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.

Close up of a fork in sweet and sour chicken pieces and 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

Two images of a rice cooker. First with uncooked rice and water. Second with cooked rice.

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.

Four images grouped together of chopped raw chicken. First is chicken on cutting board, second in bowl, third with cornstarch dumped on top, fourth with corntarch tossed with chicken.

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.

Two images of a bowl with liquid ingredients, spices unmixed. Second with ingredients mixed together to create a sauce.

STEP 4: In a small bowl combine the sauce ingredients: ¾ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup tomato paste, ½ cup lemon juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Mix everything together and set aside.

Four images of a pot. First with raw chicken covered in cornstarch. Second with sauce added to chicken pieces, third and fourth with cooked chicken pieces with thickened sauce.

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!

A plated with saucy sweet and sour chicken bites over rice and topped with chopped green onion.

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.

Close up of sweet and sour chicken bite pieces and a spoon.

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