Sweet n Sour Chicken (Oven-Baked with Sticky Homemade Sauce)

This Sweet n Sour Chicken is one of those recipes that disappears every time it hits the table. It’s not your crispy deep-fried takeout version — instead, the chicken gets lightly pan-fried just until golden, then baked in a glossy, sticky sweet-and-tangy sauce that soaks right into every bite. The result? Juicy, flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth chicken with that classic sweet & sour flavor everyone craves.

This recipe came from my brother years ago, and it quickly became a family tradition. It’s so easy and foolproof that my son now makes it himself — and even requested it for his birthday dinner! Serve it over rice or alongside steamed veggies for a cozy, crowd-pleasing meal that tastes like comfort with every bite.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients

Chicken:

• 3–4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 ½ cups cornstarch
• 3 eggs, beaten
• ¼ cup canola or olive oil (for pan frying)

Sauce:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 Tbsp ketchup
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
   Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
2. Coat the chicken.
   Add cornstarch to a large zip-top bag, toss chicken inside until fully coated.
   In a separate bag or bowl, coat the chicken pieces in beaten egg.
3. Pan-fry.
   Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in batches — it doesn’t need to cook through yet — then transfer to a greased 9×13 baking dish.
4. Make the sauce.
   In a bowl, whisk together sugar, ketchup, both vinegars, soy sauce, and garlic salt. Pour evenly over the chicken.
5. Bake.
   Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes so each piece gets sticky, saucy, and caramelized around the edges.
6. Serve.
   Ladle over rice and enjoy!

Sweet n Sour Chicken (Oven-Baked with Sticky Homemade Sauce)

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Chicken

• 3 –4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 ½ cups cornstarch
• 3 eggs beaten
• ¼ cup canola or olive oil for the pan

Sauce

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 Tbsp ketchup
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic salt

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place cornstarch in a large zip-top bag, add chicken, and shake to coat.
3. In another bag, toss coated chicken in beaten eggs.
4. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken in batches, then transfer to a greased 9×13 baking dish.
5. Whisk together sauce ingredients and pour over chicken.
6. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes so each piece is coated in the tangy sauce.