Sweet Chili Chicken

Sweet Chili Chicken are chicken bites coated in a thick sauce that balances flavors of sweet, tangy, and savory. A full meal in just 30 minutes!

A Quick, Asian-Style Chicken Dinner

This Sweet Chili Chicken is a quick dinner that tastes better than takeout in my opinion. Juicy pieces of chicken are lightly coated in cornstarch, pan-seared until golden brown, and then tossed in a sweet, savory, and slightly spicy chili sauce made with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and honey. The sauce thickens as it simmers, coating every bite without being overly sticky or sweet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)

• chicken – I like to use the chicken tenderloins as they are easy to cut into cubes, but you can use any cut of chicken you like. Chicken thighs are another great option. You can also make this dish with shrimp, steak, or tofu. Additionally, you could make this even easier by using some popcorn chicken that you cook up in the oven or in the Air Fryer ahead of time. Then just make the sauce and coat the chicken with sauce. I’d think this is enough chicken to coat a 26-ounce bag of popcorn chicken or chicken bites. You’ll need to double the sauce if you want to use whole big bag of chicken bites or popcorn chicken.
• cornstarch – The cornstarch will help create a crispy outer coating to the chicken and will also help thicken the sauce. It combines much smoother than just regular flour.
• paprika – You can use sweet or smoked paprika if you have it on hand, as any of them will add a bit of flavor and brightness to the sauce.
• garlic powder – This is a great way to get an extra layer of garlic into this dish. 
• onion powder – In place of the onion powder, you can use minced dried onion as well. 
• oil – avocado oil is great as it can stand up to high heat.
• sweet chili sauce – You can use any type of sauce to this, whether you find a spicy or sweet one. Sweet chili sauce is sold everywhere now. Sometimes its called “thai sweet chili sauce”. It does have a kick of heat, so if you don’t like spice at all, this may not be the recipe for you. You could attempt this with a sweet and sour sauce as a substitute but I haven’t tested it that way to know for sure how it would turn out. I can’t stand much spiciness because of my acid reflux but I do not find this spicy but I know that is very subjective to peoples tastebuds.
• soy sauce – The soy sauce adds saltiness and a lot of Asian depth to this dish. To make this dish gluten-free, you can use coconut aminos. I would recommend a low sodium soy sauce.
• rice vinegar – This is one of my favorite ingredients, as it adds just a bit of acidity. If you don’t have rice vinegar on hand, you can use white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white white vinegar.
• red pepper flakes – This will add just a little bit of heat. You can omit this or add more if you like more heat. You can also replace this with cayenne pepper. 
• garlic (fresh) –  You can stick with garlic powder if preferred, but fresh garlic is a game changer. 
• ginger (fresh, grated) – Fresh ginger adds so much flavor, texture, and warmth to this dish. You can find ginger paste in tubes now in the produce section, they will be in a refrigerated area. They work great for a dish like this!
• honey – This is where the additional warm sweetness comes into play for this recipe. You can replace the honey with maple syrup. I’ve tried using light brown sugar instead of honey, and while it does sweeten the dish, the honey adds so much more flavor. Honey helps with thickness and acts as a glaze. But it also helps balance out the other flavors. I don’t think it makes this dish sticky sweet at all.

How To Make Sweet Chili Chicken

To a bowl or ziploc bag, add the chicken, cornstarch, paprika, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Make sure the chicken is fully coated. Set aside. 

Over medium heat, add the oil. After a few minutes, when the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the juices run clear. Flip the chicken over halfway through to get both sides golden brown.

You can add additional oil if the chicken starts to stick. If using a nonstick pan, you may not need additional oil but if using a stainless steel pan, you may need more oil. To the skillet, add the remainder of the ingredients. Stir for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce is thicker. 

Top with sesame seeds and green onions. 

Craving More Recipes?

• Sweet and Sour Chicken
• Honey Garlic Chicken
• Easy Sesame Chicken
• Bang Bang Chicken
• Asian Lemon Chicken