Sweet & Sour Chicken {quick fry/oven baked}

   This recipe seems long and perhaps "involved" but, once you get going- its goes fast and if anything - you've got a great base recipe for chicken nuggets.  My usual Sweet & Sour Chicken has a combination of sweet peppers, pineapple and onion in the dish - I thought I'd give this recipe a try and make any adjustments in the future.  This did turn out to be an excellent dish! The chicken was moist and tender, with its light coating and sauce being a perfect addition. I will be adding a splash of sriracha sauce to my next batch of sauce to make this a spicy sweet & sour. My husband said he got the sweet & sour flavor that hinted more towards a slight BBQ taste. I agree. I think this may have just a touch too much 'sour' from the apple cider vinegar in it and adjusting that down the next time I make this dish.  Don't get me wrong, its a great dish and I can see me using the chicken preparation step in many future dishes (like sesame chicken and honey/orange chicken)  I can't wait to try different sauce combinations. ~Enjoy! Diane 

Sweet & Sour Chicken {Quick Fry/Oven Baked} 

Ingredients
2 large chicken breasts: boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch chunks
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

For the sweet & sour sauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce, *optional for a spicy kick

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9×13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
2. To make the sauce, whisk together sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce and garlic powder in a large bowl; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in cornstarch and gently toss to combine. Working one small batch at a time (6-8 pieces) dip the chicken into the eggs.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Add chicken, in small batches and cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil.
5. Add chicken to prepared baking dish. Top with sweet and sour sauce. Place into oven and bake until the sauce has thickened, about 45 minutes, turn chicken once or twice while baking to coat evenly in sauce.
6. Serve immediately over steamed rice or noodles. 

Recipe adapted from: Mel's Kitchen 
Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home