Baked sweet and sour chicken is just as good as take-out but lighter and healthier because it isn’t fried. The crispy chicken with thick orange sauce is so delicious and easy to make.
I’ve had an insatiable craving for sweet and sour chicken lately. We’ve been eating it quite a lot. I realized I never did a baked version of the recipe on the blog before, so here it is.
This easy baked sweet and sour chicken is made healthier by baking the chicken rather than frying it. The chicken maintains its crispy exterior and is absolutely delicious with the sweet and sour sauce. Plus, you can make the dish in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- Panko breadcrumbs (I recommend Kikkoman brand)
- Large eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Ketchup
- Sriracha sauce – I like this dish spicy, but you can reduce or omit the sriracha if you don’t like as much heat.
- Light sodium soy sauce
- Garlic powder
- Cornstarch mixed with two tablespoons of water
How to Make It
Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and pour the panko into a separate bowl. Coat the chicken pieces in the egg and then coat them in the breadcrumbs. Place the breaded chicken on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake the chicken for 20 minutes at 400°F or until they are crispy and golden brown.
For the sweet and sour sauce: While the chicken bakes, you can make the sauce. Combine the sugar, vinegar, ketchup, sriracha, soy sauce, and garlic powder in a saucepan.
Mix and heat the sauce until it reaches a low boil. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and then stir it into the simmering sauce. Stir for a minute or so until the sauce thickens.
Toss the baked chicken in the sauce mixture. Serve the sweet and sour chicken over rice.
I think this dish tastes best when it’s made, although leftovers will keep in the fridge for few days. Just keep in mind that the breading on the chicken will not be crispy when you reheat it.
This baked sweet and sour chicken recipe is so easy – we both loved it. It definitely takes care of a takeout craving, and I like that it’s lighter than the fried version.
I made extra sauce because Mr. K likes to just eat the sauce with rice. I also added some heat to the sauce because the sweet and sour chicken I grew up eating was also spicy. This plate disappeared super fast. Time to make another batch!
More Recipes You Might Like
- Baked Orange Chicken
- Baked Honey Sriracha Chicken
- Salt and Pepper Wings
- More Chinese Takeout Recipes
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless chicken breast
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs I recommend Kikkoman brand
- 2 eggs whisked
for the sauce
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 3 tbsp sriracha sauce
- 1 Tbsp light sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut chicken into bite-sized cubes. Pour whisked eggs in a small bowl. Pour panko bread crumbs in another bowl. Coat chicken in egg and then in bread crumbs. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all chicken is coated.
- Bake chicken for about 20 minutes until chicken is cooked and breadcrumbs turn golden brown.
- While chicken is cooking, make the sauce. In a small sauce pot on stove, add all ingredients except cornstarch and water. Bring to a low boil and stir with a large wooden spoon. Once sauce boils, completely dissolve cornstarch in water and then add to sauce. Let sauce cook until it thickens. Coat finished chicken in sauce. Garnish with parsley or green scallions if desired.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
My brother and I love sweet and sour chicken but hate spicy food, if we remove the hot sauce it will need a subtitude or it will taste good without it?
yes you can leave out the spice.
Magnificent Recipe! Instead of Sriracha sauce i used A home made buffalo wings hot sauce i had with the same recipe as Sriracha sauce and it came out just as good!
Just about any hot sauce should work, so I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I love this recipe! It was super easy to make and all my kids loved it, which is rare!! Thank you so much!
Oh that’s so awesome! so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Looks great. I’ll likely try it with pork and will trim the sugar in half (not so into very sweet … & sour).
sounds good!
I was doing the annoying – “you’ve been married for a while, when are you going to announce you’re expecting” obnoxious interpretation of the word “craving” – that’s all.
I intend to make this recipe. Love your blog!
haha, got it. no, it wasn’t a hint 😉 hope you enjoy the recipe! I’m glad you like the blog!
Craving . . . ???
Is that a hint?
Not sure what you mean. I always have cravings for some sort of food. Hence the blog name 😉