Easily probably probably the foremost excellent recipe on my blog, this baked candy and sour hen is a miracle of a dish. Baked, no longer fried, it's been a household favourite for over a decade!
Invented on a faculty finances virtually 20 years ago, this baked candy and sour hen is probably probably the foremost excellent recipe on my blog. And even better, it nonetheless stays one among our household favorites.
You would possibly have considered this recipe floating round the internet; it’s everywhere! And for nice reason. It’s loopy delicious.
But I’m pleased (and yes, somewhat proud) to recognize that the delectable candy and sour hen recipe originated proper the following (posted method again in 2008, it was one among the primary recipes I ever shared on my blog!).
Baked candy and sour hen items over white rice with steamed broccoli.
With over 800 comments, 50+ 5-star reviews, and virtually half a million pins/shares, that soon look will inform you there's anything unique about this recipe.
If you’re new to the international of baked candy and sour chicken, allow me supply you a soon rundown.
First, this recipe, whereas delicious and fully and fully value it, goes to be a piece extra work than your ordinary Tuesday nighttime time spaghetti.
It’s no longer complicated. It’s no longer hard. But it’s also no longer a 30-minute meal. So with that caveat in place, here’s the 5-second overview.
Side by aspect pans of unbaked and baked candy and sour chicken.
Chicken items are coated in cornstarch adopted by a soon dunk in a tub of flippantly overwhelmed eggs. They are then dropped correct into a piping hot skillet with a smidgeon of oil and browned soon earlier than being stuffed in one layer in a baking pan.
The tremendous simple sauce is whisked together, poured on top, and the entire candy and sour hen concoction bakes for about an hour.
There is simply the proper quantity of sauce for the breaded hen items to bake in with out fitting saturated and soggy (and permitting the sauce to thicken and caramelize whereas baking).
But in case you're a saucy variety of user (like my husband), as I point out within the notes of the recipe, you possibly can very simply whip up one other batch of sauce, simmer it at the stove, and serve it along the tender, amazing, baked candy and sour chicken.
Baked candy and sour hen over rice on white plate being drizzled with candy and sour sauce.
Because this recipe has been round for a lengthy time and simply due to the fact there had been rather a entire lot of questions within the comments, I’ve positioned collectively a soon FAQ to your studying pleasure.
That method you possibly can take a seem at a few of probably probably the foremost requested questions and the solutions with out having to filter out by means of masses of comments. 🙂
SWEET AND SOUR FAQ:
Question: Can I reduce the sugar?
Answer: Many folks have commented that they have decreased the sugar to 1/2 cup and I’ve finished the identical (if no longer more) over the years, too.
Question: The vinegar odor is truly overpowering once I bake this. Is that normal?
Answer: Yes. Vinegar, whereas baking, provides off a solid aroma, however the solid aroma/taste bakes off throughout the advised time within the recipe leaving a delicious candy and sour taste.
Question: Can I reduce at the quantity of vinegar resulting from the aforementioned question?
Answer: That’s as so much as you. Many folks within the feedback have adapted the recipe ingredients; however, diversified than typically chopping the sugar to 1/2 cup and utilizing a diversified variety of vinegar (see the query below), I make the recipe as written and can’t vouch for effects for diversified adaptations. I even have made this candy and sour hen recipe no less than 50 instances (probably more) and even although the vinegar appears overpowering, the recipe works. Promise. If you're determined to adapt the vinegar, a number of others have used half vinegar and half pineapple juice for a milder style (but you’ll lose somewhat bit of the candy and sour punch).
Top down view of baked candy and sour hen over rice on white plate.
Question: I don’t have apple cider vinegar OR I hate apple cider vinegar OR insert a motive you don’t desire to make use of apple cider vinegar, can I exchange one other variety of vinegar?
Answer: Why yes! I typically exchange rice vinegar which has a relatively milder/sweeter style and lots of others within the feedback have substituted the identical and even used white vinegar. Feel unfastened to experiment.
Question: Can I sub anything for the cornstarch? Flour?
Answer: All-purpose flour won't supply the identical pale coating simply due to the fact the cornstarch. The basically respectable exchange I’ve discovered is tapioca flour/starch. Works great!
Question: Surely there's a misprint in baking time. An hour for small hen pieces? What’s the deal?
Answer: I inspire you to make the recipe as written. Like I mentioned above, I’ve made this recipe many instances and the hour baking time isn't a typo. Keep in thoughts which you simply don’t desire to prepare dinner the hen by means of whereas browning it. That step must be a soon flash within the pan in hot oil so as to offer the hen a crispy outer layer, however the items must nonetheless be uncooked within the center. Many have commented that they have cut the baking time down to 30 minutes. You can strive that; the sauce won’t thicken as rather a entire lot as though baking for the complete hour.
Question: Are you certain I’m intended to lay the hen within the cornstarch combination earlier than the egg? That simply appears wrong.
Answer: I’m no longer typically right, but within the case of cornstarch and egg, I am. The hen is coated with cornstarch after which dipped in egg.
Question: Can I upload pineapple or diversified veggies to this whereas baking?
Answer: I don’t see why not! Many commenters have tried that with nice results.
Question: Can I prep this forward of time? Can it's made correct into a freezer meal?
Answer: I even haven't tried both but truly sense unfastened to experiment! Someone commented within the 500’s about freezing the candy and sour hen in case you desire to seem up specifics.
Question: What variety of ketchup do you use?
Answer: I at all times strive to apply the Heinz Natural model (without HCFS) but if I can’t discover it, I pass with normal Heinz.
BAKED SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN
INGREDIENTS
CHICKEN:
3-4 boneless, skinless hen breasts (about 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 big eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola, vegetable or coconut oil
SAUCE:
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar (depending on how candy you desire the sauce)
four tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (see notice for substitutions)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325 stages F.
Cut the hen breasts into 1-inch or relatively greater pieces. Season flippantly with salt and pepper. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Put the hen into the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken.
Whisk the eggs collectively in a shallow pie plate. Heat the oil in a big skillet over medium warmth till very popular and rippling. Dip the cornstarch-coated hen items within the egg and region them intently in one layer within the hot skillet.
Cook for 20-30 seconds on every aspect till the crust is golden however the hen isn't all of the method cooked by means of (this is the position it is truly most very very major to have a hot skillet/oil). Place the hen items in one layer in a 9X13-inch baking dish and repeat with the final hen pieces.
Mix the sauce meals collectively in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken. Bake for one hour, turning the hen as soon as or twice whereas cooking to coat evenly with sauce. Serve over hot, steamed rice.