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Sticky sweet chili chicken is the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and savory flavors. This easy weeknight dinner recipe features tender chicken coated in a bold, flavorful sauce that’s better than takeout and ready in under 30 minutes!
Everything You Love About Takeout—Only Better, Healthier & Faster to Make at Home!
I LOVE a good takeout meal. I wanted to recreate that bold, crave-worthy flavor at home using healthier, wholesome ingredients. This Sticky Sweet Chili Chicken absolutely delivers! Ready in under 30 minutes, this easy recipe features tender chicken coated in a perfectly sticky glaze with just the right balance of sweet heat and savory flavor. Made with simple pantry staples and no deep frying, it’s a lighter twist on your favorite restaurant dish. Serve it with rice, noodles, or stir-fried veggies for a satisfying weeknight dinner that delivers big flavor in every bite.
Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs – Juicy and flavorful, they’re perfect for stir-fries and hold up well to bold sauces.
- Cooking Oil – I’m using avocado oil for its high smoke point and neutral flavor, but feel free to use any neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil.
- Marinade – A simple mix of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, coconut aminos, egg whites, and cornstarch. This helps tenderize the chicken and gives it a crisp coating when cooked.
- Sweet Chili Sauce – A flavorful blend of coconut aminos (or soy sauce), rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, garlic, and a cornstarch slurry to thicken everything into that signature sticky glaze.
Sticky Sweet Chili Chicken: Step by Step
- Start by prepping your chicken. Cut the boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, coconut aminos, egg whites, and cornstarch. Mix well to ensure every piece is coated. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes to soak up all that flavor. In a rush? You can skip the marinating time and cook the chicken right away—it’ll still turn out incredibly flavorful!
- While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine coconut aminos, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce and sriracha. In a separate bowl, prepare the cornstarch slurry by mixing cornstarch and water. Mince the garlic.
- Next, we need to cook the chicken. In a skillet, heat a generous layer of oil (about 1/2 cup) over medium high heat, ensuring the bottom is fully coated.
- Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces to the skillet in single layer and pan-fry for 4-5 minutes on each side until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown and crispy. Make sure you are not overcrowding the pan when cooking the chicken. You may need to work in batches. Remove and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. Drain the oil from the skillet and wipe clean.
- Over medium low heat, add 1 tsp of avocado oil and the minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté the garlic for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Pour in the sweet chili sauce mixture and bring to a simmer. Pour in the cornstarch slurry, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens. Add the cooked chicken back in to that sauce and toss until each piece is fully coated.
- The sweet chili chicken is ready to be enjoyed! Serve with fluffy white rice and your favorite veggies.
Recipe Notes
- Adjusting Spice Level: You can easily customize the heat in this dish. Add more or less Sriracha depending on your preferred spice level.
- Pan-Frying Tip: For crispy, golden chicken, make sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry the chicken in a single layer and cook in batches if necessary. This ensures even browning and a crisp exterior.
Serving Suggestions:
This Sticky Sweet Chili Chicken is incredibly versatile and can be paired with a variety of sides for a complete meal. My favorite way to enjoy this chicken is to serve it over a bed of fluffy white rice and stir-fried broccoli for a comforting, satisfying dish.
Storage Tips:
Leftovers? No problem! Store any extra sticky sweet chili chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. It also makes an excellent meal prep option, so feel free to double the recipe and enjoy it throughout the week. To reheat, simply pop it in the microwave or heat it in a skillet until warmed through
Tools Used For Sweet Chili Chicken
- Nonstick skillet
- Cutting board
- My favorite kitchen knife
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons and measuring cups
- Rice maker
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Sticky Sweet Chili Chicken (Better Than Takeout!)
Sticky sweet chili chicken is the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and savory flavors. This easy weeknight dinner recipe features tender chicken coated in a bold, flavorful sauce that’s better than takeout and ready in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch chunks
- ½ cup neutral cooking oil enough to cover the bottom of the skillet
Marinade
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
- ¼ cup egg whites whites of 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Sweet Chili Sauce
- 1 tsp avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½ cup sweet chili sauce
- 1-2 tbsp Sriracha
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
For Serving
- cooked white rice
Instructions
- Prepare your chicken by cutting the thighs into 1 inch chunks. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken pieces, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, coconut aminos, egg whites and cornstarch. Set aside and let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.
- While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the coconut aminos, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce and sriracha. In a separate bowl, prepare the cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch with water. Mince the garlic.
- Heat a generous layer of oil (about ½ cup) in a large skillet over medium-high heat, ensuring the bottom is fully coated.
- Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces in a single layer and pan-fry for 4–5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Avoid overcrowding the pan—work in batches if needed. Transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack. Drain the excess oil from the skillet and wipe clean.
- Heat the avocado oil in the skillet over medium-low heat and sauté the minced garlic for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant. Pour in the sweet chili sauce mixture and bring it to a gentle simmer. Stir in the cornstarch slurry, mixing continuously until the sauce thickens. Add the cooked chicken and toss until each piece is fully coated in the sticky, flavorful sauce.
- Serve over white rice and your favorite stir-fry vegetables. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage Tips: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. To reheat, warm in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave until heated through.
- Adjusting Spice Level: You can easily customize the heat in this dish. Add more or less Sriracha depending on your preferred spice level.
- Pan-Frying Tip: For crispy, golden chicken, make sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry the chicken in a single layer and cook in batches if necessary. This ensures even browning and a crisp exterior.
Did You Make This Recipe?Mention @megans_meals_11 on Instagram or tag #megansmeal!
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