Ingredients:
For the Chicken:
- 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (optional, for pan-frying before baking)
For the Sweet and Sour Sauce:
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional, to thicken the sauce)
Instructions:
- Prepare the chicken:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
- Coat each piece of chicken in cornstarch, then dip it into the beaten eggs.
- Pan-fry (optional):
- Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Quickly sear the chicken pieces in the hot oil until golden brown on each side (about 2-3 minutes). The chicken doesn’t need to be fully cooked at this point, as it will finish cooking in the oven.
- Transfer the browned chicken to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Make the sweet and sour sauce:
- In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and garlic powder until smooth.
- Optional: If you want a thicker sauce, mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water, then add this slurry to the sauce.
- Bake the chicken:
- Pour the sweet and sour sauce evenly over the browned chicken in the baking dish.
- Bake uncovered for about 50-60 minutes, stirring the chicken every 15 minutes to ensure the sauce coats it well.
- Serve:
- Once the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened and glazed the chicken, remove it from the oven.
- Serve the sweet and sour chicken over steamed rice with a side of stir-fried vegetables or as desired.
