There is a reason sweet and sour chicken is the first thing half of us order at a Chinese restaurant — those crispy, golden nuggets of chicken tangled up in a glossy red-orange sauce that hits sweet, tangy, and savory all at once. This baked version gives you all of that without deep-frying a thing: the chicken gets a quick sear for crunch, then finishes in the oven so it stays crisp on the outside and juicy inside, ready to soak up a sauce loaded with bell peppers and sweet pineapple.
Our version swaps the sugar for Jaca (100% pure allulose) at double the amount — 1 cup of granular Jaca in place of 1/2 cup of conventional sugar — so the sauce turns out just as glossy and sweet with no added sugar and no aftertaste. Allulose dissolves into the simmering sauce exactly like sugar and cooks down into that signature sticky glaze. This is a Jaca-adjusted healthier version, adapted from RecipeTin Eats.
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite-size cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (for the chicken)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup cornstarch (for the crispy coating)
- 3 to 5 tablespoons vegetable oil (for searing)
- Oil spray
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 small onion, cut into large dice
- 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
- 8 ounces canned pineapple pieces in natural juice, drained (juice reserved)
- 1 cup granular Jaca (allulose) — replaces 1/2 cup sugar at the 2x ratio
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (for the sauce)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 4 tablespoons water (to thicken)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C) and line a baking tray.
- Place the chicken cubes in a bowl, sprinkle with the 1/2 teaspoon salt, add the beaten egg, and mix to coat. Drain off any excess egg.
- Working in handfuls, shake the excess egg off the chicken and drop it into a ziplock bag with the 1 cup cornstarch. Trap some air, seal, and shake well to coat. Discard the excess cornstarch.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken in two batches and cook about 2 minutes, turning, until light golden and lightly crisp — the inside will still be raw.
- Transfer the chicken to the prepared tray, spray with oil, and bake 15 to 20 minutes until golden and crispy all over.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce: discard the skillet oil and wipe it clean. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat, add the garlic and cook 20 seconds, then add the onion and cook 2 minutes.
- Add the red and green bell peppers and cook 1 minute.
- Stir in the Jaca, apple cider vinegar, reserved pineapple juice, ketchup, Worcestershire, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir until the Jaca fully dissolves and the sauce bubbles — it dissolves just like sugar for a glossy glaze.
- Pour in the cornstarch-and-water slurry and simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens to a syrupy consistency, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the pineapple pieces to warm through, then remove from the heat.
- Add the baked chicken to the skillet and toss until every piece is coated in the sticky sauce.
- Serve immediately over steamed rice or cauliflower rice, garnished with sliced scallions if you like.
