Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

written by The Recipe Exchange | March 11, 2025

Ingredients

For the Chicken:
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized cubes)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup cornstarch
2 large eggs (beaten)
3 tbsp vegetable oil (for browning)

For the Sweet and Sour Sauce:
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
¼ cup ketchup
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease a 9×13 baking dish or line with parchment paper.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Toss chicken in cornstarch to coat evenly.

Dip each piece into beaten egg.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in batches (about 2 minutes per side). You’re just searing — not cooking through.

Place browned chicken into prepared baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients until sugar dissolves.

Pour sauce evenly over the chicken.

Bake uncovered for 45–55 minutes, turning the chicken every 15 minutes to coat with sauce.

The sauce will thicken and glaze the chicken.

Serve hot over steamed rice with optional garnishes:
Chopped green onions
Sesame seeds
Sautéed bell peppers or pineapple chunks (add before baking if desired)