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.
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!!
So, so yummy. I have made this recipe twice already in 1 month and it turned out picture-perfect & delicious both times. I use 1/4 cup baking-blend Stevia and 1/4 cup granulated sugar for the sauce (I also like to add a squirt of Sriracha). I also found that I only need 3/4 cup of cornstarch for the breading. The first time I made this I baked it at 375 degrees for 30 minutes and it turned out just fine (we were too hungry to wait for the 1 hour baking time).
Made a double batch OMG yum we ate it for 2 days. I made the recipe exactly as writen and it was perfect. I made fried rice to go with it. This will be a staple recipe in my house! I posted a pic of my plate on my Facebook and had to share this pin because so many friends wanted the recipe. Thanks!!
Made this for dinner – doubled the sauce and glad I did as it thickened nicely. There are four grown appetites in our house and there were easily lots for leftovers as it was served with rice and broccoli. As suggested key is making sure the oil is hot. Will definitely make again.
I can hardly wait to make this! But, you might want to note that if it is going to actually be Gluten-free, you need to make sure that the Soy Sauce is GF (not regular Kikkoman for example that contains wheat) and that you also do not use Malt Vinegar for the same reason.
We made this for dinner, and it is now a family favorite in our house. Better then take out. We have even made it for some friends, and they loved it also. Its something we make at least once a month. Even my kids love it!
It annoys me when people make comments on a recipe and have not tried it yet. Loses its credibility. So in order to not be one of those….I tried it. My family devoured it! I have 4 kids and it’s difficult to make something that everyone likes, but this was a homerun. Husband loved it too. I baked it the entire hour – it only got better that last 20 minutes, and stirred every 20 min. Excellent, thank you!
I feel that there is an important caveat missing from this recipe. You absolutely need to make double the amount you think you are physically capable of eating.
Haha. This made me laugh.
This is now my go to recipe for chicken. I cut back on sugar using 1/2 cup and use regular white vinegar and it tastes wonderfully. The cornstarch to egg step is a bit messy but goes better each time I make it. I have recommended this recipe to many friends.
This is one of my favorite recipes from this site, and also in general. But, as with so many of Mel’s recipes, the prep time is WAY OFF. There is no way this chicken can be prepped in 10 minutes. Once again, I challenge Mel to provide video evidence of her preparing this meal that quickly! Fantastic recipe, but there is no possible world in which it takes just 10 minutes to prepare.
Hey Sarah – the prep time includes cutting the chicken, whisking the eggs, and prepping the cornstarch (I think it’s feasible to do those three tasks in 10 minutes if you are working fast). The cooking time includes the hour for the chicken to bake in the oven PLUS the 10 minutes for pan frying the chicken before putting it in the baking dish. The pan frying step isn’t part of the prep time – it’s part of the cook time. Does that make sense? Having said that, I can see that this recipe might take longer for some. I’ve mentioned it before, but I definitely view the prep and cook times as a general guideline. Not all of us will work at the same speed in the kitchen, and that’s ok! I can’t even come close to predicting or knowing how slow or fast people prep/cook. There is such a huge range – so I’ve based the prep and cook times on my own experience. It isn’t hard data – just a starting place. Sorry if it is a point of frustration! Hope that helps! 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight and the family absolutely loved it. It was easy to make and tasted great. I will make this again. Two thumbs up.
I have made this several times and we absolutely love it!
I also cut carrots (angle sliced) and add to the baking pan of chicken. They come out still a little crunchy just like the Chinese restaurant!
Super easy and very few ingredients, most if not all are kitchen staples.
So delicious , my family loved it especially the grandkids , they want mommom to make it at least once a week for dinner and save some for lunch for the following day.
SO DELICIOUS!! One of our new favorites! AND this blog is amazing…I am obsessed!