Fried Rice with Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken

In our house, fried rice is usually served with stir fried chicken or pork and a bottle of teriyaki or stir fry sauce - not tonight. Tonight, I made my own sauce from scratch and baked sweet & sour chicken with a simple batter coating. The results? Delicious!

Fried Rice with Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken

Ingredients

For Sauce:
4 tbsp ketchup
1/2 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic

Chicken and Batter:
3 tbsp canola oil or coconut oil
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs
2-3 large chicken breasts

Fried Rice:
2 cups frozen peas and carrots
1 small onion, diced
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups cooked rice, white or brown (better if cooked the day before and left in fridge overnight)
2 tbsp sesame seed oil
3 tbsp soy sauce



Directions

For Sauce:
Mix all ingredients in small bowl, set aside.

Chicken:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Cut chicken into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss in cornstarch, salt, and pepper. I placed the cornstarch and seasonings in a gallon Ziploc bag and then placed chicken pieces inside - shake/toss until coated. Shake off excess coating and set aside in mixing bowl or dish.

Beat eggs and pour over chicken. Gently stir to coat, but make an effort not to rub much of the cornstarch mixture off.

In a skillet on med-high heat, pour chicken mixture and brown chicken pieces on all sides. This will also "set" the batter. Do not cook through, but just until browned.

Add browned chicken pieces to greased baking dish, and pour prepared sauce over the chicken. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes, turning/gently mixing halfway through baking time.

Rice:
In large skillet, heat sesame seed oil to med high or high heat (depending on stove/range - get to stir fry temperature.)


Add peas, carrots, and onion. Stir fry - do not overcook. Push veggie mixture to one side of the skillet, and pour eggs into empty space. Sir fry/scramble. I like my eggs to be in small pieces in my rice - not big chunks. That's all your preference. :)

Mix eggs and vegetables, add rice and soy sauce. Mix and fry until heated through. Remove from heat.

Serve chicken and rice together - enjoy!



Did you try this recipe or find it on Pinterest? Let me know in the comments!