Sweet and sour chicken is a favorite for many Chinese food lovers. You don’t have to reach for your phone to order some, you can make your own at home. This recipe for baked sweet and sour chicken is easy and most importantly, it’s healthier than takeout.
What You’ll Need
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 cup of ketchup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Cooking spray
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray baking dish with cooking spray.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine cornstarch and beaten eggs. Then, coat chicken pieces with the egg mixture.
- Heat a large skillet with oil over medium heat. Cook the chicken until browned.
- Place chicken in the baking dish.
- For the sauce, combine sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, ketchup and garlic salt. Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir.
- Bake the chicken for 1 hour.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Serve over perfectly steamed rice.
Side Dish Ideas
Sweet and sour chicken is usually served with steamed rice and veggies, but that can get repetitive. Pair baked sweet and sour chicken with some of these side dishes.
General Tso Brussel Sprouts
Don’t just settle for regular flavorless steamed veggies, spice it up with General Tso’s Brussels Sprouts. These sweet and tangy roasted brussels sprouts compliment baked sweet and sour chicken beautifully.
Healthy Fried Rice
The fried rice from takeout restaurants is loaded with heavy oils and little to no nutritional benefits. Put a spin on traditional Chinese side dish with this recipe for healthy fried rice. With this version, you’re getting fiber, protein, and healthy fat.
Veggie Spring Rolls
Like fried rice, regular egg rolls are unhealthy and 157 calories per roll. These veggie spring rolls only contain 80 calories per roll, making them a perfect light side dish. If you have any more sweet and sour sauce left over, go ahead and use it as a dipping sauce for your spring rolls.
