Crispy Sweet and Sour Chicken
Skip the takeout and make this sweet and sour chicken at home! Pan-fried chicken pieces are coated in a homemade sweet and sour sauce and baked to perfection in this easy recipe. Pair it with steamed rice, stir fry vegetables, or a homemade fried rice for a filling dinner you will want to make again and again.
Confession: I was a serious late bloomer when it came to eating Chinese food.
I went to college, lived in a dorm, lived in an apartment, and yet never did a morsel of Chinese food touch my lips. I’m not exactly sure how this happened – we did our fair share of take-out, but it seemed to always be pizza or the leftovers from a friend’s shift at Kentucky Fried Chicken. We were partial to the potato wedges and chocolate cake, naturally.
It wasn’t until I started dating my husband that I gave it a try – he suggested ordering it one night when I was visiting him, and he was (of course) stunned when I told him I had never had it, so I’d just get whatever he was having. That day, we had General Tso’s and egg rolls, and I was in love. Since then, I’ve eaten Chinese takeout countless times, have tried tons of different dishes, and have made many of them in my own kitchen.
This oven-baked recipe is my favorite riff on sweet and sour chicken!
Sweet and Sour Chicken
The hallmark of a good sweet and sour chicken comes down to two things. Crispy, well-fried chicken, and a sticky sweet and sour sauce. Oh, the sauce… It’s the absolute perfect balance between sweet and tangy and the way it clings to the chicken is just glorious!
How to make Sweet and Sour Chicken
Do not let the longer-than-usual bake time worry you, this sweet and sour chicken recipe is really easy to make and worth the extra time it takes to cook in the oven.
Sweet and Sour Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken – I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe. You can also use a combination of chicken breasts and thighs, or all thighs if you’d prefer.
- Salt + Pepper – Seasons the chicken to taste before pan-frying.
- Cornstarch – Helps to keep the outside of the chicken slightly crisp, while the egg will give the exterior a bit of a puffy texture.
- Eggs – Slightly beaten for dipping the cornstarch coated chicken.
- Oil – Vegetable or canola oil is used for pan-frying the chicken.
- Sweet and Sour Sauce- This homemade sauce is made from a mixture of sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic powder.
Now that you have your ingredients let’s break it down into pan-frying the chicken and baking the sweet and sour chicken to perfection.
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Batter + Fry the Chicken
- Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 325°F.
- Season the chicken: Cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks and season with salt and pepper.
- Prep the batter: In a shallow bowl or pie plate, place the cornstarch. Beat the eggs slightly in a separate shallow bowl.
- Batter the chicken: Working in two batches, toss the chicken pieces in the cornstarch and then coat with the egg.
- Pan-fry the chicken: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Again working in two batches, brown the chicken, turning it so that all sides are browned.
Sauce + Bake
- Transfer chicken: Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Make the sweet and sour sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients and pour evenly over the chicken. Turn the chicken to ensure each piece is coated in sauce.
- Bake the chicken: Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve this baked sweet and sour chicken with steamed rice and broccoli. Some other ways you can serve this dish include:
- Brown rice, cauliflower rice, or fried rice.
- Stir-fried vegetables such as carrots, snow peas, bell peppers, onion, etc.
- Switch it up with pineapple chunks and diced red and green peppers mixed in with the chicken.
Recipe Notes
- The recipe calls for rice vinegar (an Asian pantry staple), but you can substitute white vinegar or apple cider vinegar if necessary.
- For a slightly different flavor, use pineapple juice instead of vinegar in the sauce.
Tips for Doubling the Sauce
The amount of sauce is enough to coat the chicken, so if you prefer a much saucier dish (enough to coat the rice, too) then you will want to double the sauce for sure. To double the sauce:
- Double the ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce.
- Pour half of the sauce over the chicken, and stir to coat.
- Reserve the other half of the sauce and cook on the stove-top for 8-10 minutes until reduced.
- Drizzle over the baked sweet and sour chicken and rice.
Alternate Cooking Methods
Air fryer
- Instead of pan-frying the chicken, air fry the chicken pieces in batches for 7-9 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Then place air-fried chicken in the baking dish and coat with the sauce.
- Cook 1 hr tossing every 15 minutes.
Slow cooker
- For this method, begin by pan-frying the chicken.
- Line a slow cooker with a slow cooker liner and place chicken in.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir to coat.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
It’s important to note the sauce won’t reduce and thicken as much as it would in the oven, so take that into consideration.
Storing, Reheating, Meal Prepping
- Storing – The sweet and sour chicken can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating – I suggest baking the sweet and sour chicken to reheat. Bake in an oven-safe dish for 10-20 minutes at 325°F. It can also be microwaved to warm up, as well.
- Meal Prepping – I love this sweet and sour chicken for an easy lunch meal prep recipe. Divide the cooked sweet and sour chicken into 4 meal-prep containers with rice and stir-fried vegetables and you are ready for better than takeout lunches!
If You Like This Sweet and Sour Chicken, Try These Next:
- Sesame Chicken
- Chinese Beef and Broccoli
- Scallion Pancakes with Ginger Dipping Sauce
- Crab Rangoon Recipe
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Get take-out quality sweet and sour chicken from the comfort of your own home! Crispy, pan-fried chicken beautifully coated in a homemade sweet and sour sauce are so good you’d think you ordered this dish from the neighborhood Chinese restaurant.
If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating - it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1½ pounds (680.39 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup (128 g) cornstarch
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- ¼ cup (54.5 ml) canola or vegetable oil
For the Sauce
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 g) ketchup
- ½ cup (127.5 ml) rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Place the cornstarch in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Place the eggs in a separate shallow bowl. Working in two batches, toss the chicken pieces in cornstarch and then coat with the egg.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Again working in two batches, brown the chicken, turning it so that all sides are browned.
- Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients and pour evenly over the chicken. Turn the chicken to ensure each piece is coated.
- Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes. Serve with rice and steamed broccoli, if desired.
Notes
- Chicken: You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the breasts.
- Vinegar: You can substitute white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. You can also use pineapple juice for a different flavor!
- Pineapple and Bell Pepper: Add chunks of pineapple and red/green bell pepper to the chicken mixture in the pan before baking for even more flavor.
- Extra Sauce: If you like a super saucy dish, I recommend doubling the sauce, using half as directed, and simmer the other half in a small saucepan while the dish is baking, then toss with the baked chicken when it comes out of the oven.
- Serving Suggestions: Steamed rice, cauliflower rice, or fried rice, along with steamed or stir-fried vegetables (broccoli, carrots, snow peas, etc.).
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Air Fryer: Air fry the chicken pieces in batches for 7-9 minutes, flipping halfway. Then place air-fried chicken in the baking dish, coat with the sauce, and proceed with baking as directed.
- Slow Cooker: Pan-fry the chicken, then line a slow cooker with a slow cooker liner and place chicken in. Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir to coat. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Important Note: The sauce won't reduce and thicken in the slow cooker the way it will in the oven, so you may want to transfer it to a saucepan and reduce on the stovetop before serving if you prefer a thicker sauce.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Photography by Lauren Grant.
Why does the chicken have to be cut up in chunks. Can’t we make this with whole breasts and legs and thighs? Thank you.
Hi Tammy, Because that’s the way that the dish (sweet and sour chicken) is traditionally served – chunks of chicken, coated in sauce. I do not know how this particular recipe would work using whole pieces of chicken; I have never tried it that way.
I have never made anything like this before. And it was SO GOOD!!! And relatively easy to make! THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE! Love love loved it!
Oh yea, I added red & green peppers as well as pineapple! Served over rice and ate with broccoli too! Yum!
Oh my good gravy best stuff ever! Made for my family and I could eat the entire pan myself! Next time I think I am going to add some red pepper flakes to spice it up!
This is the best!! Way better then take out. My boyfriend requests it over and over!
My fav. Chinese is boneless almond chicken,can’t seem to find a receipt. any ideas?
I made this tonight and it was MEGA hit with my family, and let me just add I have the PICKIEST mother in the world!!! Thanks so much for your recipe!
Made these as a “trial run” for my husband’s 50th birthday celebration…as good or better than any I’ve ever eaten. Husband agrees; they will definitely be a hit at his party!
OMG I thought I lost the recipe for your sweet and sour chicken we adore! Panic and then I had it Favorited on my bar but it was another website and kept telling me there wasn’t a recipe there ARRG Then I looked at the websites I favored and there you were THANK GOD! My family kept asking me when I was making it and when I said I lost the recipe I got some dirty looks : )
We made this for the second time tonight. The first time we made it as written and I thought the chicken was a bit over cooked and dry. Tonight we got the chicken browned and realized our kids didn’t have the patience to wait an hour while it cooked. So we put the chicken in a skillet with the sauce and reduced it for about 5 minutes and cooked the chicken through and made the sauce sticky and perfectly done! I think this is how we will make it from now on.
We tried your sweet and sour chicken. I have to admit I was not sure because of the ketchup, but it was delicious! I can see us getting addicted to this recipe. Thank you.
My husband and I love this recipe, when we started dating, he told me that he did not like Chinese food! But he loves stir-fry, chicken lo mein, egg rolls, and this sweet and sour chicken, so I am pretty sure that he just had never had Chinese food and was just scared of it lol, thanks for the great recipe.
Can a substitute the chicken for pork?? Would I have to change cooking time??
Hi Evonne, Are you asking if you can use pork instead of chicken? You could try it, I have not, so I can’t advise on cooking time.
I used pork instead of chicken. Followed your directions the same, I had pork chop suey cuts. I cut the time to only 30 mins because I didn’t want the pork to dry out. Turned out really good! My family loved it!
love this added a little more sugar to the sauce and made it sessem chicken:)
Just made this tonight, and it was/is DELICIOUS!!! The first words out of my fiancé’s mouth (after greeting me, lol) when he home from work was “Holy cow it smells great in here, when is it ready? Then, after his first bite, a simple “wow”, said it all! A definite make again, and (I think) a great dish to keep in mind for winter “potluck” dinners!
I just discovered your blog today and let me tell you I am amazed. But I couldn’t imagine growing up without Chinese food (although I grew up in a predominantly Asian area). I would suggest hot pot as one of my favourite Asian dishes, so delicious and very healthy!
I LOVE Chinese food. My husband and I moved to a small town with no good Chinese restaurants. This recipe is so good I don’t even miss take out. I use pineapple juice instead of vinegar and ginger instead of garlic powder. Seriously lick your plate clean delicious!
I made this today and it came out amazing!!! My younger brothers/picky cousins loved it…AND I’m terrible in the kitchen..85% of what I try never comes out right but this was perfect…I followed your recipe exactly as it is! Thanks so much!!!!
This looks great! Any thoughts on how to spice it up some?? I love spicy food!
Hi Christina, I would add some red pepper flakes to the sauce!
and yeah, added some chilli flakes as well… since i like it hot.
Hi,
Amazing recipe…. Im eating it as im typing. Just made a few ammendments…
Added Worcestershire sauce and baked for 30 min…. Yummy.
Thanks….
Simple and easy. I tried this recipe but the only variation I did was adding pineapple.
I made this tonight and it was amazing! Definitely keeping this on the monthly rotation. Thank you!
This was sooo good. I mixed the eggs and cornstarch together to avoid “fried” eggy chicken and it came out crispy and delicious! Double the sauce, heck double the recipe it is THAT good! A much more economical way for my family to enjoy chinese food…Thank you!
I had high hopes but I was really disappointed with this recipe. It was OK, not great.
I made this last night and it was so good! I’m not the most experienced cook, so it probably took me longer than most people to make this. I was halfway hoping that my boyfriend wouldn’t like it so I wouldn’t make it again (lol), but he said he thought it was really delicious and the best thing I’ve ever made! Guess I’m stuck now! LOL. I thought it was a little time-consuming to make for a weeknight meal, so I may try to make the sauce and fry the chicken ahead of time as mentioned in some earlier comments…that would make it a super EASY weeknight dinner. I was wondering two things though: (1) do you have any nutritional/fat/calorie information for this receipe, and (2) I probably will double the sauce next time (so there is more to use with rice on the side) and saw some references in the comments to “cooking down” the sauce…can you tell me the purpose of doing that, and how you would do that? Thank you so much for this recipe!
Hi Sarah, Unfortunately right now I don’t have any nutritional info on the recipe, but that’s something that I’m working on adding to all recipes on the site, so stay tuned! Cooking down the sauce refers to simmering it, uncovered, until it thickens and reduces in volume. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic! I underestimated the amount cornstarch I had, so I dredged in a mix of cornstarch and flour. This didn’t seem to make a negative difference. I also added about 2 teaspoons of Sriacha to the sauce and it added just the right amount of heat.
I made this last night, and the sauce was too thin on the trial batch I made. It ended up just burning all over the dish and not properly coating the chicken. I doubled the sauce and I added about a cup of cornstarch with water to the sauce, heated the sauce, then added it to the chicken. I also reduced cooking time to only half an hour. It turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
The best sweet and sour chicken recipe ever! I made one little adjustment, I add 1 tbsp of sweet chilli sauce to the sauce.
This came out so good!!! Of the many recipes I’ve tried from cooking/baking blogs, this is the first one that I felt I had to comment on – it was that delicious! Thanks so much :)
BEST RECIPE EVER!!!!!!!! I tell everyone about it. It is by far better than any restraunts!! DEFINITELY my familys favorite.