Sweet Chili Chicken

Crispy chicken tossed in a delicious, sweet chili sauce with a mild kick and a hint of lime! This quick and easy sweet chili chicken is made with minimal ingredients and ready in 30 minutes. A great main dish that better-than-takeout!

My sweet chili chicken features fried chicken bites coated in a sweet chili sauce with sriracha, honey, vinegar, lime juice, and lime zest! It's packed with complex flavors, yet it's so easy to make as the sauce requires no heating at all!

This dish has Chinese origins and it's popular at many Asian restaurants. It's best served over steamed rice with vegetables, like broccoli, but I also share other pairing suggestions below.

The sauce is tangy, sweet with hints of lime. It's also mild in spice, which builds up as you enjoy each bite. If you're prefer this not spicy, omit or reduce the sriracha. The sauce was inspired by my Firecracker Shrimp recipe.

Why you'll love this recipe?

• The chicken is shallow fried, not deep fried, so less oil is wasted. If you prefer not to shallow fry the chicken, I share how to air fry below in the FAQ or recipe card.
• It's quick to make same day on busy weeknights
• The ingredient list is relatively small compared to other Asian recipes
• Great for meal preparation as it reheats well throughout the week
• Fantastic for families who can tolerate some heat!
• It's gluten-free (but make sure to check the sweet chili and sriracha sauce ingredients before purchasing).

Ingredients & Substitutes

Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements. 

• Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs: or substitute with skin-on bone-in thighs and remove the skin and bones yourself or substitute with chicken breast, pork shoulder, jumbo shrimp, or extra-firm tofu.
• Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch.
• Neutral Cooking Oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil or coconut oil.
• Salt
• Garlic Powder
• Black Pepper
• Green Onions: optional garnish

Sauce

• Sweet Chili Sauce: a thick sweet sauce that is very mild in spice and available at most grocery stores. It's typically gluten-free. Or substitute with a 3:1 ratio of honey/maple syrup to hot sauce.
• Sriracha sauce: a thick red Thai hot chili sauce available at most Asian and select Western grocery stores. If you prefer this not spicy, omit this completely.
• Honey: or substitute with maple syrup. Avoid using heavily flavored honeys.
• Rice Vinegar: or substitute with apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
• Fresh Lime Juice: or substitute with fresh lemon juice.
• Freshly Grated Lime Zest: or substitute with fresh lemon zest.

Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients or check online stores, like Amazon. 

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make sweet chili chicken:

1. In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients as listed above. Set aside.

2. Dice each chicken thigh into 1.5-inch pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl. 

3. Season the chicken with salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Then add the cornstarch and toss until evenly coated ensuring no bald spots. Feel free to add more cornstarch if needed.
   

4. Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy bottomed pan or wok on medium heat. Fry chicken in small batches until golden brown and crispy, about 6-7 minutes in total. Flipping over halfway. (If you prefer to air fry the chicken, please see the FAQ section below).

5. Remove fried chicken from pan and transfer to a wire rack or a paper towel lined paper towels to remove excess oil. 

6. Transfer chicken to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over top. Gently toss to mix. Garnish with green onions. Enjoy!
   

Storage & Reheating

• Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
• Freezer friendly? Sweet chili chicken can be stored in a freezer friendly bag after cooling down and frozen up to 3 months. If possible, I recommend freezing the fried chicken separate from the sauce. To reheat, defrost it and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pan.

Pairing Suggestions

Sweet chili chicken serves well with:

• starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, or hot and sour soup
• white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, or fried rice
• chow mein, lo mein, plain noodles, soup noodles 
• cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
• other protein dishes like Bang Bang Shrimp, Shrimp Omelet, Soy Garlic Tofu, Chinese Braised Tofu and more!

FAQ

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