Sweet Chili Chicken
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This Sweet Chili Chicken is such a tasty and easy recipe to make. Crispy chicken breast pieces coated in delicious sweet chili sauce. This dish has such amazing flavors, it will surely become your go to meal for busy weeknights!
![sweet chili chicken on a bed of rice garnished with green onions.](https://www.jocooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/sweet-chili-chicken-1.jpg)
Sweet Chili Chicken
There’s something so tempting about this recipe that I find just finger-lickin’ delicious! I absolutely love these types of easy dishes that require so little effort, while the result is brilliant. The chicken is first fried to a crispy perfection, then beautifully coated with the most satisfying sweet chili sauce you’d ever tasted.
- Simple Pantry Ingredients
- Easy to Follow Instructions
- Finger-Lickin’ Flavors
- Quick and Ready In Under 30 Minutes
This recipe is one that the whole family will enjoy to the very last bite. The sauce will coat everything so perfectly that every nook and cranny will be filled with the amazing sweet chili taste! I love to garnish it with some sliced chili peppers and green onions to boost up the flavors even more!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – Boneless skinless breast is what I used but boneless skinless chicken thighs work well too.
- Cornstarch and Flour – This is key to make our chicken crispy while we fry it. Rather than batter our chicken we will toss it till it’s fully coated.
- Sweet Chili Sauce – The staple to our dish.
- Lime Juice – freshly squeezed to combine with the coating sauce.
- Garlic – Lots of freshly minced garlic.
- Onions – Thinly sliced green onions to use for garnish.
- Chili– Thinly sliced red chili to add a bit of spice to our chicken.
How To Make Sweet Chili Chicken
- Prep the chicken: In a large shallow plate, combine the flour, cornstarch and salt together. Dredge the chicken through the flour mixture and set aside.
- Fry the chicken: To a large skillet, add about ½ to ¾ inch of oil and heat it until it’s at 350°F. Add the chicken to the skillet, make sure the pieces don’t touch each other and fry on both sides until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
- Make the sauce: Discard all the oil from the skillet and add the sesame oil and butter and heat until the butter has melted. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic on low heat. Add the remaining sauce ingredients to the skillet, stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Toss the chicken with the sauce: Transfer all the chicken to the skillet, toss well so the chicken is well coated and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes over low heat or until the chicken is heated through.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with green onions and red chilies and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it ok to use thighs instead of breast?
Definitely! Go ahead and substitute the chicken breast with boneless skinless thighs. You can cut them into strips or into bite size pieces.
How spicy is this recipe?
It’s actually not spicy at all. The spiciness of the sauce is low to mild, it’s the chili peppers used as garnish that actually add a bit of heat to the dish, so if you can always omit them, if you don’t want any heat at all.
What goes well with Sweet Chili Chicken?
As a side dish to this delicious recipe you can add steamed basmati rice, homemade fried rice, buttery egg pasta or even mashed potatoes.
Tips
- After you fry the chicken, make sure you place a paper towel on the plate to soak up any extra oil and to leave the chicken nice and crispy.
- Don’t overcook the chicken, you just want to cook it until golden brown and crispy.
- Make sure to season to your taste. If you find the flavor to be not as bold as you’d like, go ahead and add more spices to the sauce.
Leftovers
Fridge
Store leftover sweet chili chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Freezer
Freeze this in an airtight containers for up to 3 months! Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before heating back up in the oven, on the stove, or on the microwave.
More Delicious Recipes To Try
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Sweet Chili Chicken
Video
Ingredients
Chicken
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound chicken breast (boneless and skinless, cut into long strips, 1-inch wide)
- vegetable oil (for frying)
Sweet Chili Sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 4 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoon honey
Garnish
- 2 green onions (sliced)
- 1 red chili (sliced)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Prep the chicken: In a large shallow plate, combine the flour, cornstarch and salt together. Dredge the chicken through the flour mixture and set aside.
- Fry the chicken: To a large skillet, add about ½ to ¾ inch of oil and heat it until it's at 350°F. Add the chicken to the skillet, make sure the pieces don't touch each other and fry on both sides until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
- Make the sauce: Discard all the oil from the skillet and add the sesame oil and butter and heat until the butter has melted. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic on low heat. Add the remaining sauce ingredients to the skillet, stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Toss the chicken with the sauce: Transfer all the chicken to the skillet, toss well so the chicken is well coated and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes over low heat or until the chicken is heated through.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with green onions and red chilies and serve.
Equipment
Notes
- After you fry the chicken, make sure you place a paper towel on the plate to soak up any extra oil and to leave the chicken nice and crispy.
- Don’t overcook the chicken, you just want to cook it until golden brown and crispy.
- Make sure to season to your taste. If you find the flavor to be not as bold as you’d like, go ahead and add more spices to the sauce.
- Store leftover sweet chili chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
- Freeze this in an airtight containers for up to 3 months! Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before heating back up in the oven, on the stove, or on the microwave.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.