Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Recipe From: Laura

There are some food blogs that list Sweet and Sour Chicken as one of their most popular dishes.  Undeniably so, its also a favorite dish at Chinese restaurants for many good reasons .  Oh yea, sure... its all good til ya read the cal. count and discover what MSG does to ya.  😉 haha  So I found this homemade version to be a lot healthier, tastes far better, and will put any Chinese restaurant out of buisness. 😂  hahaha  What makes this recipe so amazing  is the chicken is fried in a healthy oil to get that golden tender, crisp exterior, with a sauce so absolutely irresistible....a perfect balance between sweet and tangy, with accents of juicy pineapple chunks, slivers of sweet onion and red peppers.....then baked at a low temperature for an hour to allow that distinct and wonderful flavor to set in. MMMMMmmmm.....  Its certainly one of family's favorite meals as well.....my kids' can polish off the entire pan. 😋 Serve over rice and a side of extra sauce.  Yes please. 😊 

CHICKEN:

 3-4 boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)

 Salt and pepper

 1 cup non GMO cornstarch

 2 large organic eggs, beaten

 1/4 cup avocado oil  or coconut oil (or other unrefined high smoke point oil)

   (Olive, canola or veggie oil turns rancid when cooked on high)

SAUCE:

 1/2 to 3/4 cup organic sugar

 4 tablespoons ketchup

 1/2 cup rice vinegar

 1 tablespoon soy sauce or liquid aminos

 1 teaspoon garlic salt

OPTIONAL pineapple pieces, sliced green onions, slivers of onion, red pepper, sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch or slightly larger pieces. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Put the chicken into the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken.

Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot and rippling. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet.  Cornstarch, then egg mixture. Yes, in this order.

Stovetop-- On 5/6 setting, heat oil for about 5 min or til it sizzles when drops of water hit it. Cook chicken for 10-15 seconds on each side until the crust is golden but the chicken is not all the way cooked through (this is where it's really important to have a hot skillet/oil).  A tip: only cook  5-6 pieces at a time so chicken pieces don't over cook.  Throughout the frying  process, add more oil as you see fit. Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in a 9X13-inch baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.  Add the optional items if desired  (pineapple, onion, pepper,etc) IMO, they add so much flavor. 

SAUCE: Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken. Bake for 45 min. to 1 hour, turning the chicken once while cooking to coat evenly with sauce. Serve over hot, steamed rice.

IF YOU LIKE EXTRA SAUCE, DOUBLE THE SAUCE INGREDIENTS – POUR HALF OVER  THE CHICKEN AND FOLLOW THE RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS; POUR THE OTHER HALF IN A SMALL SAUCEPAN AND COOK THE SAUCE ON THE STOVETOP AT A SIMMER FOR 8-10 MINUTES UNTIL IT REDUCES AND THICKENS. SERVE IT OVER TOP OR ON THE SIDE.

*If you don't have rice vinegar, you can use apple cider or reg. vinegar.  The original recipe actually called for apple cider vinegar but it was overpowering for me. I had even cut the amount of vinegar in half and it was still a lil on the strong side for me*