This entree was served at a special dinner hosted by my Sunday school teacher. The ingredients are simple, but the chicken is tender and tasty. I serve it to company and am often asked for the recipe.
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
- 1 medium sweet red pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium green pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
- hot cooked brown rice
- Carbohydrate 26.7996312525369 g
- Cholesterol 68.44 mg
- Fat 2.33722500003086 g
- Fiber 2.94849994982565 g
- Protein 33.5341750032007 g
- Saturated Fat 0.557427500003425 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (367g)
- Sodium 6743.99584840561 mg
- Sugar 23.8511313027113 g
- Trans Fat 0.529435000008521 g
- Calories 269 calories
Step-by-step
- Place chicken in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish; set aside.
- In a small saucepan, bring the water, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Add peppers; return to a boil.
- Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into pepper mixture.
- Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
- Pour over chicken.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350? for 10-13 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reaches 170?.
- Serve with rice.
Balancing the Glaze and Pepper Texture
Boiling the water, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce dissolves the sucrose completely before the peppers enter the pot. Adding the red and green peppers directly to the boiling liquid for the initial boil softens their cell walls slightly without destroying their crunch. Whisking the cornstarch and cold water into a completely smooth slurry prior to incorporation prevents lumps from forming in the hot liquid. Stirring continuously during the thickening phase guarantees that the starch gelatinizes evenly within one to two minutes.
Managing Oven Temperatures and Poultry Safety
Baking the chicken breast halves uncovered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit allows moisture to evaporate from the baking dish, concentrating the surrounding sauce. Turning the meat halfway through the 20 to 26 total minutes of baking ensures uniform heat distribution across the 11-in. x 7-in. glass or metal vessel. Inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast until it registers 170 degrees Fahrenheit protects against dry, overcooked poultry. Removing the dish immediately at this threshold preserves the moisture content within the lean protein fibers.
Adjusting Yields for Different Quantities
Scaling this dish up or down requires maintaining the precise ratio between liquids and thickeners to ensure proper sauce viscosity. Doubling the batch calls for doubling all sauce components proportionally while keeping the baking time strictly tied to internal temperature rather than clock time.
