S&SC. Could this be the trick of vinegar?
I just wanted to warn you since you said you are a diabetic.
Brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses added. Its actually worse for a diabetic! Take a look at the ingredients and nutrition facts before you cook with it.
Ive successfully have used coconut sugar in this recipe.
You definitely need a vinegar to add the zing (sour part) of this dish, Otherwise it would be way too sweet.
Can you replace the sugar with something like Maple Syrup to make Paleo/Whole 30??
Could definitely experiment! I haven’t tried that myself…
VERY good! And I put it together pretty quickly too! So that’s an extra bonus in my book! I did as others suggested and after cutting my chicken (I used tenderloins btw) I put them in a large bowl and literally dumped the cornstarch on top and stirred the pieces around to coat them. Added some s&p (no measuring there). Then I lightly beat the 2 eggs in a separate bowl and poured it on top and very delicately used my hands to coat the pieces in egg — and yes, it looks like some of the cornstarch will peel off but be gentle and it will be ok, and if some comes off, it’s still ok. I was a bit worried bc it turned into a firm blob! After heating my oil in a DEEP pot (my suggestion if you do it this way), I gently placed the entire batch in the pot, using tongs since the pieces were stuck together. I didn’t spend a lot of time separating the pieces until I pulled them out. I could see that the chicken was still raw which is good. The sauce I made exactly as instructed, using 1/2 c sugar. The baking time was spot on if you did just a quick fry as instructed (hence not spending a lot of time separating each piece). I did make sure to take it out after 30 minutes and do a quick toss and the sauce had already thickened some so that was easy. When finished I LOVED how the sauce thickened just perfectly on the chicken and especially the crispy pieces along the edge of my glass dish;) My husband absolutely loved it! I make many recipes from online and many turn out to be a flop but I was very impressed with this one! Just if you prep like I did, don’t expect perfect evenly coated pieces like her photo. It cut back on a lot of time and tasted so good that I’m ok with that. 🙂
This recipe was beautiful a friend recommended it so i made it tonight for dinner and my whole family loves it! I was scared that because the vinegar smell was so strong upon taking the dish out of the oven that it would taste bad but boy was i wrong! I seasoned the chicken with a little cumin, garlic powder and lowrys seasoned salt before tossing in cornstarch and dipped in eggs which i seasoned with lemon pepper. I served this with white rice (reheated from the night before) and fresh green beans (seasoned) definitely adding this dish to my repertoire! I’m curious as to calories though if anyone knows a rough ballpark?
This is a firm favorite with me and mine so easy and delicious stopped going to Chinese restaurants make this instead amazing. I add a bit of pineapple juice and pineapple pieces and red pepper so good. Thank you
Has anyone tried making the chicken in an air fryer before baking? We love this but I rarely have time to stand over the stove for an hour cooking the chicken with 3 little kids. My husband would love an excuse to buy a new kitchen toy.
I made this last night, oh my! It was great, this will definitely be in our go to recipe’s.
My husband and I LOVE this ,, however we are “gravy” people I have doubled the coating and we love it.. even more. Thanks so very much…!!!
Really good! Just the right amount of sweetness (I used apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup or sugar). Definitely saving this recipe!
Made this for my sister and I tonight, and it was SO GOOD. Not gonna lie, it was a lot of work- frying the chicken took FOEVER, and now I have lots of pretty little burn dots on my hands from the oil Nevertheless, I love this chicken, and I will make it (and more than likely get burned) again because sometimes good food requires sacrifice, ya know? I might also cheat a little and simply bake nonbreaded chicken in the sauce… a little less authentic, but still a whole lotta tasty. Thanks for a great recipe!
Delicious just as it is written! I guess that I would suggest if people don’t care for sweet and sour dishes, they should decline making this recipe.
I will definitely make it again and again! Thanks, Mel!
I Can’t Stop Cooking Pinner
Delicious….family really enjoyed..thank you
This recipe is absolutely worth the wait! I’ve been trying to be more creative in meals for my husband; not the same old thing. He loved it! (Me too) Thanks so much.
I’ve made this probably 3-4 times now and it’s a big hit with my household. Serve it up with some jasmine rice and steamed broccoli. Yum! The only thing I ever change is to add about a tablespoon of Sriracha when I’m feeling spicy. It does take a little extra prep time. I’d like to try a short-cut one user suggested by adding the chicken and cornstarch to the bag, coat, then directly add in the egg. I wonder if anyone has tried making a big batch and freezing some for later? I could eat this once a week if it didn’t take so long to make.
I really wanted to try this in the instant pot and was so thrilled with the results I thought I would share. I didn’t do any sort of breading, just cubed chicken and the sauce into the instant pot. Cooked for 5 minutes on high and then let it sit for a few minutes before releasing the pressure. The sauce was so thin and watery so I removed the chicken, set the pot to sauté and added a cornstarch slurry. It thickened right up! Along with the chicken I threw in some pineapple chunks and bell peppers. Big hit in this household. I know it’s not how this recipe is meant to be, but in case anybody wanted to try a quicker way this one worked very well!
Thanks for suggestion!! I was specifically looking through comments to see if anyone’s had tried using the IP.
I have made this on numerous occasions and thought I would mention a “short-cut” I use if the long prep time keeps you from trying it again. I cut up my chicken, place it into a bowl, dump in the cornstarch and mix (I don’t use a full cup, just enough to coat… start with a half cup and go from there). Then, I dump the eggs directly in and mix until evenly coated. Heat your oil (check temp by adding a little flour before the chicken to make sure you get that sizzle) and dump the entire thing into the pan. You want to make sure that you let it cook a bit before flipping. I break it up with a spatula a bit in the process. Voila! This is much quicker than dipping each piece individually. 😉
Genius!! Thanks for sharing this tip!
This was awesome advice. I’ve done it twice now and I’m way faster at this meal now. Super yummy!
Really awesome recipe! May become a regular part of our family’s menu. Thanks so much!
Not sure if I’ve ever reviewed this recipe or not. It is easily my husband’s FAVORITE thing I make! Today is his birthday…guess what he has requested? Not going to some fancy restaurant….not some other recipe….but this. If you haven’t made it yet, do yourself a favor. We’ve been making it for years…pretty much since I found it on Pinterest when I first signed up!
That was yummy! We all enjoyed it including my 4year old.
I made this for my kids and it literally ended in a fight over the last piece, no joke!! Talk about insane tastiness and delishishness! Amazing!
I made this several years ago and I’m not sure how I forgot about it(I think I was on a serious health kick right after making it) but it was so delicious!! I’m so excited that I came across this recipe today. I made it as is and it was perfect. Even my husband who does not like sweet/savory flavor loved it. Thank you for creating this.
This recipe will live on forever in our household. Absolutely delicious!! Thank you!! 🙂
This recipe was easy to follow and the dish was yummy. I added pineapple to the chicken at the oven stage…..great addition. Next time I’ll try a veggie with it.
Thank you Mel! This will be another ‘go to’ dish for me….. plus my husband loves it.
Great recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Made this dish tonight and didn’t even have a chance to get my phone out for a pic. Was absolutely delicious. An the best part was my teenage kids made it while I looked on and tasted till I was kicked out the kitchen lol. Stunning recipe.
My kids absolutely love this dish! I wouldn’t change a thing on it. Thanks for sharing
I made this today along with a new ramen noodle lomein recipe.
I really liked the chicken. Great flavor and came out so tender – but wished the batter kept a little more crisp to it. It softened more and more as it cooled. I tossed/turned the chicken 3 times during cooking, but I may not toss next time and see if it helps chicken stay a bit crisp.
Unfortunately, the lomein I made to go with it was not great and ruined the dish for my son. He wanted it to be like the Umi chinese from the mall. Although the chicken was close the lomein was not. Next time I will do white rice as others have.
The flavor of the sauce and tenderness of chicken is terrific — It’s true that you will want to keep going back to try another piece!
We love this! Don’t make it often due to the effort involved and the high sugar content, but it’s super yummy. We add onion and sweet pepper and pineapple under the chicken in the oven to get some veggies / fruit in. Sweet and sour chicken is one of my favorite things and I’m so glad we found this recipe!
As someone else commented, it was a lot of work to properly prepare this meal!!!! HOWEVER, IT WAS WORTH THE EFFORT!!!! My family loves this recipe. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Bit fiddly. Wear a glove of some sort to avoid spitting oil! But delicious.
We loved every bite and licked the pan!
I made this and everyone loved it
Just curious if I can also make with pork?? Thanks so much!!
Yep!
Thank you
Will try with pork loin next time as it’s my 17 y/0 that’s requesting the pork
Does it taste the same if you leave out the soy sauce? Due to an intolerance for msg for some reason I tend to react the same way with soy sauce. Is there something else I can use as a substitute?
You could try tamari or coconut aminos…those are popular substitutes for soy sauce.
Coconut aminos is ehat we use for soy sauce (soy intolerance/allergy). It seriously tastes almost exactly the same. I love it. The one important thing to know is that it has way less salt than even low-sodium soy sauce. So you will need to taste your recipe and add salt to it to compensate.
This is affectionately known as “special chicken” in our house. All my kids request it on their birthdays 🙂
After all the amazing reviews I was really looking forward to this dish but I must have done something wrong. Can someone point out my mistake? I thought I followed the instructions closely but mine turned into an egg-y, soggy mess. I put it in the oven for just over an hour as everyone said that was really important. Please help!
P.S. Mel, your website is amazing! All your recipes are such a success. I must’ve gone wrong somewhere with this recipe, I just can’t figure out where.
Hey Nat – if the oil/skillet isn’t hot enough when the breaded chicken is dropped in, the coating won’t crisp up quite as much. Either way, it might be just a preference thing – the chicken coating is a little soft-ish after baking and not crispy like a fried version.
Thanks, you’re awesome! Will try again!
I can’t have egg, is there another ingredient I could use in place?
My son is allergic to egg too! I would also love to hear an alternative.
I’ve never tried an alternative to the egg, sorry! You could maybe try milk and see how it goes?
I accidentally left out the egg step today (i’ll never forget again!) while it still tastes good the texture isn’t the same its soft and gloopy-ish
My mouth is watering right now. I’m also admiring how good your broccoli. I try to steam mine for the shortest time possible but my challenge is always with the taste
The chicken was a pain and I smoked the whole house up with the frying process. I think next time will be a lot easier now that I know what I’m doing. Holy cow was it good.
A little of a pain in the ass to make, but soooo worth it!
Absolutely delicious. It was a hit with my family!
I’ve been serving Sweet and Sour Chicken to my family for years and have always bought pre made Sauce as I’ve never been able to find a recipe I could make myself that was flavorsome. My search has ended, This was fabulous. Next time I will double the sauce. I used 1/2 cup of sugar and the ratio of sweet to sour was perfect.
I have made this a few Times now my wife’s favorite
I love this recipe— I’ve made it for parties, graduations and just because. We use 1/2 cup sugar and make just as directed.
I must say this recipe was very simple and good… thank you for sharing…
Have been cooking this since 2013 and have never changed a thing! Everybody asks for it when they come for dinner! Love love love ❤️ We serve it with white rice and a little extra sauce to drizzle. However, it’s just my husband and I and we typically have leftovers that I don’t dare microwave. Does anybody have suggestions on how best to reheat?
Amazing!!!!!!
This is our absolute FAVORITE dish! It’s time consuming but sooo worth it! Fantastic recipe!!
I’m making this for dinner, with some homemade fried rice and (pre-made) egg rolls that I’ll crisp in a hot skillet. So of course I made double sauce for dipping! I am so ready to eat, I love this recipe, thank you for sharing it with us, Mel!
My husband said, “Wow I’ve eaten a ton of sweet and sour chicken in my day, and that is hands down the best I’ve ever had!” Definitely saving this recipe!!!
I made this today. Very delicious. I doubled my sauce because I had a lot of chicken. Will definitely make it again!!!
This is THE BEST SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN recipe! We have a large family (11 children) so when i make it I have quadrupled the recipe. It has turned out beautifully! We like ours really golden and have tried Browning in a fryer and a pan. They both were equally tedious but if not making as much as us, it would be a simple process. Thanks for the recipe!!
My husband’s response after he took his first bite … “Wow! Wow! Wow!”
THREE WOWS! What more need I say?
An amazing recipe! I followed it to the letter and it did not disappoint!
Soooooooo goood.
I couldn’t find my cornstarch so I just used flour. I added about a tbs. of sesame oil and a tbs. of red chili flakes for a kick. I was cautious about the apple cider vinegar because some comments said it would be too much, but I used the amount suggested in the recipe and it was perfect!
I paired the chicken with steamed broccoli and white rice.
This recipe is so delicous and I’m so happy I found it– it’s a keeper!
My husband loved it! Will definitely be making this again. Many thanks!
Made this and it was really delicious, my son is vegetarian so I made exactly the same dish for him with quorn pieces. I wasn’t quick enough to portion some of his up to freeze for another day and he scoffed the lot! I froze portions of my chicken sweet and sour so can look forward to having again. Will definitely make again, just right balance of sweet and sour for me. Many thanks.
Can I use flour instead of cornstarch?
The results won’t be the same, but you can experiment and try it.
Could you explain a little bit about why the corn starch comes before the egg? I trust your experience, but I’m curious about the reason!. I tried looking through the previous comments to see if this was mentioned, but didn’t find anything (of course I didn’t read them all and with how many comments there seem to be, I probably didn’t get very far into them!).
The cornstarch sticks to the chicken way better this way (versus falling off the egg mixture)…and also, it’s just the way I’ve always made it! 🙂
It’s the true way to make an Asian tempura batter vs. American fried chicken with flour as the second step. It is a completely different texture.
I had no idea what to do with chicken breasts tonight and came across this recipe. So easy and so yummy. Definitely a keeper!
I made this tonight and it was amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Made this tonight, exactly as written. Delicious! Thank you.
This was delicious!!!!
Would it work to fry the chicken in sesame oil? I try not to use veg/canola oil and don’t have coconut on hand. Would sesame alter the taste too much?
If you like the flavor of sesame oil, you can definitely try that – it has a much stronger flavor than a neutral oil (like vegetable, canola, etc)
I have been wanting to make this for months, finally did it this afternoon! Everybody loved it! I doubled the sauce, only used 1/2 cup sugar (x 2), but I might use even less next time. In the 2nd half of the sauce I added sauteed red and yellow peppers and onions. After sauce reduced, I also added pineapple chunks. I did this to imitate a recipe from my favorite restaurant as a teenager – The Hukilau (spelling?). It really tasted very similar. My twenty something daughter was over and said it reminded her of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Asia area. She got the leftovers! Thank you for your recipe!
Wow! So happy to find this recipe! Thanks for sharing. I loved that it was a favorite of your husband–as it is now a favorite of mine!
Wow! Followed the recipe to the letter and it was absolutely awesome. Had it with brown rice and roasted broccoli with garlic. Very happy faces all round!
This dish was excellent. I made it exactly like the recipe but next time I will cut back just a little on the sugar. I did double the sauce which I would recommend. I have one grandson that is such a picky eater and he loved it. Not the rice or broccoli just the chicken and sauce. Everyone agreed it is definitely a keeper.
just made it. Love it. can not stop tasting it! Thank you so much! This will be my favorite recipe now.
This recipe is so popular for a reason. WOW. Definitely liked the suggestion of doubling the sauce because it is sooo delicious. Sometimes I can be a little finicky about how my cooked chicken comes out, and in this dish it is so tender. This recipe is a game changer!
This looks so good but found it while searching “weight watchers recipes”. Anyone know the points for ww freestyle plan?
This
I have been making this for a couple of years now and it’s so good, every time! Sometimes I’ve just skipped the frying part and just cut my chicken up and put it in the oven with the sauce and some cornstarch added to it, still for an hour, usually 10-15 min longer(I find it better) mmmmm. Still better fried of course, but when I feel lazy, then that’s the way I dooo it. It’s a hit with everyone too! My boyfriend loves it. It’s definitley better then takeout Chinese, obviously, it’s homemade! pretty sure I got this recipe from you a couple years ago, so Thankyou!!! I noticed you said that people comment saying that it seems too long in the oven, but like you said, Nope, it’s definitely needed . I always like it in longer.
Very tasty.
My husband said I was 3 for 3 . I’ve made 3 of your recipes since 2018 began and they have all been a hit at our house. Thank you, thank you! My son said after the first bite “Mom can I have more chicken when I’m done with this”? You betcha!
I like to print out the recipes verses referencing my phone. After dinner, I was digging through my two recipe binders and decided to make another binder that was just for Mel’s recipes. I have three sections/dividers so far…instant pot recipes made, other recipes already made before and those I’d like to make. I didn’t realize how many of your recipes I’ve already printed off from previous years that 1. I have already made and LOVE or 2. others I still need to try. Your blog is my go to for recipes and yumminess! You do such a great job with all the details that inspires me to cook more. Thank you for all that you do to pass your cooking wisdom on to others!
Totally made my day, Neena! Thank you!
I’m curious, which were the other two recipes that you tried??
This is sooooo yummy! It is much better than anything I’ve had at a restaurant!! We all just loved it!!