A Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe you can easily make right at home! And yes, it tastes a million times better (and healthier) than take-out!
Do you want to learn how to make the yummiest homemade Sweet and Sour Chicken?
I am posting 2 versions. They are both yummy!
How to make Sweet and Sour Chicken
This sweet and sour chicken is really easy to make, with simple ingredients that you have in your pantry and four main steps.
Prepare the chicken.
Once the chicken is cut into chunks and seasoned with salt and pepper, put the cornstarch and chicken into a Ziploc bag and shake the hell out of it, and then dip in lightly beaten eggs. You can dip chicken into flour, nevertheless cornstarch makes chicken crispier, while the egg will give the exterior a bit of a puffy texture.
Pan-fry the chicken
In at least two batches, fry the chicken in the hot skillet, making sure all sides are brown.
Repeat until with the remainder of the chicken. Place in a pan.
3 chicken breasts can be in a 9×9, and 5 chicken breasts fits better in a 9×13.
* (Optional) Take your sweet & sour chicken up a notch.
Sprinkle yellow onion, fresh pineapple and bell pepper on top before adding the sauce. The frying step is what makes the chicken crisp, however, you could probably coat the chicken, bake on a rack to drain the grease, then continue with the sauce/baking step.
Make sure you’re using GOOD pineapple chunks. I like either a super sweet fresh pineapple or the frozen chunks.
Make the sauce
The most important component of the entire meal, this sauce is a combination of sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and garlic powder.
It is whisked together in a small bowl and drizzled over the pan-fried chicken in the baking dish.
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.
You could change it up by using a different type of vinegar, or try with half vinegar and half pineapple juice for a milder taste (but you’ll lose a bit of the sweet and sour punch).
Bake the chicken
Bake for 50-60 minutes, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve over hot, steamed bed of rice, or soft Flour Taco shells.
And yes, as always, the homemade version is always tastier and healthier since you know exactly what’s going into your meal!
- 3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1” chunks
- garlic salt & black pepper
- 2 eggs , lightly beaten (enough to coat chicken)
- 1 cup cornstarch or flour
- 3 to 5 Tbsp oil (vegetable, canola)
- * sauce
- ½ - ¾ cups white sugar
- 4 Tablespoons ketchup
- ½ cup white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- * with pineapple, onion and bell pepper
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
- 1 red bell pepper cut into 1” chunks
- 1 green bell pepper cut into 1” chunks
- ½ yellow onion cut into 1” chunks
- Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt & pepper. Let stand for 5-10 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Put the corn starch and chicken into a Ziploc bag and shake the hell out of it. Dip the coated chicken pieces in the egg.
- In at least two batches, fry the chicken in the hot skillet, making sure all sides are brown. Repeat until with the remainder of the chicken. Place in a pan. ( 3 chicken breasts can be in a 9×9 , and 5 chicken breasts fits better in a 9×13)
- * (Optional) Take your sweet & sour chicken up a notch. Sprinkle yellow onion, fresh pineapple and bell pepper on top before adding the sauce.
- Mix sugar, ketchup, vinegar, garlic salt and soy sauce in medium bowl. Whisk until smooth. Then pour evenly over chicken. Turn chicken so the sauce gets on both sides.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce.
- Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.
- Serve over hot, steamed bed of rice, or soft Flour Taco shells
Craving more CHICKEN Recipes ?
