Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
Tonights dinner? Sweet and sour chicken! Do you want to learn how to make the yummiest homemade Chinese food? There is only a few simple easy steps. If you’re looking for other homemade Chinese food recipes, I have several of my favorites in my latest cookbook, Making Messes with Scarlett!
My husband is a fan of sweet and sour chicken so I thought I would try this recipe. It was a huge hit in our house and even the boys ate tons of it! Definitely a keeper for an easy go to dinner meal. This sweet and sour chicken is easy to make and super yummy. You can make homemade Chinese take out food right in your kitchen with simple ingredients that you have in your pantry.
This sweet and sour chicken has been the most popular recipe on my blog since I posted it when I first started blogging! It was actually one of the reasons I started this food blog. I had posted food pictures on my personal social media and had people ask me over and over again for different recipes. So I decided to start posting recipes and pictures and have been doing my food blog ever since!
So when I was approached by my childhood neighbor (who has a great YouTube channel here) to film my 1st YouTube video I knew exactly what recipe to do! And of course it was this one! So I hope you enjoy this video as much as I enjoyed making it! So make sure you watch it below and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos of recipes and tips and tricks!
Step by Step: Sweet and Sour Chicken
Head On Over To My Youtube Channel to watch a Step-by-Step!
Chicken Breading Ingredients:
- 3-5 chicken breast
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup canola oil
Sweet and Sour Chicken Sauce Ingredients:
- 3/4 cups white sugar
- 4 Tablespoons ketchup
- 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
Whisk until smooth. Then pour evenly over chicken. Turn chicken so the sauce gets on both sides and then put in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. turn chicken and then cook for 15 more minutes.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken:
- Rinse chicken, trim off fat or extras and then cut into 1 inch cubes. season with salt and pepper.
- Dip chicken into cornstarch and coat all the way and then into eggs.
- Heat oil in large skillet.
- Cook chicken until browned. Place in baking dish. 3 chicken breasts can be in a 9×9 but 5 chicken breasts fits better in a 9×13.
- Pour sauce evenly over chicken. Turn chicken so the sauce gets on both sides and then put in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. turn chicken and then cook for 15 more minutes.
So, is this sweet and sour chicken recipe going to be on this week’s dinner menu?! I sure hope so! It won’t disappoint! This would also make for amazing leftovers for lunch the next day! Serve over rice for a quick meal that reheats like a dream! If you do make this sweet and sour chicken recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can share it. It brings me so much joy to see you guys recreating some of my favorite recipes!
If you haven’t had a chance to checkout my weekly meal subscription, you can do that here! A weekly dinner menu released each Friday filled with a variety of recipes your whole family will enjoy! Recipes include similar ingredients to avoid waste and save your budget! You’ll receive an organized shopping list for the entire week. The list includes links to Walmart Grocery Pickup to make life simple! We would love to have you!
If you’re looking for more recipes like this one, here are a few I recommend:
Sweet and sour chicken recipe with ingredients you already have in your pantry. Make homemade Chinese take out food right in your kitchen. Learn how!Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients
Instructions
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Tonights dinner? Sweet and sour chicken! Do you want to learn how to make the yummiest homemade Chinese food? There is only a few simple easy steps. If you’re looking for other homemade Chinese food recipes, I have several of my favorites in my latest cookbook, Making Messes with Scarlett!
Ingredients
- 3-5 breasts chicken
- .5 tsp salt
- .5 tsp pepper
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 4 tbsp ketchup
- 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp garlic salt
Instructions
-
Rinse chicken, trim off fat or extras and then cut into 1 inch cubes. season with salt and pepper.
-
Dip chicken into cornstarch and coat all the way and then into eggs.
-
Heat oil in large skillet.
-
Cook chicken until browned. Place in baking dish. 3 chicken breasts can be in a 9×9 but 5 chicken breasts fits better in a 9×13.
-
Pour sauce evenly over chicken. Turn chicken so the sauce gets on both sides and then put in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. turn chicken and then cook for 15 more minutes.
Wow, this looks great! I love Chinese food! I will have to make this! I think I have all the ingredients!
we loved this but to save time I used store bought sauce
I made this tonight, it was a bit vinegary for my taste, but had good flavor otherwise. Might try it again with less vinegar.
I made this recipe for dinner tonight… I served it to a very picky fiancé and daughter and they both loved it! I agree with Ashley though I would make this again with a little less vinegar, but overall very good!!!
just make this but i used chicken wings instead, great taste!! Also,the ketchup plays a roll in the vinegar taste as well, just a thought..
I just made this and it was AMAZING!! I added some siracha just for some spice too. Soo good and I like vinegar so I thought it was the perfect amount. Thanks!!
Thanks for the recipe, turned out great! The only thing I might change next time is less sugar. Just seemed a little extra sweet for my taste 🙂
Ha ha ha! ^
Anyway thanks for the recipe! Pinned & am making tonight 🙂
Made this for dinner and it was great. Doubled the sauce and instead of baking over the chicken, just simmered it in the same dish I had sauteed the chicken in. Turned out very well.
Looks great! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
I had to add some corn starch to the sauce to thicken it up. I made two versions of the sauce. One as in the recipe and the other one with hot pepper flakes. Both were good, but next time I will add green and red peppers, and maybe pineapples.
Lol, thanks for making me laugh out loud.
It's in the oven right now. Am I an idiot or is this the messiest recipe EVER?! My hands were coated with cornstarch and egg! Blech! It better taste good.
I made this for my boyfriend today for lunch!! It was so easy and we both LOVED it!!! I would thicken the sauce up next time I make it though.
I made this last night and it was amazing! My husband and I loved it! We ended up needing an extra egg for the 3 large chicken breasts we used, and I just fried the chicken instead of cooking it in oil. So yum! This is definitely added to our favorites!
@Kirstie, I found it to be very messy as well, but I had fun! Hope it turned out for you!
Just cooked it for the second night. this time left the sauce off for the kids and there was not one piece left! Awesome recipe.
Made this evening and it was delicious! I dipped the chicken in egg first, then in the cornstarch.
Wow! My husband and I are avid Friday night Chinese food eaters. This month we are trying to replicate our favorites ate home each week instead. This is our first try and BAM! We knocked it out of the ballpark! THANKS TO YOU~
I really can't believe just how good this is. The sauce is the best sweet and sour sauce I think I ever ate, tangy, garlicy and delish. Great recipe!
A little time consuming but well worth it, tastes better then my local chinese sweet and sour, thank you for the recipe!
We LOVED this recipe! Thanks!!!
Made it tonight with half the amount of vinegar. Turned out awesome! Definitely a keeper!
I just L'dOL also!
FFFFFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!
Picky fiancé. Hmmm. You have time to think it over before you turn him into tyrannical husband. He should be grateful of whatever you set before him.
Me too. That's funny.
To be honest the sauce is the least time consuming – just add ingredients and whisk.
That was mean. This is probably some young person who just doesn't know how to cook yet and had a blonde moment on the temps. You guys suck. But good looking chicken! I may have to try this.
Made this tonight for the first time. I followed the recipe exactly. From start to finish was done in 45 minutes! Excellent recipe, very tasty!
You think apple cider vinegar would work? That's all I have on hand, and if I don't have to make a trip to the store, I'd rather not. lol
I made this for dinner and it was so good! My husabnd and three kids loved it! Thank you for the recipe! 🙂
This chicken was the most delicious I have EVER made!! I will be making this again…SOON!!
Seriously?? LMAO!!!
Very good!! It didn't take me 45 minutes (probably x2) but it was better than any I've had out, for sure;) Served it with brown rice – Super Yummy:) Thanks!!
Ewww!! Yummy! I am going to try this only with Olive oil or Coconut oil (I don't use Canola Oil….made of corn and most corn is GMO) Also I may try Xylitol instead of sugar…good for those watching their sugar intake or insulin hormone!!
Made this tonight and it was a huge hit! (I did back off on the vinegar a bit, as many of the comments suggested to.) Thanks so much for the recipe!
This was the best Chinese Food recipe I've ever made at home. It is super labor intensive — (frying chicken with a toddler wrapped around your knees is fun) but well worth it. Both my kids ate every last bite and my husband liked it better than take-out, thanks!
P.S. I doubled the amount of sauce (but also backed off the vinegar!!), so we had extra to pour over our rice.
Thank you for the great recipe (vinegar, frying and all) and I love your blog. I just found it but I know I am going to enjoy catching up. One question (NOT a complaint!) is I was wondering if you could add a function to print your recipes out from the site. I am perfectly able to cut and paste but sadly, I am lazy. It's just a thought. Thanks again for a great read.
Xylitol won't make the sauce jell. I used honey instead. And I cooked in coconut oil and it was great, and organic corn starch!
Canola oil is not made from corn. It is made from an entirely different type of plant.
Cornstarch, however, is made from corn.
This is great! Just made it with Jasmine Rice… OH, it is So, So, So good!!! Thanks for the recipe! I even had all the ingredients at home!!! 🙂
This is great! Just made it with Jasmine Rice… OH, it is So, So, So good!!! Thanks for the recipe! I even had all the ingredients at home!!! 🙂
That chicken was amazing! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Made this tonight! My husband and I loved it.
haha! this gave me a good laugh! 🙂
I used sesame oil with the canola oil, and served it with jasmine rice!!! So messy to make, yet so good!!!
Or it could be someone from a country that uses the metric system.
So good!! My family loved it!! Didn't used as much vinegar because of some of the other comments, and turned out perfect!!
So good! Swapped the vinegar for fresh lemon juice and it added a nice citrus twist to it. Served with fried rice.
Delicious!!!Used 1/4 c. of rice vinegar instead of 1/2 c. Regular vinegar
I made this for dinner tonight and it was AMAZING! I really liked the recipe that was given and so didn't the rest of the family. It really is just as good if not better than Chinese sweet and sour chicken. I did add some pineapple just because we love pineapple. Thank you for the great recipe! It will definitely become a part of our rotating dinners.
To avoid such a mess remember, one hand for wet and one for dry 🙂
I made this for dinner this evening for my daughter and her fiance' and they LOVED it. I added a small can of chunked pineapple and some sliced red and green peppers. Next time I will also add onion. I made jasmine rice in my rice machine and this meal was a complete hit. It is super simple to make as well — not sure why anyone would think this is time consuming. I have already sent the recipe to two of my friends who have kids as I know they will love this! Thank you for sharing! I love your blog! Keep cooking and sharing!
I've been looking for an easy recipe for sweet and sour chicken, and this is it. Can't wait to try it.
awesome recipe! found you via pinterest. I'm a new follower via GFC. I'd love it if you popped over to my blog and said hello! Blessings!
Janiene
http://bishopsfamilysite.blogspot.com/
Everyone really liked this when I made it a few weeks ago so I'm making it again tonight. I think I will double the recipe for the sauce because everyone was asking for some sauce to put on their rice. We used soy sauce for the rice but some extra sauce would have been nice. I think if you are only using 3 chicken breasts, there would be plenty of sauce. I use 4-5 large pieces. I was amazed at how simple this recipe is and how good the flavor is. Usually you get one or the other! Thanks for posting!
This was fantastic! Tasted exactly like take out sweet and sour! I used country style pork ribs cut into little chunks, and added steamed broccoli at the end. I like many others will double sauce next time to have extra for the rice we served on the side. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I buy non-gmo cornstartch! SOO thankful my local store carries it!
I've seen super good reviews on this chicken! Another recipe that I have seen is exactly like this, except it uses apple cider vinegar instead. Maybe that would help with the vinegar taste people aren't liking?
haha chill haters it was probably just a overlook. I think it's cute.
I made this for dinner tonight. After reading the reviews I cut the vinegar in half and instead of baking, I simmered the chicken in the sauce. It was very tasty.. the hubbs said he would definitely like to see this on the table from time to time 🙂 Thanks!!
I bet the lemon was a nice touch, now that I think about it that is exactly what it needed as mine was a little sweet. Thanks!
DELICIOUSNESS!!!I love chinese food and this was better. I making a big batch for a pot luck at my job. I'll let you know how it turns out there. thanks 🙂 btw I used Brown sugar instead I was great.
I never write reviews but I had to for this one. It was AMAZING!! soooo good! yum! little messy but so worth it. I served it with white rice and broccoli. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂 Will be making this over and over again! (I did cut back on the vinegar as well)
Holy crap my sister send me here and OMG Amazingness. Everyone who has tasted this falls in love. Thanks 🙂
Extremely time consuming but so worth it!
Try using salad/food thongs to dip the chicken in the corn starch and egg. I saw it on a cooking show and love the idea.
You can also try using cheap rubber gloves. I don't like getting my hands messy
Can you bake it all to skip the first frying step?
Do most ovens even go to 350C? That's like 660F isn't it? Chicken would be burned for sure 🙂
My family loved this recipe. To save some time, I put the chicken chunks into a gallon ziplock with the cornstarch and shook it until all the chicken was covered. I did it in two batches and it worked perfectly. It also cut my prep time in half! I also used Lea & Perins instead of soy sauce. I served it with stir fried green beans. 🙂
Okay, here goes: I've been making this for about 20 years, so you KNOW what is coming: different version, but the same. lol
I add a can of pineapple (with extra pineapple juice out of the carton) to the skillet with the chickcen to caramelize. That way, you can eliminate the water AND sugar! I add vinegar by the tablespoonful til it has the right combo between sweet and sour.
I also add small chunks of red and green sweet peppers at the same time.
I just keep cooking on top of the stove til it's done, then pour over jasmine rice.
The ziplock idea is soooo smart.
I made this for dinner tonight because my daughter saw me looking at it on Pinterest and asked me to make it.:) It was delicious! My kids had second helpings, and my husband had thirds! I used arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch, and had to use 4 eggs and some extra arrowroot powder since I used 5 chicken breasts. It was messy, but totally worth it. Much better than take out because you know what's in it. Thanks for a great recipe!
CLEANER CLEAN-UP!!! I had an idea!! I put the cornstarch in a ziploc bag, put the eggs in another bag (I hit them with my hand then squished them up INSIDE the bag). No extra bowls to clean up and no cornstarch all over the floor. LOL
yes, I would think that would work better. I was just searching the comments because the original steps (cornstarch then egg) just doesn't seem right…
I saw this recipe this morning and had all ingredients in house so decided to make for dinner. My niece came over and saw on my computer and decided she would make the same thing for her family. So her son decided to eat at my house and then go home and compare hers to mine. I thought of the ziploc idea after the fact, so next time I will shake in bag (less messy). I also like the peppers and pineapple idea. It is a definite keeper. Served with white rice and glazed carrots.
It's crazy to me how people will say they loved the recipe but they used a store sauce or a store cooked chicken, too me that means you didn't try this recipe, you tried your own. I tried the recipe as written no store bought pre-made stuff, I did all the work myself which wasn't much and it turned out great thanks for sharing!
Made this tonight and LOVED it! Even the picky eater gave it two thumbs up and made the dreamy face after tasting the sauce on his rice! Love the above tip to use baggies- I'll do that next time! Thanks again for the addition to our meal rotation!
People from other countries use different metric systems! Geez people….
I made this tonight and we all loved it! The two year old and the four year old gobbled it up, and my husband and I thought it was delicious as well! Thanks for a great recipe!
Awesome!!!!….must try asap….but can u tell what is garlic salt?
i have no clue….can i use crushed garlic cloves(1-2) along with table salt…will it work….???
Do let me as my grocery guy doesn't have this salt…
Thanks for sharing it….my hubby and son gonna feast…
Regards Shilpi…
I put the corn starch in a big Ziploc bag, add all the chicken pieces, twist the top, and shake! Then I use tongs to take from the bag and dip in the egg. Clean, sanitary, hands every time!!
Garlic salt is in the spice aisle, next to garlic powder. It's just ground dried garlic (garlic powder) with salt.
Haha, Cinnamon! And bre, there's only ONE metric system! This right here is funny!
This was such a HUGE hit when I made it the first time, about a month ago, that my family keeps asking for it, so I am making it again 🙂
thanks for sharing.
Found your recipe on Pinterest and tried it today. This was absolutely delicious! The entire family raved about it and expressed they were impressed! Thanks for sharing! 😉
I used apple cidar vinegar and brown sugar… it seems to cut some of the vinegar taste while still leaving a sweet and sour taste… I liked the apple cidar version a little more than the white…
Good! We loved it! 🙂
Ok I know this might be a bit of a stretch to ask but does anyone have any idea of what I could replace the soy sauce with?? I would loveto make this but my daughter has a soy allergy! If there is no substitute I may just have to make this just for my husban and me! Thanks in advance!!
Seriously? Do you live next to a volcano?
Try adding a little bit of orange zest to the sauce….makes a completely different meal in just 30 more seconds 🙂
Do you think this could work in the crockpot? My oven died on me, so my only 2 options are the stovetop or the crockpot. And since I don't get out of work until 6pm, the crock is a better option for me.
My boyfriend and I made this tonight and it was absolutely amazing. He said it is now one of his favorite dinners, mine too. Thank you for sharing!
I've been making this for years and through trial and error I've found cooking @ 325°F for one hour stirring every 15 minutes works best. It thickens up the sauce, keeps the vinegar taste down, and chicken is perfect.
Be nice, people!
Have you tried Braggs liquid aminos? They sell it at healthfood stores like Sprouts and Sunflower market. It's not a 1-1 ratio, but it tastes quite similar and we've used it often and like it.
The last meat/poultry item usable after Hurricane Sandy on the Jersey Shore…this dish put the biggest smile on my son's face who thought it was better than his favorite chinese food place…as you said it was ingredients around the house and this was just perfect! I made it exactly as you wrote it but put a little less vinegar and I soaked the chicken in the eggs then used tongs to drop them in a ziploc bag with the cornstarch, then used the tongs to place in the oiled skillet. No mess!! I just want to say thank you for allowing me to make a great meal under these circumstances..5 stars 🙂
I have used this recipe for years, ever since my oldest was young, and she is 14 now. All my kids love this.
Things I have done differently. I cook it lo get and lower and stir often. Otherwise this recipe is awesome!
I have made this several times now, tweaking the recipe a little each time. Tonight's was the best yet! I heated the vinegar first to help dissolve the sugar evenly. Added a 1/2 tsp of ground ginger and 2 T of hobey to thicken it. Aaaaahhhmazing!
This is so easy to make and delicious! Even my picky 3 year old loved it! We used brown sugar and a little less than half a cup of white distiled vinegar and ate it over white rice. A new favorite for my family!
I have to try this recipe. After the hurricane I needed a good laugh and the comments above had me LMBO!
… volcano haha
Made this. Family love it. Making it again.
Made this tonight. It was a hit and it's a keeper!
Definitely a keeper! Made it tonight, it was great!
When I made this I thought the same thing. I thought it was just meh, but am going to give it another go.
Making this again for probably the 10th time this month haha. I absolutely love it, thanks for sharing the recipe!
Thank you for a great "keeper" recipe! Made this for dinner tonight and my family LOVED it! Had a bit of a problem with the part where I put the chicken pieces in the egg before browning. I tried doing it a few pieces at a time but it got too much egg in the frying pan. The I dumped a lot more in the egg, stirred it around and put it in the pan, this time the chicken clumped together in the frying pan and I had to separate each individual piece. This process repeated itself three times, which was very tedious, until all the chicken was browned. It tasted divine when I was all done, but it was a bit of a pain doing the frying pan bit. What am I doing wrong? Any suggestions Emilie? Thanks, Laura
Made this tonight. It was perfect! Mom even loved it and she's picky.
normally don't read the comments but read these and was amazed on how so many of you think your so much better than others your probably big fat bitches with more time on your hands because your husband/boyfriends are out getting some from other's so leave people alone you superstars piss off now you have something to discuss bitches
Wow …..
Bahahaha "different" metric system. Oy.
Can I use baking soda instead of cornstarch?
Making sauce for the second time!!! Poured it over chicken wings, before baking, and used splenda instead of sugar, worcestershire sauce instead of soysause, and miced garlic instead of powder. It was all we had on hand the first time I made it and it turned out sooooo good!!! Family complained I didn't make enough are impatiently waiting round two!!!
I just made this and we loved it! I tweaked it a bit based on some of the feedback. I used fresh squeezed orange juice instead of the vinegar and added 1/4 tsp. of ginger. Quick, easy and yummy! I will be making this again, Thanks!
This was AMAZING. The sauce was perfect just the way you wrote it and the breading on the chicken was divine! I added lightly sauteed onions and red pepper to the pan when I baked it, and it was just the best sweet and sour chicken I've ever had. (Also, I was in a time crunch, so I set the oven to 375 and baked for 20 minutes, and that worked great). I'll never order S&S chicken at a restaurant again now that I know how to make it even more delicious. THANK YOU!!
I don't think so, the corn starch is to form a breading over the chicken. I don't think baking soda would do that.
This was fabulous. Hubby thought it was better than our local favorite chinese restaurant. I used Apple Cider Vinegar because I didn't have the other and it worked out fine. I'll double the sauce recipe in the future. Thank you!
I used nitrile gloves (like rubber ones) and it worked really well for keeping the whole kitchen cleaner, and then make sure everything's aligned. Cutting board right next to the cornstarch bowl, right next to the egg bowl, right next to the pan. Everything just goes place to place without dripping in between.
My family loves this recipe! I've tried so many Pinterest recipes that flopped, but this one is awesome. Tastes as good and better than something we'd get at a restaurant. Tonight I didn't have quite enough vinegar, so I used lemon juice to make up the difference, and it turned out fine. 🙂
Awesome recipe. I made it for the first time tonight and my family of four just loves it. My husband was especially impressed! I am a huge fan of Chinese food, but can't eat it out because it bothers my stomach for reasons unknown. Home made, however, doesn't!! Thanks so very much!!
This turned out great!! It really is good 🙂 definitely making this again!!!
I made this tonight, and it was absolutely, AMAZING!! during the last 15 minutes in the oven I added some pineapple chunks and some maraschino cherries.. just to get the Chinese restaurant presentation. We loved it! Thank you so much for sharing this. It was deemed a "keeper"!!
Make 2 pans and freeze one for those "last-minute-I-have-nothing-to cook-nites" !
I made it tonight and it was delicious. The sauce was the best part. The only thing I added was some ginger and garlic to the cornstarch before coating the chicken. I love this recipe and so did my family!! Thanks!!
First time I made this everyone loved it but it wasn't complete without the peppers,pineapple and cherries …..made it even better! You'll love it! We won't have it any other way.
I made this tonight and used apple cider vinegar, it was amazing!!
I oven fried my chicken cubes but did the rest the same. YUM!
Is it white sugar or brown sugar, doesn't really say and i really want to make it!
Patricia I used brown sugar, for a thicker sauce, but I don't think either would matter much :0)
I'll be makin' this for dinner tonight! It looks delicious. 🙂
I really enjoyed it. I added pineapple during the second 15 min of cooking and delish! My husband said there was too much cornstarch, but we all loved it!
This is amazing! The sauce is so quick and easy 🙂
Do you think I could use flour? I never have cornstarch on hand.
I'm planning on making this for dinner tonight but I have a question. Your directions say to dip in cornstarch BEFORE dipping in egg, is this correct? I'm just a little confused cause every other recipe I know is egg then coating or dredge in flour egg then coating. I've never seen any recipe that ended in dipping in egg. Just wanna make sure I'm doing it right? Also, I was planning on adding some pineapple and was wondering if you had suggestions on the best way to do this. Thanks you any advice you can offer.
I always have chicken on hand and when I came across this recipe, I looked around and had everything on hand! These are the best recipes! The chicken is in the oven now. I am going to make some rice and I hope it's as good as everyone is saying! I did double the sauce when I saw how little there was, and I used slightly less vinegar. Also, I switched the egg and cornstarch order; I figured it was a typo. Smells great cooking! My husband lived in Korea for two years in the US Army, so I hope this passes his taste buds! He loves Asian food. 😉
The verdict is in! The three guys in my life loved it! Andrew (my picky 9 year old son) said, "It's a keeper!" Sean (my eat everything under the sun, 11 year old son) said, "Agreed!" And my husband loved it. I thought it was pretty good too. We decided to try either less vinegar next time or something else. When I opened the oven, the smell of vinegar hit me immediately. It was delicious though!
Seems like a good recipe I will have to try it.
This was dinner tonight because when I stumbled across this on Pinterest, I couldn't wait to try it this weekend. It was delicious! The only adjustment I made was I scaled the vinegar back to 1/3 cup, which was pretty much spot on for us. 🙂 Tasted better than the s&s chicken from our local takeout! Thanks so much for sharing!
Awesome! The sweet and sour chicken wasn't soggy like it is at most Chinese places. The chicken was crunchy. Love it!
Made this tonight via Pinterest. Family and I LOVED it!!! Will def make it AGAIN. I accidentally used white sugar vs. brown sugar. It still was super. Can't wait to try it w/ brown sugar.
Thank you for posting this!
It seems to me that if you cut corners by using a store bought sauce then that would completely mess up this recipe, I'm just sayin! I saw that somebody said they made the recipe and it was good but they used store bought sauce and I'm still confused on that one. I tried it just like it's written,Thank you.
Combined the best of all the comments (so none of these ideas are original…just copied and compiled) and here's what I came up with:
1. Use APPLE CIDER VINEGAR instead of white vinegar and use LESS of it! (I used about 1/3 cup instead of 1/2 cup)
2. Use BROWN SUGAR instead of white sugar
3. Coat the chicken in REVERSE order from the recipe–dip in egg first, then coat in cornstarch (shake inside ziploc bag)
4. DOUBLE the sauce recipe if you want any left to pour over the rice. Otherwise it all sticks to the chicken. For 3 chicken breasts I made
1-1/2 of the sauce recipe but for 5 chicken breasts I would fully double it. Also, heat your vinegar slightly before mixing in other ingredients to dissolve the sugar evenly.
5. Cook the chicken at a LOWER TEMP for LONGER TIME. I set my oven to 325 degrees and ended up cooking the chicken for almost 45 minutes (stir every 15 minutes or so to coat the chicken evenly)
Verdict: Absolutely delish!! Tastes like restaurant quality Chinese food (and maybe even better…) 🙂
I was so ready to make this.I gathered all my ingredients (ecxept the soy sauce, we didn't have any). I prepared the chicken, cut all of the meat of the bone since we didn't have boneless. Half way though the meat cooking in the oven, I went to make the sauce, NO VINEGAR! smh I forgot we ran out a few days earlier. Panicked! What do I use?! Aha! Pickle Juice!! Mama always use pickle juice when we ran out of vinegar. That saved the day! lol I always used mostly flour with the cornstarch, also brown sugar and instead of white sugar. I served it with baked potatoes ( with cheese and a homemade garlic sauce) and green beans for the children and the older adults wanted fried green tomatoes. Everything was devine and a big hit! No one colud move after dinner! Thanks for sharing the recipe!! I'll be making it again, especially, after I get the vinegar. lol ;D
This was delicious. I used a little less white vinegar, but other than that I followed the recipe. I did try egg first THEN corn starch, but next time I will do it the other way. Awesome recipe
I made this with flour and it was fine; just wasn't crunchy. Very good! Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
I made this recipe for dinner a few nights ago, and we loved it! It was so good. I'm in process of making it low carb to try and make it again while fitting it into my diet guidelines. Seriously though, as is it's the best chicken I've made.
Delicious!!! I read all the above comments and made some changes. I used brown sugar and apple cider vinegar. Also, I would cut the vinegar to a 1/4 cup because it overpowers the soy sauce. I will make that change the next time. I served it with broccoli over brown rice. It was a hit with the hubby, too.
I made it, we all ate it, and we all LOVED it!! I did use apple cider vinegar and I did add a small can of pineapple chunks and a bit of the juice. Turned out freakin awesome-according to the kids and hubby. I had no issues with the cornstarch and then egg. At the end I did bump the oven to broil for 2 minutes just to really crisp it up. I served it with ham fried rice and it was best meal this week!
I've made it a ton of times with white sugar… never thought to try it with brown sugar, but never have had a problem with thin sauce!
Don't use Braggs liquid aminos. It is NOT soy-free. Coconut aminos is what I use. I use the Coconut Secret brand.
How many servings does this make?
Thanks!
LMAO….
Yum!! This was a GREAT recipe! Added red pepper flakes, just cuz we love spicy, and a bit of minced garlic. Thanks for a great recipe!
I made this and used the apple cider vinegar because I didn't have white and it was still fantastic. I also through in some pineapple chunks and chopped bell pepper when I baked it and my family loved it. Thanks!
Oh and I almost forgot – I didn't have quite as much cornstarch so i took what i had and mixed it right into the egg so I only had one thing to dip the chicken in before frying it. It worked fine and saved a step, which I am all about when cooking dinner after getting home from work.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely yummy. I made extra sauce to cook with it and made some white rice. I put the white rice under the chicken and used the sauce for dressing for the rice. Delicious meal.
I LOVE this recipe! Thank you for sharing it. I've made it for my family 3 times within 2 weeks! For those looking at making this, I suggest using brown sugar (light or dark)and you may need more than 2 eggs. -Start with 2 eggs- It may depend on the size of the chicken breast, but a good rule may be 1 egg/per chicken breast. Again, great recipe!!
Oh my.
ROFL!!!!!!!!
This is almost exactly the same as another recipe that I've been making for a while now. You can see it here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/07/sweet-and-sour-chicken-updated.html
the absolute only difference is this other recipe uses apple cider vinegar vrs. white vinegar. The recipe using white is less sweet, but has a more traditional taste. I prefer the cooking method used in the recipe I've provided though, as the rest of the sauce is thickened and coats the chicken heavily, versus having a lot of sauce to top the rice.
All in all it's very good, but I prefer using the apple cider vinegar for a sweeter sauce, and cooking longer for a thicker sauce!
Stuck to the recipe and this was SO GOOD!!!!! Thanks for sharing this!!!!! It was perfect and the whole family loved it!!!!!
I haven't tried this yet but I'm sure I will my fiancee and kids love Chinese and if I can make it at home vs the cost of going out it will be much better but as for the comments on dipping from starch to egg my parents (or should I say my mom lol) always do their fried chicken that way. They actually double batter it like that and its delish!! Everyone loves her fried chicken. Egg first dry ingredient second then repeat and fry 🙂
This looks yummy and pretty simple to prepare! My kind of meal recettes selle d agneau
This recipe was fantastic! Made it exactly as directed and the whole family LOVED it.
Next time I will incorporate some of the suggestions in the comments such as putting the chicken and cornstarch in a bag and shaking. I'll also simmer the chicken and sauce in the same pan as I sauteed in. I think that will heat everything through faster than baking and it'll eliminate one dish to wash.
The ingredients and proportions were spot on though. Great job!
This sounds great. what do you serve it with?
amazing recipe this is the second time I made it 🙂 I added cut pine apple and sauteed 1/2 onion and a red bell pepper and tossed that in with the chicken to bake in the oven super good!
It was very tasty. Thanks!! This is the best gourmet cooking recipes I have found online. I made this for dinner tonight. 🙂
Please change the recipe to say coat in egg then cornstarch. I just made scrambled eggs with my chicken.
lol if you have to ask that you dont need to be in the kitchen and loved the volcano reply i got my chuckle for the day
Serve atop rice with edemame as a side. I usually buy fortune cookies from the grocery store as a fun treat to go with the meal!
Have made this several times with coating in cornstarch then egg & it has turned out great each time. Maybe try a little less egg.
This was an amazing recipe and I wish there were stars I could allocate!!
I put the cubed chicken in a large freezer bag, added the cornflour, tied the bag up and rubbed the cornflour over all the chicken without any mess. Then I poured the lightly beaten eggs in over the dusted chicken and rubbed it all together. I fried the chicken off in small batches and aside from it being sticky to get out of the bag there was very little mess.
I doubled the sauce and added a good teaspoon of red chilli flakes which gave the sauce a bit of warmth but no heat. Served over white rice. This is definitely a keeper – THANK YOU!!
crazy question… it says cook the chicken in the skillet until browned. Does that mean the chicken may not be completely done, but its ok because your putting it into the oven anyways?
I want to make this tomorrow. Can't wiat, I love all the great reviews on this!
This was amazing!! Made it this evening…was not expecting it to be so good! I used brown sugar and added orange bell peppers. Also used a tempura batter mix. Just turned out great! Thanks!!
Sweet and Sour Chicken will make or make your dish when you don't have sample healthy recipe videos… maybe it's better to add some..
Scarlett! I just made this for my family and it was AMAZING!!! Definitely adding this one to our dinner rotation! LOVE IT! You are amazing! I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect. No need to substitute or change a thing!!!!
thanks girl,
Mallory
someone said they used lea and perkins, isn't that worcestershire? don't now if that is soy free or how that would affect taste of sauce…
i thought that was happening too at first, but just really had to fry it good so its brown and doesn't look eggy. 🙂
I don't know if it would be sanitary to use my thongs for dipping…
The frying step is what makes the chicken crisp, however, u could probably coat the chicken, bake on a rack to drain the grease, then continue with the sauce/baking step.
You dip the chicken in the corn starch before the eggs?
Just asking because i have always dipped in egg prior to what ever "batter" type mixture first
Thanks!
Can this be frozen, if so at what point do you freeze it?
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I made this and it was delicious. The only thing I would do next time would be to bake the chick 10 minutes on each side. It came out a little over cooked.
WOW! I made this tonight and it was one of the most successful recipes I have ever tried. Found it on Pinterest and liked it much better than the first recipe I tried. Mine turned out looking just like the sweet and sour chicken you get at restaurants. Thanks a lot!
came out perfect and juicy! loved it!
LMAO @ Becca! BARF! LOL
this proves common sense is not common…lord
I like this recipe because the ingredients are regular thing we own. I don't have to search every type of grocer for something I've never heard of. thanks
When I first started cooking on my own, I had to ask stupid questions like that. And no, no one ever taught me how to cook…I had to learn on my own 🙂
Put the corn starch and chicken into a Ziploc bag and shake the hell out of it.
I love this recipe but I can not get it to look like the picture…it doesn't come out breaded and crunchy, just eggy and soggy.
made this last week, awesome!
I just made this tonight and it was better than any of the take out Chinese I ever had.. my dad ate up every bite and wanted more.. awesome awesome awesome!
Omg rotflmao! But hey at least they asked.
A lot of Chinese takeouts and restaurants use monosodium glutamate as a flavour enhancer. Maybe that is what bothers your tummy.
I just made this and it was the best tasting thing I have ever cooked! After reviewing the comments I decided to only use 1/3 cup white vinegar. Everything else I did the same.
For the people saying the cornstarch/egg dipping order might have been a typo…I don't think it is. I dipped my chicken in cornstarch then egg batter, let it drip and then added it to pan and it cooked perfect!
This is better than any chinese restaurant! I added minced garlic when the chicken was almost done. And crushed red pepper in the sauce. Also put a sliced onion and fresh red pepper to the mix before baking. This stuff is awesome!! Today I'm adding some carrots as well, thanks for the great recipe!
I didn't understand the "white sugar" question… The recipe clearly says white sugar… I'm SURE brown sugar might just make it a bit sweeter!! I think I'll try the brown sugar first!
Found your blog today and love it! One of my favourite dishes is Sweet and Sour Chicken but I've never made it. With your simple recipe, I'd sure try!
Made this last night. It was a hit! I followed the directions exactly, including doing the corn starch first, then dipping it in the egg. I stole an idea posted here of putting the cornstarch in a Ziploc and coating the chicken that way. I was really surprised at how excellent it came out. I served it with rice and eggrolls. Next time I am going to try and make fried rice to go with it. Thank you for this awesome recipe. Everyone loved it 🙂
I had a teacher once who said the only stupid question is the one that isn't asked…
Made this tonight and it was a hit! I sautéed peppers and onions in olive oil to add to the baking dish. I also added in some fresh cut pineapple. So, so, so, yummy! Thank you for this recipe.
@ Kirstie did you enjoy the sweet and sour dish? Was messy, but now know how to change it up some
Oh man, this was so delicious! I used 5 chicken breasts, which was a lot of chicken, so I doubled the sauce. I made some homemade fried rice to go with it. Better than take out!
Grabbing this to share as a Gluten Free Recipe since it has no gluten in it. Will tag you with a link on my blog at http://www.Alternamommy.com
First recipe from Pinterest that's come out absolutely perfect. I used real garlic, brown sugar, and 2/3 cup vinegar. SO AMAZING.
Making these now and I am on my 4th egg. I used 4 Chicken breasts. They smell REALLY good so far!
How do you think this would turn out done in a slow cooker??
Came out perfect first time. I used Brown Sugar instead. Delicious! My husband and son loved it!
can you bake the chicken and they pour the sauce on it?
Poor Unknown. Hope the people around her are kinder than this when she wants to know something.
They could also be from another country that uses the metric system.
My fiance was a picky eater, and now he's a picky eater as my husband! Sometimes I tell him if he doesn't like it, then don't eat it…. but I like to accommodate when I can as his loving wife 🙂
Made this tonight, it was really yummy I served it with fried rice, it made for a nice meal…Even my very fussy mother enjoyed it. This is for sure a keeper.
This is really an easy and delicious homemade Chinese delight.
WOW! I like this discussion forum as well, it has made me laugh for this Sunday afternoon. Yes, Virginia, we use a regular oven and 350 degrees. Love this group, has sense of humor.
Enjoy your Chinese chicken breast dish.
hahah!!!! get out the kitchen dude… and move away from that volcano dude hahahah… also if u chop up some carrots and put it in with the sauce and chicken when u bake it, its even more amazing!
My son and I loved this thanks it was great simpler than what I usually make . thanks for simplifying
I can't believe you all are so rude! Come on, give her a break! If you think it, keep it to yourself! Didn't your mother ever teach you if you don't have something nice to say then you shouldn't say anything at all?
Pay no attention to those who feel so good about posting ugly & judgement replies. What they fail to realize is that the U.S. is one of the few places in the world that does not utilize the metric system and that the internet IS worldwide. But, of course, they think they know everything. BTW, haters, if you knew ANYTHING, you would know that 350C is equal to 176F. So check yourselves and you mean comments. Shame on you for being so mean.
I love the recipe, but I will not come back to a site that responds to questions with outright meanness. You must be a group of mean girls who think just because you have a blog you have "made it". Wow!!!
Remember life will always give you back what you give! Goodluck, I know you will need it as we all do.
You do know the definition of frying is cooking something in oil… right?
Will never make again. Cornstarch + egg and frying it was a huge waste of time. Once the sauce was on it, it all turned soggy and as I was mixing it to coat, half the coating came off. Made a huge mess of my kitchen (yes I used one hand for dry and the other for wet) and after 30 min in the oven with no sign of the sauce thickening, I took it out. After all the good comments and raves I was expecting something special. It didn't taste nearly as good as I was expecting. Next time I'm ordering it from the experts and saving my self some frustration and time.
Hi! Last time I made this chicken, the experience of cooking the chicken itself was HORRIBLE. So messy, and the chicken wasn't very crispy and tasted a bit eggy. The sauce was absolutely FANTASTIC!! Which is why I want to give this recipe another go, but didn't know if anyone had suggestions on cooking the chicken maybe an easier method? and making it a bit more crispy?! Help! making it for some family cause it was that amazing last time, just the chicken itself was not very pleasing.
Ya know, I was just wondering how apple cider vinegar would be with this. Thanks for helping me make up my mind! 😉 I'll be making this tonight!
lol
I made this on Friday, and it tasted like it should have come out of a Chinese take-out box! I used two chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces. I added one green and one red pepper, along with half a can of pineapple chunks. I didn't follow the directions for the sauce exactly. I had on hand leftover sriracha ketchup mix from White on Rice's Sriracha Chicken Wings. I used 4tbsp of that instead of the ketchup. I measured 1/3 cup of rice vinegar and tasted to see if it needed more. I was happy with 1/3 cup. I also added 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to the sauce.
It was a messy recipe due to the cornstarch, but I could have prepped ahead of time to make it less messy.
Before starting the chicken…
1. make the sauce first
2. add chopped bell peppers and pineapple chunks to baking pan (or I might dip each pepper into the sauce first because it's hard to get the sauce evenly over all the chicken and the peppers without turning over each one individually)
I love this recipe, will share this recipe, and I will make this again!
Thanks for the recipe I made it tonight as is!! I will try apple cider vinegar next time or reduce the vinegar just a little. Other comments that added pineapple – that sounds yummy. I did put the oven on speed bake for the last 15 minutes so it would be a little more crispy. Broiling for a few would do the same. It was a hit with my husband and 3 year old 🙂
I was wondering the same, I have rice vinegar on hand too. Would one of them work instead of white vinegar?
For some reason, my didn't work out! I used olive oil instead of canola but I didn't think that would make a difference:( It seemed like a good meal, and but it just tastes awful and doesn't look like the picture at all! Help?!?!?!
I made it and now my family just can't get enough of it <3 It is an amazing recipe ^_^
this was fabulous . made it tonight and it was so tasty. i added some red hot sauce to it so it had some spicy as well. TO DIE FOR! paired iwth with mixed vegs/rice/ginger cabbage.
i used braggs amino acid instead of soy sauce to cut the sodium level. good stuff though 🙂
I've even made it with spenda to cut down on the sugar and it us great! A family favorite!
i agree, my grandmother taught me the ony stupid question in the kitchen was the one that wasn't asked, people tend to not get hurt or mess things up when asking questions, people who laughed smdh shame on them. Everything in life is educational, and bullying and making someone feel dumb is wrong.
Thank you Babyjinx for taking up for the "Unknown" question asker about C or F for the oven setting. You people have to remember that some people have never even "boiled water!" I am 63 years old and watched my mother cook when I was very young. Some people have not had that luxury with all of the fast food restaurants, take outs, frozen food meals,
etc. Shame on you for making a question sound stupid! I was taught that it is always better to ask than not to know. That is when many mistakes are made. By the way, did most of you that criticized this person know how to cook since birth? Someone had to help you or answer questions. Ever made any mistakes cooking? That is my "senior" lecture for the day. The next time you all need to ask a question that sounds less than common sense right or just plain stupid, then do not bother asking. That is why "Webster" has the word, question. Look up the definition! Your comments are why we have "bullying" in schools today.
I've been using honey instead of sugar at all.
I also do the egg first & heck yeah, ALWAYS double batter 😉 especially when using deep fryer. I followed the sauce recipe, mostly, I used brown sugar & added pineapple juice (helps cut the vinegar) & pineapple chunks to sauce mix towards end of cooking. It was excellent!
Absolutely awesome!!! And this coming from all 6 kids! The only thing I did differently was to cut the chicken, place in a bowl, pour the beaten egg over and then put into a ziploc w/cornstarch before browning. Still came out fantastic!!! I also put fresh pineapple in with the chicken as it was baking and made a side of stir fry veggies (some kids arent into veggies that much so thought itd be better not to mix them.
Can I make this in the morning and serve it for dinner or will it be too soggy?
You should update the time that recipe takes. The oven alone takes 30 minutes. That doesn’t count the cutting, battering, frying, and making the sauce. Been cooking for 1 hrs 45 minutes so far and it will be 2 hrs by the time I am done. I did make 3 lbs of meat, but it still took longer than stated if a single batch.
Oh Boy! I'm going to have to try these, we love sweet & sour chicken.
Can I make this with chicken wings?
This was great! Thanks for sharing. Can’t wait to try more of these recipes
yummy dish…