Sweet N Sour Chicken (Restaurant Style!)

I love sweet and sour chicken. It's sticky, sweet, and slightly crispy.

 I have tried several recipes over the years looking for THE recipe. You know, the one that makes you feel like you are eating at an American "Chinese" restaurant. The problem? They are either too sweet (crazy right?) or too bell pepper-y or mushy or worst of all: deep fried. None of these things make for a delicious meal in my universe. Then we went ahead and added the challenge of making it gf.

I was starting to feel like this was an impossible copy cat recipe. Then came pintrest. I combined about four sweet and sour chicken recipes to come up with one that I adore. Wanna see?!

Mmmmm sweet and sour chicken

It was perfect! Lightly crispy, sticky sweet chicken over a bed of white rice. Tasty!

Jon wants to have a Chinese food supper night that would include this chicken, fried rice, and cream cheese wontons. Sounds like a fun little at home date night!

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friends. Cheers!


Sweet N Sour Chicken
Makes 4 large entree servings

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1/2-3/4 cup corn starch
1 egg +1 egg white +1 TBS water or 1/2 cup egg beaters + 1 TBS water
2-3 TBS olive or grape-seed oil


1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup 100% pineapple juice
4 TBS ketchup
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic

Dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. In one bowl pour the corn starch.  In a second bowl add your egg mixture of choice.

Add 1- 1/2 TBS oil to a large saute pan. Preheat to medium high heat.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Working in batches- Dredge chicken in cornstarch. Then into egg mixture. Add to pan and brown chicken on all sides. (We are not cooking the chicken here, just browning it) Remove from pan. Repeat with remaining chicken adding the remaining oil as needed.

 Transfer chicken to a prepared 9x13 pan.

Combine sugar, pineapple juice, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. Whisk until smooth. Pour over chicken.

Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes to evenly sauce all the chicken. Serve over rice.


*As always- check your ingredients. Heinz Ketchup and La Choy Soy Sauce both claim to be gluten free*