Description
Savory sweet and sour chicken brings Chinese-American comfort to dinner tables with crispy, golden-brown perfection. Delightful layers of tangy sauce and juicy chicken create a restaurant-quality meal that will surprise your taste buds with each delicious bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1 pound (500 g) chicken breast, cut into bite-sized cubes
Coating Ingredients:
- ½ cup (65 g) cornstarch
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients:
- ½ cup (120 ml) white vinegar
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) ketchup
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Meticulously prepare the kitchen workspace by heating the oven to a precise temperature of 200C (400F) and arranging a generously sized baking dish with a protective parchment paper lining.
- Season chicken pieces with a delicate balance of salt and pepper, creating a flavor foundation for the dish.
- Create a two-stage coating station: one shallow bowl filled with cornstarch and another containing whisked eggs, preparing for a crispy exterior.
- Carefully dredge each chicken piece through the cornstarch, ensuring a complete and even powdery coating, then delicately immerse in beaten eggs.
- Ignite a large skillet with vegetable oil over medium-high heat, strategically searing chicken pieces in rotating batches until they develop a golden, appetizing exterior.
- Transfer the partially cooked chicken to the prepared baking dish, arranging pieces with intentional spacing.
- Craft the sweet and sour sauce by combining vinegar, ketchup, sugar, soy sauce, and garlic powder in a saucepan, gently bringing the mixture to a simmer while continuously stirring.
- Enhance the sauce’s consistency by introducing a cornstarch slurry, whisking until the mixture transforms into a luxuriously thick glaze.
- Lavishly coat the chicken pieces with the vibrant sweet and sour sauce, ensuring each morsel is thoroughly embraced by the flavorful mixture.
- Slide the baking dish into the preheated oven, allowing the chicken to bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, pausing midway to redistribute the sauce and guarantee uniform cooking.
- Present the finished dish atop a bed of steamed rice, garnishing with freshly chopped green onions or a sprinkle of sesame seeds for an elegant touch.
Notes
- Cornstarch Coating Trick: Shake off excess cornstarch before dipping chicken in eggs to create a lighter, crispier exterior that prevents soggy breading.
- Oil Temperature Control: Use a high-heat oil and ensure skillet is hot before searing chicken to achieve a perfect golden-brown crust without overcooking.
- Sauce Consistency Hack: Adjust cornstarch slurry amount for desired sauce thickness – less for a thinner sauce, more for a thicker glaze that clings to chicken.
- Dietary Modification: Swap regular soy sauce for gluten-free alternative and use coconut sugar instead of white sugar to make recipe suitable for gluten-sensitive and refined sugar-conscious diners.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 435
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 61 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 180 mg