Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
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My sister Anna shared this sweet and sour chicken recipe with me because her family absolutely loved it. It’s a winner indeed; the best orange chicken I’ve ever tried! Anyway, I pinned it for safe keeping and finally whipped it out.
My son’s eyes lit up when he realized he was having “Panda” for dinner – in his world, all Asian food is “Panda.” Except, this is way way WAY better than takeout! I’m super thrilled that I know exactly what went into this sweet and sour chicken; no preservatives and I even used organic chicken. #patontheback for Mom :).
I tracked down the original recipe source and it was the talented Mel of Mel’s Kitchen Cafe who said it was easily the most popular recipe on her blog (yeah – I can see why!). The only thing I changed was adding an extra egg for easier coating.
This really is quite a treat. Make it tonight!
Ingredients for Orange Chicken:
2 lbs (about 4 Medium) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup cornstarch
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup extra light olive oil, canola or vegetable oil to saute, plus more as needed
Ingredients for the Sweet and Sour Sauce:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
4 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp soy sauce
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp garlic salt
How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken:
1. Preheat oven to 325˚F. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place 1 cup cornstarch into a gallon-sized ziploc bag, add chicken and toss to coat (go on, toss it up, just make sure the bag is closed; that part is important).
3. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large, heavy bottom pot (I used my French oven with nice tall walls to reduce splatterage on the stove).
4. In a shallow dish, whisk together 3 eggs. Dip the cornstarch-dredged chicken pieces into the beaten egg, coating both sides then transfer the chicken to the very hot oil.
5. Cook chicken in hot oil about 30 seconds per side or until golden. Having very hot oil is key. You don’t want to cook the chicken through, but just until golden. Transfer chicken to a 9×13 baking dish and continue dipping and sautéing remaining chicken, adding more oil as necessary.
Cooking tip: if you add oil to the pot, let it heat up a little before you add more chicken.
6. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the sauce ingredients: 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 4 Tbsp ketchup, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp garlic salt.
7. Pour sauce over your sauteed chicken pieces and toss to coat. Bake uncovered at 325˚F for 1 hour, turning the chicken twice while baking to coat with sauce.
Serve warm or hot over steamy white rice, and crisp tender broccoli for a balanced meal.
My son spotted this photo as I was putting the post together and the first words out of his mouth, “Can you make that for me?” :). Mel, thank you so much for sharing this goodness! It’s music to my ears when my son makes requests like that.
Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs about 4 Medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup extra light olive oil, canola or vegetable oil to saute, plus more as needed
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp garlic salt
Instructions
How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken: Preheat oven to 325˚F.
- Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper.
- Place 1 cup cornstarch into a gallon-sized ziploc bag, add chicken and toss to coat.
- Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large, heavy bottom pot (I used my French oven with nice tall walls to reduce splatterage on the stove).
- In a shallow dish, whisk together 3 eggs. Dip the cornstarch-dredged chicken pieces into the beaten egg, coating both sides then transfer chicken to the very hot oil.
- Cook chicken in hot oil about 30 seconds per side or until golden. Having very hot oil is key. You don't want to cook the chicken through, but just until golden. Transfer chicken to a 9x13 baking dish and continue dipping and sautéing remaining chicken, adding more oil as necessary. Cooking tip: if you add oil to the pot, let it heat up a little before you add more chicken.
- In a medium bowl, stir together sauce ingredients: 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 4 Tbsp ketchup, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp garlic salt.
- Pour sauce over your sautéed chicken pieces and toss to coat. Bake uncovered at 325˚F for 1 hour, turning the chicken twice while baking to coat with sauce. Serve warm or hot over steamy white rice, and crisp tender broccoli for a balanced meal.
♥ FAVORITE THINGS ♥
Shown in this post: (nope, no one paid us to write this; just stuff we love):
*My favorite French oven – somehow food just tastes better when you use it 😉
*This covered 9×12 baking dish comes with a lid, reducing foil waste; and it’s perdy.
*My glass mixing bowls are so versatile; everything from this sauce to your morning cereal 😉
*These cooking utensils are next to my stove always in reach on their little caddy.
What is the most requested meal in your house?
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I just tried this recipe tonight. It was succulent and top 🙂
Every week I am trying one of your recipes Natasha! I am really impressed 🙂
Aw, thank you. Sandy! I’m so glad you’re enjoying them.
The first time I made this recipe, I found the soy sauce took away from the “sweet & sour” flavour, but it could be due to the type of soy sauce I use. The second time making it, I halved the soy sauce and added tabasco for a little kick. I also didn’t dip the chicken in egg as I wanted it to be crispy. I gave it a quick fry and then popped it into the air fryer while I heated the sauce in a pan. When the chicken was done, I added it to the sauce and it was delicious! Even the leftovers were crispy the next day!
Thanks for sharing that with us. Yes, that could be it, this is my amazon affiliate link for the exact soy sauce that I used.
Very good, had lots of compliments! How can I reheat this and it still be just as good and not mushy?
Hi Jenna! I’m so glad this recipe is loved. I do think this recipe is best enjoyed fresh and would probably get a little dry if you reheated it.
This recipe was fantastic, delicious and so easy to make, thanks to your easy and excellent instructions. Next time I will make extra sauce to serve over the rice. My family just loved it. I
Sounds like a plan! Good to know that you loved the recipe, thanks for sharing!
Hey Natasha,
Were not sure what we did wrong but our sauce ended up being runny at the end, not sticky and thick like you have on the pictures. Any suggestions?
Hi Natalya! Did you make any substitutions or use different amounts of the ingredients? Did you possibly use another size pan? If the pan is smaller, it could be that the liquid doesn’t have enough time to heat up as much as it needs to thicken. I would look over the recipe again to see if you missed anything. This hasn’t been an issue for me.
You outdid yourself, Natasha! This was wayyyyy better than takeout and probably healthier too. I served this with brown rice and steamed broccoli, and it was a hit. Next time I will probably double the sauce recipe, and make sure that my oil is super hot before I add the dredged chicken in it. My oil wasn’t hot enough for the first batch of dredged chicken, and the egg ended up getting a bit scrambled.
Hi Rebecca! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the feedback!
I made this tonight for dinner absolutely delicious. The chicken is so tinder and tasty. Thank you I know many of your recipes are fabulous my daughter in law is always making something different and she recommended you to me. All good♥️
Hello Betty, thank you for sharing your experience trying out this recipe. I’m happy that she recommended this to you!
I TRIED YOUR GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN WITH A COUPLE OF REVISIONS.
INSTEAD OF SUGAR , I USED 10 PACKETS OF SPLENDA .
ALSO, AFTER I ADDED THE CHICKEN , I SLOW SIMMERED AND MIXED IT FOR ABOUT 6 MINUTES .
CAME OUT REALLY GOOD.
Hi Chester, thank you for sharing your experiment. I’m glad it turned out well.
I don’t normally comment, but I had to on this one! This is hands down better than any restaurant sweet and sour chicken. I made it with fried rice, broccoli, and egg rolls. The chicken was fantastic! The whole pan was gone quick
That’s really awesome feedback, thank you so much for sharing!
This meal was amazing!! I couldn’t get enough of it, and it was especially good for leftovers. Thanks for the great recipe as this will be used over and over again in our household!
Hi Dan, you are very welcome. I’m glad you loved it!
Another recipe tried. I recommend! It tastes great with rice and steamed broccoli.
Thank you for your lovely review, Aleksandra!
Can I not sugar in this recipe? I don’t have any sugar to use..
Hi Mischa, I haven’t tested this myself but one of my readers reported cutting down the sugar to 1/2 cup with good results. I haven’t tried this recipe with any sugar substitutes to be able to give advice on anything else.
I am teaching my 14-year-old great-niece how to cook. She mixed up the sauce and said this looks pretty gross. I told her to stir and taste. She tasted and said what! How can this so taste so good! We all loved this recipe! And so easy! My niece now makes it for her family at home. Thanks for such a great addition to our family dinners/
You’re welcome, Karen. Thank you for sharing that with us, glad the recipe turned out great!
Thank you for another fantastic recipe! I make this usually once a month and the whole family loves it.
That’s so great, Marsha! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Where would I find the orange sauce recipe for this chicken? Thank you!
Hi Brenda, the sweet and sour sauce is included in this recipe.
Do you have a recipe for orange chicken Natasha?
Hi Brenda, I have the General Tso’s Chicken version.
can i sub white vinegar for apple cider vinegar in sweet and sour chicken recipe
Hi Mary, I haven’t tried that substitution, but one reader said she tried regular vinegar and had good results. I can’t say for sure what the difference in taste will be with white wine vinegar without actually trying it myself.
Hi Mary
Did you try the recipe with the white wine / grape vinegar? And how was the result?
Made this for dinner tonight and my family loved it – best S&S chicken I’ve had.
I do have one question, though. When I dipped the chicken in the egg wash, it appeared the corn starch almost washed off completely. It tasted great, but I’m wondering why you use the corn starch if the egg cleans most of it off. Forgive me if that is a beginner’s question, but I am curious.
Again – LOVED the taste and will be making it again next week. Thanks!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Jack! Some of the corn starch will come off but a good amount stays on the chicken gets “absorbed”!
What if you just combine the cornstarch with egg , make a batter type thing and then add the chicken to the batter. ?
Hi Tanya, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
made this for dinner tonight. My husbsnd loved it and he does not usually like chicken, it was very tasty. Will be making it again. Love your receipes.
That is great to hear, Sandy! Thank you for sharing your good feedback with us.
Everyone loved it, including my picky 9 year old! Will definitely make again and again. It’s like making your own Chinese take out at home, but better! Thanks for a great recipe!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Erin!
I read several of the comments to see what I was missing because you call it orange chicken. Where is the orange in the recipe?
It looks amazing and I plan on giving it a try, but I was wondering about the orange.
Hi Terrie, it is just naming of the recipe. General Tso’s Chicken is also often referred to as ‘Orange Chicken’
Natasha, this was wonderful! I made it tonight and I questioned, “What, no pineapple and no green pepper?” I did not miss it. The sauce was perfect. I am a widow and this is the type of recipes I am collecting in this stage of life. It was tasty, easy, economical, and very satisfying! I liked better than take out. Ty! I posted on FB with a link to your website. Let me know if this is unacceptable. Ty, again!
Love it! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your great feedback with us, Lora.
Love your cooking! Excellent and wonderful talent!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for this great review Melissa!
Tried Sweet and sour chicken last night I made double sauce wonderful recipe thank you Natasha .I also made Mongolian beef my 3 kids and hubby never left anything on their plates love all your recipes .
Yum! Craving that right now! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Wendy!
I doubled the sauce and it was delicious. My teenagers love it. Thank you Natasha!
You’re welcome! I am so glad they loved this recipe.
Natasha-
My 3 daughters and I made this last night as they all wanted to help and were excited to try the dish. It turned out perfectly and there were no leftovers. Thank you so much for the tasty recipe!!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you had a great time with your daughters and you all enjoyed it.
I’ve made your beef and broccoli which was delicious and new I couldn’t go wrong making this dish. I made shrimp instead of chicken and the sauce was amazing. I still coated the shrimp the same and was pleasantly surprised at how tasty this recipe was. Again another hit w my 4yo!! Thanks Natasha
Nice to know that you loved it with shrimp too! Thanks for sharing it with us, I’m sure others would like to try your version too.
Can I use boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast? That’s all I have now and would love to try this. I have made so many of your recipes and love all of them. My kids and husband loves them as well. You have such talent. Thank you.
Thighs would work too, but they do take more time to pick through.
love these recipes but corn starch can tear you up for days use aunt jemima pancake mix in place of corn starch
Thank you for sharing that with us!
This sweet and sour recipe was delicious 😋👌
Love it so much!!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Naty!
I think this is a great foundational recipe that can be modified for personal tastes!
I only used 1.5 lbs of chicken with the same amount of sauce (2 eggs and 2/3 cup cornstarch). The sauce is definitely on the sweet side, and I’d probably cut out some sugar next time and add some pineapple for sweetness. I’d agree with other reviewers in that the sauce isn’t quite enough. It cooks down a lot in the last 20 minutes. It’s nice to have a thick sauce, but I might reduce the cooking time a bit or make more sauce.
I love the idea of adding pineapple. I will have to try that. Thank you for sharing!
I really loved your recipe. I have a question can I make this a day ahead? Can you help me? Thanks
Hi Maria, I do think this recipe is best enjoyed fresh and would probably get a little dry if you reheated it in the oven.
It was easy to make and surprisingly good. I wasnt sure about the cornstarch but the tastes so different but very good in comparison to using flour. Thanks for the tips along the way , such as letting pan to get hot first after adding more oil to fry. Definitely Thumbs up and 5 stars. My husband said it tasted just like chinese takeout without the fat.
That’s just awesome, Eleni!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Made a keto version of this recipe and it was AMAZING! Almond flour instead of corn starch, “swerve” sugar substitute, amino liquid instead of soy sauce, and sugar free ketchup. Added broccoli, sugar snap peas, and red bell peppers during the second half of the hour in the oven. I would double the sauce if adding veggies, was a little dry, but still one of my favorite chicken recipes overall! Thank you!!
Thank you for sharing your Keto version with us! That’s so great!
My family loves this recipe but we don’t always have the time to make it. Do you think it would be the same if I placed it in a crock pot instead of the oven for the last part of the recipe?
Hi Lisa, I haven’t tried it in a slow cooker so I’m not sure and can’t advise.
Hi Natasha!! This recipe is delicious but some of of my family is vegetarian. Do you think we could substitute tofu for chicken?
I haven’t tried that, if you try tofu or cauliflower please let us know how you like it!
What can be alternative to a soy sauce ?
Hi Wendie, I haven’t tested anything different in this recipe but we do like this soy substitute product (Amazon affiliate link) – it is very good and we often use it instead of soy sauce.
Natasha,
Have you ever tried to make this recipe with white fish fillets?
Hi Genevieve, I haven’t tried with fish, but fish might not hold up as well when stirring since most fish is flaky and not as sturdy.
Greeting from The Netherlands, Natasha and All! Natasha, this recipe is absolutely off the chain delicious!! Loyal follower of your site and have made numerous recipes you’ve shared. You’re recipes have delighted this family of 5 many times over. Kindest regards to you, your family and all!
Would I be able to cut this recipie in half?
Hi Natalie, I always make the full batch but that should work if you are using a smaller baking dish since you don’t want the chicken to be too spread out while baking.
I just made this chicken last night, everyone in my household absolutely loved it! Thank you so much for sharing this goodness with us!
You’re welcome Alina! I’m glad to hear how much you both enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Best sweet and sour chicken ever! We loved it! I did cut back the sugar to 1/3 cup – everything else as outlined. Wonderful flavour! Thank you again Natasha! I would have given it 6 stars!
You’re welcome Lori! I’m happy to hear the recipe is a HIT! Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
Fantastic recipe . There is no need anymore to go to our insane expensive Chinese Restaurant. Many thanks for this. My family loved it so much.
Greetings from Switzerland
You’re welcome Martin! I’m glad to hear the recipe is a HIT! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
made this tonight, but i used aa cut up whole chicken pieces 2 legs,thighs,wings,breasts and two pack pieces, let me tell you my 57 year old son and his friend mike absolutely loved it. But next time i am going to add pineapple chunks and green pepper chunks. but will be making this origanal sauce on spareribs, pork chops try it on lots. was a huge hit from the guys and myself. Thank you so much
You’re welcome Patricia! I’m glad everyone loves the recipe! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review! 🙂
I just made this and it was excellent! I added chopped onion and 2 peppers and tripled the sauce since I like more sauce with my rice. I also cooked it an extra 20 minutes to cook out off the vinegar.
Hi Maria, that is probably a good idea to cook it longer if you tripled the sauce. I’m so glad you loved it! 🙂 Thank you for sharing your add-in ideas!
After a successful attempt at your Chicken Teryaki recipe, we loved this delectable Sweet & Sour chicken recipe Natasha – and so easy to prepare thanks to you. Perhaps I cut the chicken pieces a bit small – but I thought the Chicken Sweet & Sour looked ready to eat after 30 minutes in the oven at 325 F/160 C. The additional 30 minutes thickened and darkened the sauce and the meat was tender and delicious – but I am left wondering what just 30 minutes in the oven would do?
Hi Neil, it may be due to cutting the pieces too small but the reason for the longer cooking time is to 1. make the chicken super tender 2. allow the sauce time to form and cook off the vinegar. I think if you only baked 30 minutes, it would have a strong vinegary flavor and aroma.
Thank you for the quick response Natasha. I am going to use this recipe again to see what happens after reducing cooking time by 15 minutes. I like your recipe as is but my personal taste preference would be retaining a little more of the vinegar ‘sour’ taste. Thanks again for your creative recipes – keep ’em coming 🙂
I’ve made this multiple times, and it’s so good. Plus, I have a Red #40 dye allergy, so it’s nice to have a brightly-colored Chinese-type dish that I don’t have to check any ingredient labels for. Thanks for posting!
You’re welcome Kellie! I’m so happy you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Delicious except just a little to much vinegar
Hi Renee, the vinegar bakes out in the oven. It does seem like it might be overpowering at first but after it is baked, it mellows out so you shouldn’t really taste the vinegar in it.
Hey Natasha! I’ve made this recipe about 4 times. The first time it was amazing but the other times it seemed like the chicken was very soft and soggy it didn’t have a crunch to it. What might I be doing wrong?
Hi Kristina, after the chicken is baked, it really isn’t supposed to have a crunch to it since it’s covered in the sauce, but it also should not be soggy. Some things that might cause this – using a different sized dish, maybe a different oven setting like convection, baking covered vs uncovered.
No need to spend any more money on purchasing sweet and sour chicken at the Chinese restaurant. I really wanted to try something new tonight and this recipe definitely hit the spot! A great recipe that I will add to my books!! Next time I make this recipe, I will make more sauce!
I’m glad you enjoy the recipe Rosanna! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Omg I made this for dinner yesterday!!! The bomb yes this will most definitely be cooked often even the sauce it self will be used for wings lol it’s even better today.
I’m happy you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I made this recipe last night and it was a hit with my entire family! I was a bit nervous about it at first, as an hour seemed like a long cook time for chicken and the sauce started out pretty thin, but the sauce got thick and delicious, and the chicken was perfectly cooked and very tender. I will be adding this dish to my regular meal rotation. I did not have soy sauce, so had to use teriyaki sauce in its place. I served with jasmine rice and broccoli as suggested, and garnished with sesame seeds and green onion.
Yum! That’s perfect! Sounds like you got a new favorite, thanks for sharing Andrea! 🙂
Could you make another orange chicken recipe that requires mostly oven work? Because when I soaked the chicken in the egg and put it on the hot skillet, the oil popped all over my arms and the oven and microwave
Hi Masha, it really helps to use a deep skillet or a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven. The walls of the pot keep the oils from splattering on the stove and saves you some clean up and splattering. I hope that helps for next time and if I come across a great recipe that doesn’t involve the skillet, I’ll share it 🙂
I did use a deep skillet! I don’t know why but it splattered like crazy🤣but today I put the chicken with the egg and cornstarch in the oven and then after that I simmered the sauce in the skillet and threw in the chicken and mixes it like that 😊
Hi Natasha, after baking did you drench it with the remaining sauce? What did you garnish it with? Sorry for the stupid questions, I’m an amateur cook!
Hi Farhana, I garnished with chives (or green onion would work as well) 🙂
I have never cared for the taste of vinegar. I wondered before I made it if it would be palatable to me and it wasn’t. Just a warning for others. Just a personal opinion …
Hi Bev, with the long cooking time, you should be able to taste the vinegar when it’s done. Did you bake for the full time? Also, did you make sure to use apple cider vinegar and NOT white vinegar? the cider vinegar doesn’t have as strong of a taste/aroma of vinegar. I hope that helps!
This is another great chicken recipe from Natasha!! I was a bit worried with the vinegar smell when turning the chicken it the recommended two times, but when it was on the table, the tase of vinegar is very mild and wonderful. Thank you Natasha, especially on behalf of one of my daughters (21 Yrs) who became semi vegetarian and only eats meat from Chicken and Fish (She tried to be full vegetarian but after 6 months of veggies she was begging for some meat again and decided to include chicken again)
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
I’ve doubled the recipe and the liquid part is always still very runny after the 1 hr of cook time. Do you know what I’m doing wrong? Otherwise it’s the best orange chicken ever! (Amateur cook over here:)
Hi Lena, unless you are cooking it in a pan that is twice as big, or in 2 separate dishes, the liquid won’t heat up as quickly and won’t have as much surface area to thicken up in the same amount of time.
hi, what if I don’t use soy sauce? will it turn out? Thanks
Hi Tiffany, I haven’t tried it without soy sauce so I can’t say for sure but it does add flavor and color to the final dish that you would probably miss if you omited soy sauce.
Tiffany, we always use low sodium soy sauce. You may want to try that.
Absolutely delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
You’re welcome Allison! Thank you for sharing!
Could I use potato starch instead of the Coen starch?
Hi Masha, I haven’t tried that substitution but it should work as an equal substitution since in most recipes they can be substituted.
I tried using the potato starch and worked out SO well. It was so delicious and addicting, thank you for the recipe!!!😁
You’re welcome! I am glad to hear that!! 🙂
Hello. Is there any way I could fry chicken the day before seving and the pop it in the oven the day of serving?
I haven’t tried it that way but I think that would work to saute the chicken first and then combine it with the sauce and bake before serving.
Hi Natasha ! I just tried out your recipe and it turned out awesome. Everyone loved it to bits and I know I’ll be making it again and again. Thankyou.
Humaira, you are very welcome and thank you for such a nice review! 😬
Hi Natasha..tried it on my husband’s birthday. It was ahhhmazing..the sauce is just perfect in taste. I improvised a little by adding stir fried veggies….Thanks for a “always go to recipe ” 🙂
I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed it!! Happy birthday to your husband! 🙂
Thankyou 🙂
Hi Natasha! I made this dish before – my husband and I loved it! I’m planning to make it for a party, do you think it would freeze well? What stage should I freeze it, and how would you recommend reheating it? Thank you!
Hi Reena, I do think this chicken is best fresh but I haven’t tried freezing it so I can’t really give any specific advice on that. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Can I use chicken thighs instead?
Thighs would work too, but they do take more time to pick through.
This is an excellent recipe! I made it for my boyfriend for date night and he loved it! I will definitely be using this recipe again, thank you so much!
Jen, thank you for such a nice review and you are welcome! 😀
Wow, best sweet and sour we’ve ever had. Recipe is so quick and easy too. I think I’ll try to make it a bit more crispy next time (my dish didn’t allow for crisping so much) and then it’s perfect for us. Thank you Natasha, from a very full and happy husband-and-wife in the UK!
You are very welcome and thank you for such a rave review 😬.
can I just fry them until they’re cooked all the way instead of baking them?
Hi Glacey, I haven’t tried it that way but it is important to bake the chicken to get it tender and for the sauce to form correctly.
I made this tonight and all of my picky teenagers loved it! Next time I will double the sauce though so there is extra to put over the rice. Absolutely delicious!
Becca, thank you for such a nice review, I’m all smiles 😬.
Natasha,
Can this recipe be reheated? I would like to prepare it for a Take and Bake recipe. If it can be reheated, what do you suggest for time and temperature?
Hi Stefanie, I do think this recipe is best enjoyed fresh and would probably get a little dry if you reheated it in the oven.
Hi Natasha,
Can I substitute plain salt for garlic salt?
Hi Kavita, you can substitute 1 tsp garlic salt for 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Enjoy! 🙂
Would I be able to substitute the chicken breasts with chicken tenders instead?
Lena, chicken tenders should work fine 😀.
HI, i just wanted to tell you that i made this today and my hubby said it tastes like chicken minis from chick fil a 🙂
I’ve never tried that and didn’t even realize they had something like that on their menu! lol. 🙂 Thank you for sharing your great review 🙂
Can I use flour as an alternative for cornstarch? And can I just fry them until they’re cooked all the way instead of baking them?
Hi Christina, I haven’t tested anything besides starch. One of my readers said she tested flour and this was what she wrote about it: “I made a batch with flour and a batch with corn starch due to running out of corn starch and the corn starch batch definitely turned out better, but the flour batch was still good as well!”
Tried this a few nights ago — was a huge hit with the whole family! We also added some chopped bell peppers and pineapple chunks to the recipe which worked well too.
I’ll definitely try more of your recipes!
Thank you!!
You are very welcome and thank you for the nice review!
I’m making it now with chicken drums. I added a quarter of each ingredient extra and the sauce still taste great. Its in the oven now, Ill let you know how it turns out.
Oh wow! I’m definitely curious to know if this works for chicken drumsticks 🙂
I don’t have apple cider vinegar. Would white vinegar work?
Thanks
Hi Amanda, I haven’t tried that substitution but one reader said she tried regular vinegar and had good results with it. I can’t say for sure what the difference in taste will be with white wine vinegar without actually trying it myself.
I followed the recipe exactly the first time I made it, and it was delicious! The next time I added the juice from a small orange, cut up green pepper and onion, and it was even better! Since then I’ve made it with Pineapple juice and chunks, too. It’s wonderful every time!
Missie, I’m so happy to hear that 😁. Thank you for the great review!
I followed it step by step, came out perfectly! My fiance and mom enjoyed it so much. Thank you Natasha!
You are welcome Solomiya, thank you for sharing such a nice review 😀.
Easy recepie my kids love it every time I make it
That is the best when kids love what we parents make. That’s so great, thank you for sharing with us 😀.
I, was going to use another.recipe when i, found this one…definitely going to make for my church along with a recipe i found on fb for fried rice…i been coming for this church for over 4yrs now…and all my recipes are from the internet…thanks for sharing this c recipe
I hope you love it! I think it would be great with fried rice 🙂
Hi planning on making this tomorrow. Can I substitute flour for cornstarch?
Thanks!
Hi Galina, I haven’t tested anything besides starch. One of my readers said she tested flour and this was what she wrote about it: “I made a batch with flour and a batch with corn starch due to running out of corn starch and the corn starch batch definitely turned out better, but the flour batch was still good as well!”
Just wondering, doesn’t an hour in the oven after frying a little, dry the chicken out?
Hi Nonna, the chicken turns out really tender and tasty and not dry at all 🙂
This was excellent. I was going with another recipe and found this at the last minute. My son devoured it in about 30 seconds. Thank you!
Awww that’s the best! Lenise, thank you so much for sharing that with me :). I’m all smiles!
Hi Natasha,
question… how should I prepare the rice for this dish? Would it be the same as sushi rice ? I want to avoid having dry rice..
Hi Nastia, preparing it as a sushi rice would probably be too sticky. What has helped me with getting more moisture into my rice is after fluffing it to sprinkle in a little water and ofcourse we add generous amounts of butter, but you can add it to your preference. I would suggest a medium grain rice like California calrose or Jasmine rice would work as well.
This recipe is great. As I said, usually we use this sweet and sour sauce on fried pork ribs in China, but now I think chicken looks better.Btw, actually, we will add pieces of pineapple to the sauce and stir fry with the meat.It will look more colorful and taste better. Hope u like it.
That sure sounds delicious with pineapple! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Hi just found this recipe can you tell me how I can make it sweet without so much sugar as my husband has just been diagnosed with diabetes and loves sweet and sour chicken thanks x
Hi Viv, I haven’t tested this myself but one of my readers reported cutting down the sugar to 1/2 cup with good results. I haven’t tried this recipe with any sugar substitutes to be able to give advice on anything else.
Hi Natasha,
Are the white specks in your finished product photo seasame seeds?
Hi Shirley, yes we garnish with chives and sesame seeds 🙂
Has anyone tried making this with less sugar or using honey instead of sugar? How did it come out?
Hi Lisa, I haven’t tested this myself but one of my readers reported cutting down the sugar to 1/2 cup with good results 🙂
Hi Natasha can I use garlic powder instead of garlic salt?
Hi Tanya, garlic salt is generally 3 parts salt to 1 part garlic powder. Since there isn’t that much, I would probably substitute a scant 1/2 tsp garlic powder and slightly rounded 1/2 tsp salt to keep it simple.
Thank you!
Super delicious!!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
You’re so welcome 🙂 I’m happy you liked it 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I had to write to tell you I’ve made this recipe twice and it has been a family favorite! With 4 kids to feed, I make a double batch and mix in some Chinese vegetables. I just love how well it turned out both times and was easy to make. My wife does most of the cooking, so when it’s my turn this is my go to meal. Thank you so much for posting this recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that this has become a go-to for you! Thank you so much for sharing that with us 🙂
Can i do the same steps with shrimp instead of chicken ?
To be honest, I haven’ tried this with shrimp, but I would be concerned that the shrimp would become rubbery with such a long cooking time.
Hi Natasha, Is it ok to use regular sugar or powdered sugar instead of granulated?
I really want to make this recipe! It looks delicious! 🙂
Hi Mahes, granulated sugar is the same as regular white sugar. Enjoy! 🙂
Hi Natasha, I just got done making this and it is a big hit with my family! We love it! Thank you for this simple yet delicious recipe!
You are welcome Mahes, I’m glad your family liked it 😀.
So I hardly ever comment on anything but this recipe is so so delicious that I had to do it! Also, I wanted to add that your recipe’s never fail me. Every single recipe I have tried to make from your blog turned out great. When I got married about two years ago, I had no idea what I was doing in the kitchen but your blog has made all the difference in helping me to learn. The detailed pictures that you take taught me how to cook delicious meals that my husband and I love! My husband even knows the name of your blog and requests meals specifically from your blog. So I wanted to say a big thank you for what you do!
Thank you so much for the truly fantastic review! It really means alot to us :). I’m so happy you and your husband are enjoying our recipes.
Yummy – have done this half a dpzen times now – everyone loves it!
Thank you so much for the awesome review! 🙂
Hey Natasha, thank you for the recipe. I made this once and it was delicious! But I have a question, so I wanted to make this for lunch on Sunday, can I make this ahead of time ( preparing on Saturday night) and then just add the sauce on Sunday and bake it? Do you think it will be still delicious?
Vicky, I think tit should work the way you describing it 😀.
Cooking this tonight. In the oven for about 45 min now and still have very strong vinegar smell, not sure why. Probably might try next time to put a little less vinegar.
It should be fine when it comes out. Let me know what you think when it’s all done!
This recipe turned out great!!! Tasted just like restaurant sweet and sour chicken! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks!
Lana, thank you for the nice review and you are welcome 😁.
This came out just perfect! Rave reviews from the family!
I’m so happy you all enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us 😀.
Natasha,
Do you think the flavor will be different when using just a regular, filtered acv? Writing to you as the chicken is in the oven 🙂 fingers crossed
Hi Daria, I think that should work fine. I hope you love it!
Hi Natasha,
I was wondering if I could substitute the garlic salt with garlic powder mixed with some salt?
Thank you for all that you do.
Amazing Blog, God Bless 🙂
Yes, you absolutely can substitute with equal parts of salt and garlic powder (1/2 tsp each)
I made this sweet and sour chicken quite a few times since you posted, and every time it comes out delicious and perfect, because your recipe is so easy to follow! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Definitely our favorite!
You’re welcome Tatyana! I’m so happy you enjoyed it 🙂
I made this last night and it was a little to vinegary. Too strong in taste and smell. ;^( I’m not giving up I’m trying it again this weekend but I’m going to use less Apple Cider Vinegar.
The vinegar is pretty potent smelling initially but after it is baked, there really isn’t a sense of vinegar in the recipe. Did you think it was too strong before or after baking for 1 hour?
Is there anything I can substitute for the corn starch? I don’t have any in the house and really want to make this! It looks amazing!
Hi Jessica, I haven’t tested anything besides corn starch. One of my readers said she tested four and this was what she wrote about it: “I made a batch with flour and a batch with corn starch due to running out of corn starch and the corn starch batch definitely turned out better, but the flour batch was still good as well!”
Natasha, this is the best Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe! Even my 2 -year old picky eater daughter said – mommy, I want more chicken! Thank you so much!
That is the best when kids love what we Mom’s make. Thank you so much for sharing that with us 🙂
This is the best Sweet and Sour Chicken I have ever tried. I had surprise company over and fed them. They all asked for the recipe because they said it better than the local chinese restaurant.
Thank you
Thank you Amanda for such a great review, its quiet a compliment 😊.
Do you think it would be possible to freeze this? It looks amazing and really want to try it but would love to make a big batch.
And thanks for sharing
Hi Rebecca, to be honest, I haven’t tried so I’m not sure if it freezes well. Sorry I’m not much help. I’d be completely guessing. Has anyone else tried freezing this?
I haven’t tried your recipe yet .( today I m going to try it ) but I love that you answer every comment. It is really nice of you . Thanks !
It’s almost getting to be a full time job as the site grows, but yes we do try! 🙂 Thank you so much for the awesome feedback 🙂
This recipe came out just perfect! The chicken was tender and juicy. The breading wasn’t too thick like at the shopping mall food courts or from the box. The sauce had just the right amount of tangy and sweetness. My kids loved it! I haven’t tasted a better Sweet and Sour chicken and I’m Chinese!
That is an amazing compliment! Thank you so much Rose 🙂
I made this recipie and it turned out sooo good
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! 🙂
Super delicious and easy! Thanks for sharing your fabulous recipe… I definitely cut the sugar down to 1/2 cup and it turned out just fine. Also, not sure if my oven’s running a little hot but I thought an hour was a little long. The sugar began to carmelize and my chicken looked much darker than your pictures, especially around the edges. All in all a great experience and I will continue to tweak it to fit my liking!
Thank you for the nice review Brandy and you are welcome 😁.
This was really good! I think next time I will double the sauce, t was really yummy we wanted to use it on our broccoli and veggies! And use honey instead of sugar to see what it taste like. Thank you for another great recipe!
Thank you for the wonderful review Anne, I’m so glad you enjoyed it 😀.
You are a blessing! I made this recently and it turned out fabulous! The only setback was that I wish I would have made more sauce. Thanks for all the wonderful and true recipes that you post and I have made like the chickenmushroom casserole , poppyseedsorcream cake ( so good!), & pyraniki and many others 😊 Godblessyou both! Lov your website!
Thank you for such a sweet comment, what a compliment 😊. May God bless you and your family!
where does the ‘orange’ come into the recipe??!!
Hi Debbie, there are no oranges in the ingredients list.
Just mixed up the sauce and decided to make another batch for dipping our egg rolls! Amazing recipe! Thanks!
Oh great idea!!
Can I use flour instead of corn starch? Thank you for the recipie, I am making it tomorow:)
I haven’t tried with flour but I don’t think flour will have the same effect as corn starch. It might get gummy, but again, I haven’t tested it to say for sure.
I made a batch with flour and a batch with corn starch due to running out of corn starch and the corn starch batch definitely turned out better, but the flour batch was still good as well!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us. I’m certain your review will be so helpful to others 🙂
I made this a few times already and just made it again today! Thank you for this recipe, it is easy to make and is delicious!
Tanya, thank you for such a nice review and you are welcome 😁.
I’m sorry but the chicken was waaay too sour 🙁 it’s too much vinegar,and I had to add more sugar,but still it felt like I was drinking pure vinegar. Ketchup adds this sourness to vinegar and it’s just too much. I’m sorry but I won’t make it again.
Did you taste the sauce before baking it? It’s definitely too potent as soon as you mix it but once it’s baked for 1 hour, the vinegar cooks out and flavors have a chance to mellow out and it isn’t too sour at all. Were you trying to adjust the sauce before baking it?
Is there really that much sugar in this recipe?
Hi Nick, yes that is correct. It helps to offset the vinegar. One of my readers reported good results cutting it down to 1/2 cup. 🙂
This meal is easy to make for the kids. It’s great because it gets them in the kitchen with me. The whole family loves it. I now have to double this recipe because my family loves it so much. Thanks for the great recipe.
Thank you Ashley for such a nice review and you are welcome 😁.
I made this tonight for my family and to say it was a big hit is an understatement. This is quit possible the best sweet and sour chicken I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. Only thing I have to say is if you have teenagers,double the recipe because they can’t get enough of it.
Thank you for such a nice review, it’s quiet a compliment 😁. My son is only 6 and can eat adult size meal, I better brace myself 😜.
Yep, when they hit teenager they turn into locusts. 🙂
This is absolutely delicious had it for supper 2 days in a row🙊
Thank you for the nice review Marina, I’m glad you enjoyed it 😀.
My first attempt at sweet and sour chicken. I needed to use up some boneless, skinless chicken thighs. That was the only modification I made to the recipe. I also needed a gluten and dairy free dish. This was fantastic! My family devoured it and said it was way better than Panda Express.
Yessss!! I’m so happy you all loved it 🙂
This was the best sweet and sour chicken I have ever made and I have tried quite a few.
Jennifer, thank you for such a nice review, this is quite a compliment 😄
sweet and sour chicken is my favorite dish! I have tried more than a few recipes in my years but this one by far was the very best! I doubled the recipe and there were no leftovers. The children loved it as well! I printed it out and this one is definitely a keeper! I added bell peppers and pineapple and onion and some ginger but only because I wanted some vegetables in there. Best sauce ever!
Barbara, thank you for such a great review and nice job improvising it with the vegetables 😀 .
As I read through all of the impressive reviews, I was hoping to find one that stated adding pineapple, bell pepper, and onion worked well. My husband likes pineapple chunks in his sweet and sour sauce. I am going to make this tonight for dinner and am very excited as it sounds delightful!
If I substitute apple cider vinegar for white wine vinegar will it make a big difference? Want to try this but don’t have apple cider vinegar, yet have all other ingredients and just put baby down for a nap…
So sorry I didn’t reply sooner. Your comment got burried on the second page and I completely missed it! Oh boy. sorry! Anyways to answer your question. I haven’t tried that substitution but one reader said she tried regular vinegar and had good results with it. Also, someone reported that rice vinegar would work. I can’t say for sure what the difference in taste will be with white wine vinegar without actually trying it myself.
I must have missed the part on how to make this using less sugar. Can you please tell me how to do that? Thank you. This looks great but I do need to go with a little less sweet.
Sherry, if you reduce the sugar, I’m concerned there won’t be enough sweetness to balance the vinegar. Without testing it myself I can’t really recommend it.
Hi Sherry, update! 🙂 I haven’t tested this myself but one of my readers reported cutting down the sugar to 1/2 cup with good results
Just made it! Awesome! Tastes amazing! Thanks for the recipe. I’m not scared to make it anymore!
Mariya, thank you for the great review and you are welcome 😄👏.
Delicious! I have made lots of recipes already from your Website. And every single one I have tried is absolutely delicious. Made this Sweet and Sour Chicken today for supper. Best ever. I didn’t have apple cider vinegar at home so I substituted it with White Vinegar. Still tasted great. And a big hit with my kids.
I’m so happy to hear you all loved the recipe! 🙂
I tried this the other day – it turned out pretty well and was tasty. I did feel like it needed some chopped onion, bell pepper, and either chopped pineapple or Mandarin oranges cooked and served intermixed with the chicken, but that’s just my preference. I appreciated all the photos for the steps along the way, especially the chicken prep and frying. I will make this again.
I love the idea of adding the vegetables! I’m so glad you liked the recipe 🙂
So I tried this recipe and followed it to a tee. It tasted good, but the chicken wasn’t crispy/ crunchy like I was hoping it would be. Does your turn chicken turn out crispy?
Olga, this recipe should not turn out crispy since it is cooked in the sauce. It resembles the texture of Panda Express orange chicken.
I saw your sauce variation with less sugar and so glad I did!!! Smells amazing!! Can’t wait to dig in!!!
Monique, welcome to the site! Reading your comment is making me hungry for some sweet and sour chicken :D.
This is the BEST Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe EVER!! It was super easy to make-despite becoming extremely impatient on a famished stomach!! I served the chicken with some plain white rice, and didn’t have any broccoli available. Thank you so much for the awesome recipe, Natasha!! I’m looking forward to making favorite recipes!!!
Thank you LaTrice for such a great review and you are welcome :).
Made this for my family and they all loved it.
Kim, thank you for writing in and for the great review :).