Sweet and sour chicken bites are ooey-gooey deliciousness that makes the perfect family dinner. Bite-sized chicken pieces are sauteed in a sweet and sour sauce and served on a bed of rice.
Sweet and Sour Chicken Overview
If you’ve ever had sweet and sour chicken from restaurants, this is very similar but a homemade version with better quality ingredients.
My family LOVES this recipe and I’ve made it a few times now! First, you will need to cook some rice, either in a rice cooker or on the stove.
Next, chicken pieces are tossed with cornstarch and seared in a pot. After that, sweet and sour sauce is added and simmered until the sauce thickens.
Add rice to a plate and top with cooked chicken and sauce for a really yummy meal!
Recipe Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups uncooked white rice – to serve with
Sauce:
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup lemon juice – or white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
How To Make Sweet and Sour Chicken
Full ingredients and instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
STEP 1: Add 1 ½ cups of uncooked rice to rice cooker. Cook according to package instructions. You can also cook on the stove.
STEP 2: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut 1 lb chicken breast into small bite-size pieces.
STEP 3: Add 1 lb of chopped chicken breast to a bowl along with ¼ cup cornstarch and toss together. Set aside.
STEP 4: In a small bowl combine the sauce ingredients: ¾ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup tomato paste, ½ cup lemon juice, 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp garlic powder. Mix everything together and set aside.
STEP 5: Heat a frying pan (or oven-safe pot) with a bit of cooking oil on the stove. Once the pan is hot, sear the chicken on each side for 30 seconds. This is to help seal flavors in.
STEP 6: Remove from heat. Pour the sauce over the chicken and mix together. Transfer to an oven-safe dish if needed. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. Stir the chicken halfway through baking.
STEP 7: Add cooked rice to a plate and top with the sweet and sour chicken. Optional toppings include green onion and sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- The bite-sized chicken pieces can be made using chicken breasts, thighs or tenders. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Cornstarch is added to thicken the sauce. Alternatively, you can use arrowroot flour.
Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, defrost the recipe in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the oven or microwave to serve. Rice tends to lose a bit of moisture when frozen and is best when served fresh.
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Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups uncooked white rice - to serve with
Sauce:
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup lemon juice - or white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Add 1 ½ cups of uncooked rice to rice cooker. Cook according to package instructions. You can also cook on the stove.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut 1 lb chicken breast into small bite-size pieces.
- Add 1 lb of chopped chicken breast to a bowl along with ¼ cup cornstarch and toss together. Set aside.
- In a small bowl combine the sauce ingredients: ¾ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup tomato paste, ½ cup lemon juice, 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp garlic powder. Mix everything together and set aside.
- Heat a frying pan (or oven-safe pot) with a bit of cooking oil on the stove. Once pan is hot, sear the chicken on each side for only 30 seconds. This is to help seal flavors in.
- Remove from heat. Pour the sauce over the chicken and mix together. Transfer to an oven-safe dish if needed. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. Stir the chicken halfway through baking.
- Add cooked rice to a plate and top with the sweet and sour chicken. Optional toppings include green onion and sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.