The BEST Sweet and Sour Chicken – takeout OR homemade – I have ever had in my entire life!
This Sweet and Sour Chicken is baked with pineapple, carrots, onions and bell peppers so its a complete meal-in-one with no need to stir fry extra veggies! So if you were looking an easy Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe with the BEST sticky, sweet and sour sauce, you’ve found it!
About Sweet and Sour Chicken
Please trust me when I say this is the best Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken I have ever had in my entire life! Better than any homemade version, better than any take-out version, better than Trader Joe’s/Whole Foods/anything version… even better than any fried version! (I can’t even guess how much healthier this must be than fried/takeout version, but its got to be monumental without sacrificing any taste!)
It so good, that along with my General Tso’s Chicken (which if you haven’t tried yet, YOU MUST TRY), it is often what I serve company, out of everything I could serve company!
It is also fabulous for company because after your prep is done, it simply bakes away, no last minute finishing touches or stress!
Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
I was first introduced to a variation of this Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe from my older (and only) sister, Kimberly, who is an incredible cook!
Kimberly is the same sister who gave me a basket busting with 30 of her most favorite things for my 30th birthday (which became my favorite things!) and the same sister who gave me her kidney last October, which is also now one of my favorite things!!! I have always looked up to my sister in every way possible and now feel so honored to always have a piece of her awesomeness with me – literally :)! (You can read more about her in my Easter Soul Food)
Kim is not only responsible for my current well being, she is also almost single handedly responsible for my love of cooking – and for this Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe.
I always liked to cook but when she gifted me a recipe binder at the beginning of my marriage for Christmas comprised of all of her tried and true recipes, it lit a fire within me. After I cooked every recipe in the binder (and because they were all her favorites, they were all delicious and turned out great!), I wanted to cook more, much more. So I started cooking new recipes almost every single night of the week and pretty soon, I started creating my own recipes almost every single night of the week.
Her Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe was always my favorite recipes from her binder. I have played with it over the years, increasing the sauce, simmering the sauce, adding spices as well as pineapple, carrots and bell peppers so it has become a baked sweet and sour “stir fry” all in one baking dish!
Chicken Breading for Sweet and Sour Chicken
Chicken Breading:
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
What Goes in Sweet and Sour Sauce?
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice from 20 oz. pineapple tidbits can listed below
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
As written, the sweet and sour sauce is a perfect balance of sweet and sour. Many people, however, have asked if they can reduce the amount of sugar. If you want to reduce amount of sugar, you will have to proportionately reduce thee amount of red wine vinegar and ketchup because the sugar balances out their tangingess. If you reduce the sugar without reducing the other ingredients, you will be left with more sour sauce.
What Vegetables go in Sweet and Sour Chicken?
- 1 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits in juice: you are welcome to use fresh pineapple or frozen, thawed pineapple as well. Just be aware you will also need to buy pineapple juice then because we use both the pineapple and the pineapple juice in this Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe.
- 1 green and 1 red bell pepper: you’ll want to chop your bell peppers into about 1″ chunks. The bell peppers are important part of balancing the flavor of Sweet and Sour Chicken, so please don’t skip!
- 1 cup sliced carrots: slice your carrots as THINLY as possible because they take the longest amount of time to bake.
- 1 small onion, diced: the onion will simmer in the sweet and sour sauce so you won’t get any raw onion flavor! The onion is important to cut through the sweetness of the sauce, so like the bell peppers, please don’t skip!
How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Sauce: The sweet and sour sauce is first simmered with onions and ginger and pineapple juice, to awaken and meld the flavors. You let it simmer while you prepare your chicken and dice the vegetables.
- Coat Chicken: The chicken is dredged in eggs, then flour then breaded in spiced cornstarch which tenderizes and seasons the chicken as it cooks. I like to use the freezer bag method instead of individual dredging bowls for easy and to prevent ooey gooey gummy fingers. In my method, you add your chicken to a freezer bag of flour, shake, then remove excess flour then add your cornstarch to the bag and shake. Easy peasy!
- Brown Chicken: We first brown our chicken in a hot skillet in order to toast the coating. This helps it stay intact while baking and to gives you the characteristic Chinese Chicken texture.
- Bake Sweet and Sour Chicken: Add the chicken, sweet and sour sauce, pineapple, carrots and bell peppers and bakes for 50 minutes. This might seem like a long time to cook chicken pieces, but in this magical 50 minutes, the sauce permeates the chicken and “stir fry” veggies and pineapple so each pillow of breaded juicy chicken and each and every pineapple, carrot and bell pepper piece seep with sweet and sour goodness – the perfect balance of of sweet and sour goodness, I might add. After what seems like an impossible task of self control, the Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapple, Carrots, and Bell Peppers is ready to be devoured when it has soaked up every last drop of the sweet and sour sauce.
Final Thoughts about Sweet and Sour Chicken
When I make this easy Sweet and Sour Chicken, I always think of my sister, Kimberly, and how she is such a generous, courageous, selfless person (did I mention she is also the perfect, patient mother to 5 children?).
When I eat this healthier Sweet and Sour chicken, I hope to become more like her, in more ways than just sharing matching kidneys.
So in honor of my sister Kimberly, I give you Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapple, Carrots, and Bell Peppers – so you too can take part of her awesomeness with you.
If you love Chinese fakeout takeout, be sure to check out my , Honey Lemon Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, Mongolian Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Cashew Chicken,, Kung Pao Shrimp, Pineapple Ginger Chicken, Coconut Cashew Chicken, just to name a few!
Want to try this Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe?
Pin it to your ASIAN, CHICKEN or DINNER BOARD to for later!
Find me on Pinterest for more great recipes! I am always pinning :)!
©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 50 minutes |
| Servings | -6 |
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 pounds), cut in bite-size pieces)**
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice from 20 oz. pineapple tidbits can listed below
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits in juice
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup carrots sliced as THINLY as possible (2-3 carrots)
Ingredients Chicken Breading
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Vegetables/Pineapple
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- Add "Sweet and Sour Sauce" ingredients to a medium/large saucepan, stir and bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer. Allow to simmer while you prepare the chicken and dice the vegetables, stirring occasionally (turn off if longer than 20 minutes). Note, the sauce will not thicken, simmering is to soften the onions and blend flavors.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Whisk eggs together in a large bowl, set aside. Add 1/2 cup flour to a large freezer bag; set aside next to eggs. Whisk cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, pepper, ginger powder and onion powder in medium bowl; set aside next to flour.
- Add chicken to eggs and coat, then remove, allowing excess to drip off, then add to freezer bag with flour. Toss until evenly coated then discard any extra flour. Add cornstarch/spices to the chicken in the freezer bag and shake until evenly coated.
- Over high heat, heat enough oil (any kind) to generously cover the bottom of a large skillet until hot and rippling. Add chicken and cook 1-2 minutes per side, or until browned but not cooked through. (You may need to cook in 2 batches depending on size of your skillet). Transfer chicken to prepared 9x13 baking dish.
- Add carrots pineapple and peppers to the sweet and sauce and mix until well combined. Pour sauce over chicken and stir until sauce/chicken/vegetables are evenly combined. Cook, uncovered for 50 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
- Serve over rice. Enjoy!
**If your chicken breasts are extra thick (like the ones from Costco), I recommend tenderizing/flattening with a meat mallet or the side of a large can beforehand)
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Ada says
I made this and it tasted so amazing. Had to control myself because I would have eaten the whole thing myself. Thanks so much.
Jen says
You are so welcome! and I hear you! I have that same problem myself 🙂 I’m so happy you loved it!
Pam Owen says
I couldn’t wait to try the sauce so while I was frying the chicken I tried some in a spoon and I have to say that after searching for at least 3 years, I have finally found THE SAUCE! Looking forward to try your other recipes also. Thank you isn’t enough! Sincerely Pam
Jen says
What an awesome comment Pam, thank you so much! I am thrilled your search for THE SAUCE is over! I hope you have fun exploring my site and trying more of my recipes!
Jill Harris says
Hi Jen. This the second time I’ve made your oven baked sweet and sour chicken. Just want to say thank you, thank you. But do you think it can be frozen for a left over meal? Would love to hear back. Thanks again.
Jen says
You are so welcome Jill, thank YOU for taking the time to comment! I think the texture will get a little funky if frozen but if you aren’t particular about that then go for it!
Mindi says
This recipe is just delicious. Thank you so much for sharing! The only thing I adjusted was the sugar – I cut it in half and it turns out perfect every time!
Jen says
Awesome, I’m so happy you love it, thanks Mindi!
Ashley says
Do you think you could make this ahead and refrigerate it and then cook it later?
Jen says
Hi Ashley, I think you could prep it ahead of time but I would keep the chicken and sauce separate and then combine when ready to bake. hope that helps!
Rachel says
How many calories for this meal?
Jen says
Sorry for the delay Rachel, I just got home from a vacation without internet! You can calculate nutritional info at: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
Toni says
My childhood memory is Sweet & Sour Pork. Could I substitute pork for chicken?
Jen says
Sorry for the delay Toni, just got home from an Alaskan cruse and was without internet! I am sure pork would be delicious! I am not sure if the pork would get dried out if baked for the same amount of time or not so maybe try baking it for 30 minutes to start?
Ashley says
If your reading the reviews wondering if you should make this, the answer is YES, YES, YES!! This recipe is so easy and a thousand times better than any Chinese restaurant. Thank you for another fab recipe making us non-cookers look like pros! Carl’sbad Cravings for the win!
Jen says
You are awesome Ashley! Thank you so much for your recommendation! I’m so pleased it was a big hit!
Anamit says
Interesting that you had a kidney transplant…Did you have CKD or was it something else? As you may know, CKD patients are on severely restricted diets..would this recipe be ok for someone currently on dialysis?
Jen says
The heavy meds I am on for my lung transplant damaged my kidneys and that is why I a needed a kidney transplant. I am not sure if this would be okay for someone currently on dialysis, sorry!
Weslie says
Hey! Quick question, could you substitute the red wine vinegar for Apple cider vinegar??
Thanks for the recipe!
Jen says
Hi Weslie, normally swapping out vinegar wouldn’t make much of a difference but this is only true for a small amount of vinegar. I wouldn’t swap out apple cider vinegar for red wine vinegar in this case, sorry!
Serena says
Hi Jen!
A comment for you is long overdue as I make your recipes AT LEAST four times a week! They are all winners. I’m making my list of dinners to make at my mother in laws during the holidays. Needless to say, I have to be set to impress LOL. but I have confidence in all your amazing recipes and can’t wait to share with the family.
YOU have made my love for cooking and truly touch my life each day. I hope you know what a positive affect you have on us all. THANK YOU!! Much love.
Jen says
Oh my goodness, 4 times a week, that is amazing, just knowing that makes my day, my week! I am so honored (and honestly a little teary), that my recipes have had such an impact on your life, thank you! I hope the time with your mother in law is a huge success! Happy Holidays! xo
Jane says
This is by far the best recipe ever! I have to prepare gluten free but it was awesome even with gluten free flour. It is some work but so worth it. I will always use this recipe from now on.
Jen says
I’m so pleased you loved this Sweet and Sour Chicken Jane and were able to make it gluten free! Thank you!
Sheena says
Can I omit the flour and only use corn starch ( I’m gluten free but my boyfriend loves pineapple and I know he would enjoy this for dinner tonight)
Jen says
Hi Sheena, I haven’t tried it without the flour but you can try it or use gluten free flour. Enjoy!
Pam Emberland says
I have made this several times and my family loves it. I always stir in a couple of cups of fresh broccoli florets halfway through baking to cut down on the sweet and increase the nutrition. The sauce is pretty powerfully sweet and this helps a lot.
Jen says
I’m so happy to hear this Sweet and Sour Chicken is a family favorite and I love your addition of broccoli! You can decrease the sugar if prefer the sauce less sweet.
Specter says
Hi! I made this today and it was yummy! I’ve made several sweet and sour recipes off the internet before, and they were all disappointments. I’d sincerely thought there was no way to get it right. Your recipe, however, changed that. It does require some effort and quite a few spoons and pans to wash after, but it’s so good. Thank you so much for making something so simple, and for giving precise instructions too. A lot of recipe bloggers don’t acknowledge that some of us are just starting out and really do need to know that what you require is 1/8th a teaspoon of something. Thanks Jen, and I’ll definitely try more of your recipes.
Jen says
Hi Specter, Welcome to my site! I’m so pleased your search for a great Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe stops here! I hope you find many new recipes to love here!