There’s nothing insanely new or original about Sweet and Sour Chicken—this popular Chinese restaurant dish has been around forever. Both sweet and savory, it’s a huge crowd pleaser. When made the traditional way, coated in egg and cornstarch and deep fried, it doesn’t exactly win points for healthiness (to say nothing of that thick sweet sauce). So today, I’m offering up to you this lighter, easier, baked version that can be a guilt-free part of your regular repertoire. Yup, tonight, it’s “take-in”!!

Dinners like this are truly lifesavers! As long as you have boneless chicken breasts, cornstarch and a bunch of pantry staples around like ketchup, honey, soy sauce, vinegar and some spices, you can decide to make this on a whim pretty much any night of the week. Oh, and be prepared to hear cheers!

Instead of deep-frying the chicken, you simply cover the bite-sized pieces in cornstarch, brown in a skillet coated with the teensiest bit of oil and then toss in the easy-to-make, tangy sauce—

Before baking the whole shebang for about 20 minutes…

Which means, if you play your cards right, you can put on a pot of rice, stir-fry some veggies (or make a salad) and have a happy little meal that rivals any take-out and is way, way more healthy for you in just about 30 minutes!!

And that my friends, is certainly something to cheer about!! Woo-hoo!

Sweet and Sour Chicken (Baked)

Makes 5-6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Bake Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

For the sauce

• ⅓ cup honey

• ⅓ cup ketchup

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

• 2 tablespoons white vinegar

• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

• Pinch of kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 2 tablespoons cold water mixed with 2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the chicken

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

• Corn starch

• Vegetable oil

• Chopped scallions to garnish (optional)

The Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF and spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick vegetable spray and set aside.

2. To make the sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together well. Set aside.

3. Place the chicken in a medium-sized bowl and add a few spoonfuls of cornstarch. Toss together well so that the pieces are entirely coated. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with just a slick of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the half of the chicken and let it cook for 2 minutes so that the bottom gets browned, then turn the pieces so that the chicken gets browned all over, cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken to the sauce. Pour a little more oil into the hot skillet and repeat with the remaining chicken, adding it to the sauce bowl as well.

4. Toss the chicken in the sauce, so that it’s well coated and then transfer to the prepared baking dish, spreading out into an even layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, Transfer to a serving platter, top with the scallions, if using and serve immediately.

Enjoy!