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.
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
Nutrition info is auto-calculated and meant to be an approximation only.
