Sweet And Sour Baked Chicken

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 5
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 medium green bell pepper, coarsley chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (optional)
• 1 cup carrot, coarsley chopped
• 3/4-1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup pineapple juice (reserve this juice from the tidbits)
• 2 -3 tablespoons vinegar (or to taste)
• 1/4-1/3 cup light brown sugar (or to taste)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or to taste)
• salt and pepper
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger powder (or to tase)
• 1 (16 ounce) can pineapple tidbits (reserving the juice)
• 3 -4 lbs chicken pieces

Recipe

• 1 set oven to 350 degrees.
• 2 grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish (or a larger baking dish or roaster if using more chicken and doubling sauce).
• 3 in a medium saucepan, saute the onions, green pepper and carrots for about 3 minutes; add in the fresh garlic (if using), and saute for another 3 minutes.
• 4 stir in the ketchup, pineapple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, salt, pepper and the ginger powder; stir with a spoon until all the ingredients are well mixed; bring to a light to a boil (at this point adjust all of the ingredients, adding in more to suit taste, and bring to a boil again for a couple of minutes).
• 5 if you prefer a thicker sauce, mix cornstarch with cold water to make a thin paste, add to sauce and boil another minute.
• 6 add in the pineapple chunks/tidbits: set the sauce aside.
• 7 in a large frypan, sprinkle the chicken with black pepper, and brown on both sides in oil until lightly browned (do not burn the skin!).
• 8 set the browned chicken pieces into the baking dish/roaster.
• 9 pour the sauce over the chicken; mix lightly to make sure the chicken is evenly coated with sauce.
• 10 bake uncovered for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked.
• 11 serve with or over rice -- delicious!