A Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe that shows you how to make the Chinese takeout favourite Sweet and Sour Chicken in the oven so the chicken is CRISPY but not dried out inside. Coated generously in a sticky sauce with a perfect sweet-sour balance!
I don’t like to shout out from the rooftops “this is the BEST baked Sweet & Sour Chicken!” because who’s to say that theirs is the best? But this is a darn good recipe. And it’s MY favourite way of making Sweet & Sour Chicken in the oven. Here’s why:
Not sickeningly sweet. It’s made with 1/2 cup of sugar which is still a lot compared to my usual midweek meals. But it is less than the 3/4 to 1 cup that you’ll see in many recipes.
Not eye-squintingly sour. I don’t know how to properly describe my reaction when I accidentally eat something far too sour! Suffice to say this is tart, not overly sour. 🙂
The Sauce tastes like restaurant sauce. Many Sweet & Sour Sauce recipes taste like they’re missing “something”. Usually that “something” is either Worcestershire Sauce and/or oyster sauce (sometimes also soy sauce). You can omit one of these but don’t leave out all of them, the sauce will taste very “flat”.
The chicken really is crispy! The fact is, you will never be able to make chicken in the oven that is truly as crispy as deep fried (except wings – see my recipe for Truly Crispy Oven Baked Wings!). But this is pretty darn close.
The chicken is NOT DRY. I have seen recipes that call for the chicken to be baked for 45 minutes to 1 hour which I find dries out the chicken. I’m really fussy about dry chicken! Mine is baked for 20 minutes – tops. That’s all you need.
Pretty hard to pick what I love more about this – the Sweet & Sour Sauce, or the crispy chicken! The chicken itself is so yum, it’s hard to resist nicking the pieces straight off the baking tray before they even make it to the sauce.
Try to resist! I promise it’s worth the wait. 🙂 – Nagi x
PS Oh, the other little thing I think makes quite a difference is using some of the pineapple juice in the can for the sauce. It adds that little touch of fruitiness that I really think makes the sauce similar to Chinese restaurants!
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Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb / 500 g chicken breast , cut into bite size cubes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large egg or 2 small eggs , lightly beaten (enough to coat chicken)
- 1 cup cornstarch / cornflour , placed in a large ziplock bag
- 3 to 5 tbsp oil (vegetable, canola)
- Oil spray
Stir Fry
- 1/2 tbsp oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 small onion , cut into large dice
- 1/2 red bell pepper , cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 green bell pepper , cut into bite size pieces
- 1 can (8oz/250g) canned pineapple pieces in natural juice. Separate pineapple from juice.
Sauce
- 1/2 cup sugar (white or brown – I use either)
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 – 3 tbsp pineapple juice (from the canned pineapple pieces)
- 3 tbsp ketchup (Australia: tomato sauce)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (Note 1)
- 1 tsp soy sauce (Note 1)
- 1 tsp Oyster Sauce (Note 1)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Thickener
- 1 tbsp cornflour / corn starch + 4 tbsp water , mixed together
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/390F.
- Place chicken in a bowl, sprinkle with salt then add the egg. Mix to coat all chicken with egg, then drain out excess egg. (Note 2)
- Working a handful at a time, shake excess egg mixture off chicken then place chicken in ziplock bag. When all the chicken is in the bag, seal (trap as much air in it as you can to make a “balloon”) and shake well to coat chicken in cornflour. Discard excess cornflour.
- Heat oil in a large skillet on high. Add chicken (in 2 batches if your skillet is not big enough) and cook briefly for 2 minutes, turning, just to make the outside light golden and a bit crispy. The chicken should be raw inside.
- Transfer to baking tray, spray with oil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until it becomes a little more golden brown and is crispy.
Sauce
- Meanwhile, discard oil in the skillet and wipe briefly with paper towels. Reduce heat to medium high and heat 1/2 tbsp oil. Add garlic and sauté for 20 seconds, then add onion and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add bell peppers and cook for 1 minute.
- Add Sauce ingredients. Stir until sugar has dissolved and the sauce begins to bubble.
- Add Thickener. Bring to simmer, stirring constantly. Then cook until it thickens to a syrup consistency – about 3 minutes.
- Stir through pineapple pieces (just to warm) and remove from stove.
- When the chicken is done, add it into the skillet and toss to coat in the sauce.
- Serve immediately with rice – or for a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice! Garnish with scallions if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
whoops forgot to rate…Still 5 stars even though too heavy handed with cornstarch….I also loved the fact the pineapple didn’t over power dish….:)
Really enjoyed this recipe…it will not disappoint…even picky husband loved it…I will make again, next time, I will decrease 1 Cup amount of cornstarch in bag…I tasted cornstarch on chicken…I cut chicken in very small bite size, easier to eat, so I’m thinking I didn’t need 1C…
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Lyn! Perhaps try cooking it a teeny bit longer in the fry pan? When it crisps, the cornflour is cooked so you definately should not taste any. 🙂 I used 1 cup because it helps ensure there is enough to coat all the chicken. If I use less, I find that there are gluey patches that stick together! 🙂
Corn flower is cornstarch…correct? Have you ever tried using flour rather than cornstarch? Maybe I should also increase oil in pan while frying…You were so right with the perfect combination of sweet & sour….:)
Tonight your tandoori chicken on grill…..:)
Ohhh, I will make this fabulous dish, Nagi! I love that it’s not either too sweet or sour and the baking time must make the chicken perfectly moist. My little nephews are coming over next weekend for a sleep over and they love sweet and sour chicken so I usually order in. Not this time! And they will love helping me make it. Thanks so much for a great recipe 🙂
Thanks Robyn! I can promise this is definately not too sweet. I personally feel that 1 cup of sugar to serve 4 is a crazy amount of sugar!! I definately could not make this with that much sugar 🙂
I think I’ve found a new favourite sweet and sour chicken. I have always either deep fried or air fried the chicken but I’m going to give this recipe a go. I love the sauce.
Air fried?????
Yeah, those gadgets that fry with a teaspoon of oil. I got one for free and I use it way more than I thought I would. 🙂
I love how much effort you put into getting your recipes just right. 🙂 This sounds fantastic!
Thanks so much Krista! I am a bit of a food nerd. 🙂 I was actually up at 5 am on the day I posted that to make the sauce one more time to make sure I was 100% happy with it before sharing!! <3
Look at what you did again! Are you really trying to ruin my vegetarian life choices ? Not fair 😛
Hi Nagi, this recipe looks great and sounds so delicious. But I was wondering if you thought it would work with firm tofu instead of the chicken? My youngest recently asked me to make her something with tofu, I don’t usually cook with tofu so I’m not sure if it would work. Any thoughts on this?
Hi Fida! Hmm. I’m not sure to be honest. I am just not 100% sure the tofu would come out crisp. I’ll look into it. I might even try it – it’s a yummy way to make tofu!
Thanks Nagi, if I end up trying it with tofu I’ll let you know how it turns out 🙂
Hi Nagi,
Made this last night and am just having some leftovers for lunch.OMG this is DELISHIOUS!!!! I made it with a little more chicken so double the sauce. I have never tasted such a nice sweet and sour dish. Even my husband who is not a big fan of sweet and sour LOVED IT, he is also having leftovers for lunch – Thankyou for sharing
Karen
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Karen!! Especially that your husband enjoyed it even though he doesn’t usually like sweet and sour. 🙂 Maybe it’s because this is not too crazy sweet nor too eye wateringly sour. 🙂 I’m jealous. I wish I was having this for lunch myself!!! 🙂
This recipe looks so doable! Always thought making sweet and sour anything would be an all-day affair. Thanks, as always, for such a clear recipe Nagi 🙂
Oh no! Sweet & sour sauce is one of the easiest sauces ever – just dump it all in a pan and you’re DONE! 😉 N x
Nagi, I believe you! YOu can shout it! It look like the best to me! and nice touch with the pineapple juice!
Oh, it’s perfectly fine with me if you shout from the roof tops how spectacular it is because this dish just deserves that much praise! And if you won’t, then I certainly will 😉 I love how the sauce just coats every single vegetable and piece of chicken! My mouth is officially watering! Thanks for sharing Nagi! 😀 Pinning! 😀
Isn’t sweet & sour sauce the best? it’s sooooo delish, I can’t resist it! 🙂 Hope you have a fabulous weekend!!
This is too funny – sometimes I think we have some strange psychic connection. I made sweet and sour chicken just 2 days ago while my parents were here, and as I was making it, I was thinking about how to make it lighter by baking it. And I swear to you I thought, that sounds like a dish Nagi would come up with. Ha! So imagine my surprise when I saw this post! My jaw hit the floor and I had to laugh!
So this Oven Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken looks INCREDIBLE! Such a brilliant way to get that crispiness with baking – I just love it! And the sauce is divine! I’m totally with you, there are too many sweet and sour sauces out there that are too sweet or too sour. I’m like the Goldilocks… I want it juuuust right 😉
I’ve tried your orange sauce and it’s the same, yours has got a great balance of flavour and is not too sweet. I’ve seen sauces around with loads and loads of jam in it, it’s just far too sweet! I really like yours. 🙂 PS Of COURSE we have a psychic connection. Our hands, remember? It’s our Japanese blood and our abnormally sized hands. 🙂
I totally get what you mean by too sweet or eye squinting sour! {love that expression BTW} I do make a grilled chicken in orange sauce that is very well balanced..will have to try this as soon as I get back from my vacation. Cant wait!! the pineapple juice is such a genius idea.. 🙂
I make my sweet n sour chicken in the oven too!! And Yessss to adding a bit of canned pineapple juice! I can’t wait to try yours, Nagi because everything you make is just super delish and on point! This looks perfect! Cheers, my dear! Oh.. and pinned (of course!)
Thanks so much Cheyenne! Hope you’ve had a great week. YAY to the weekend!
I am truly enjoying our culinary journey across the globe. It makes for such a fun presentation.
Thanks Peter!! Really not intentional, it just happened!!! Ha ha!
It’s 11am and I have a huge chinese food craving now 🙂
I love that you have baked sweet and sour chicken, to give it a bit of a health kick too. I might just have to add this to my weekend meal plan 🙂
Thanks so much Dannii!!! N x
They looks perfect Nagi! One of my favorites from the local take outs. And just like you, even I cannot handle that much sugar!!!
I know, it was scary when I found out how much sugar was in the sauce. I mean, 1 cup of sugar for 3 to 4 servings?? That’s insane! 🙂 N x
Love, love, LOVE Chinese food!!! Can’t wait to try this it sounds amazing! 🙂
Hope you do!!! N x
YUM! This looks so good – like making me want to make it right now good, haha. I’m thinking this is something the whole fam will like – thank you! 🙂
Oh wow – “too sweet” is one reason I get turned off sweet and sour chicken – so this would be perfect for me! And it’s oven baked too??? How fabulous is this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing this one – Pinning it for the next time my daughter asks me to order takeout Chinese! 🙂
I know what you mean. 🙂 I do find most recipes call for 1 cup of sugar to serve 3 to 4. I can’t handle that much sugar!!! N x