Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken - made October 12, 2013 from The Recipe Critic

Here's another easy recipe to throw together for a quick weeknight meal when you're pressed for time.  Or, if you're like me and very little about cooking is quick or easy, you make it on a weekend, baffle yourself on what a mess you make while putting together a simple chicken dish and be glad you have time to clean it all up.  Actually, this really would've been quick and easy if I hadn't done the dip into egg, roll in flour, fry until golden steps before baking with the sauce.  As it was, I only had the patience to go through one egg and a third of the chicken pieces before I got bored/tired of the dipping, rolling and frying and just threw the rest of the chicken pieces into the pan and did a quick stir fry.  Hey, once you cover with the sauce and bake, you can hardly tell the difference between the properly done ones and the "I don't want to cook anymore" pieces.

Once the chicken was fried (however you do it), the rest of the recipe was easy.  Mix together the sauce ingredients, pour into the pan with the chicken and bake. I liked this recipe.  The sauce was a good blend of sweet and sour but wasn't thick or goopy like some sauces are.  Pair with brown rice and you're good to go.

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used chicken breast tenderloins)
Salt and pepper to taste
1½ cups cornstarch
3 eggs, beaten
¼ cup canola oil
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Green onions, tops cut into pieces, optional

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
2. In separate bowls, place cornstarch and slightly beaten eggs. Dip chicken into cornstarch then coat in egg mixture.
3. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until browned. Place the chicken in a 9 x 13 greased baking dish.
4. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic salt. Pour over chicken and bake for 1 hour.
5. Stir the chicken every 15 minutes to coat them in the sauce.  Garnish with green onions if desired.