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This sweet chili chicken is ready in under 30 minutes! Crispy chicken tossed in Thai sweet chili sauce, served over steamed rice—it’s easy, flavorful, and perfect for any day of the week.
Table of Contents
- Quick And Easy Sweet Chili Chicken Recipe
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- Delicious Ways To Use Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
- How To Make Sweet Chili Chicken
- Secrets To Perfect Crunchy Sweet Chili Chicken
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What To Serve With Sweet Chili Chicken
- Other Chicken Recipes You Might Like
- Sweet Chili Chicken Recipe
Quick And Easy Sweet Chili Chicken Recipe
I love a little heat in my meals, and this sweet chili chicken recipe brings it all together with its sticky, sweet chili sauce. It’s perfectly balanced with just the right amount of sweet and spicy—something even the pickiest eaters will enjoy!
Don’t forget to check out my step-by-step video and tips below to make this recipe even easier and guarantee it turns out just right!
Looking for Chinese-style chicken recipes? Try Sweet and Sour Chicken or Honey Sesame Chicken for dinner next time.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken – use skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts. I prefer using thighs because they are juicier and more flavorful, but breasts work just as well.
- Cornstarch – aside from flour, adding cornstarch to the batter gives the chicken a crispier coating.
- Baking powder – another secret ingredient that helps give the chicken a light and crispy texture.
- Thai sweet chili sauce – use a good bottled sweet chilli sauce. I like using the Mae Ploy brand. You can buy this in the Asian food aisle of regular supermarkets or in Asian grocery stores.
- Lime juice – adds a tangy, refreshing element to the sauce.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full details on each ingredient.
Delicious Ways To Use Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
I’m a big fan of Thai recipes, and I can’t get enough of Thai sweet chili sauce. This sweet, sticky, slightly spicy orange sauce is perfect for crispy chicken, but it’s great with just about anything, like:
Recipe Variations
- Salmon – Try my Sweet Chili Salmon recipe for a sweet and spicy twist that takes salmon to the next level.
- Shrimp – My Sweet Chili Shrimp and Sweet Chili Shrimp Skewers recipes gives you the perfect balance of heat and sweetness in every bite.
- Eggs – Give your eggs a flavorful kick with my Sweet Chili Eggs recipe—simple, but so tasty.
- Noodles – My Thai Sweet Chili Peanut Noodles recipe adds just the right amount of sweet and heat to your favorite noodles.
- Brussels Sprouts – Crispy, caramelized Brussels sprouts with a sweet chili glaze—my Sweet Chili Brussels Sprouts recipe is a must-try.
As A Dipping Sauce
It’s perfect as a dipping sauce for appetizers like:
You’ll definitely want to grab a bottle of this Thai sauce, especially if you’re always cooking up Asian dishes at home!
How To Make Sweet Chili Chicken
If there’s one thing I love about this sweet Thai chili chicken, it’s how amazing the flavors are for such a simple recipe. It’s sweet and slightly spicy with a hint of bright acidity from the lime juice.
And you don’t even need hours to prep this dish! The batter makes the chicken super crispy, and the sweet chili sauce is so delicious that you’ll want to lick your plate clean.
Here’s how to make this 30-minute sweet chili chicken at home:
Mix all the batter ingredients until everything’s combined, then add the chicken to the batter.
Heat up a wok or skillet with about two inches of oil. Once the oil’s hot and shimmering, deep-fry the chicken until it’s golden brown and crispy. Transfer the chicken to a dish lined with paper towels to soak up any extra oil.
Clean out the wok or skillet, then heat it over medium heat. Add a little more oil and sauté the garlic until it’s fragrant. Toss in the fried chicken, then pour in the sweet chili sauce, lime juice, and a pinch of salt. Stir everything together until the chicken is coated in the sauce.
Serve the chicken right away, garnished with white sesame seeds and cilantro leaves. It’s so good—enjoy!
Secrets To Perfect Crunchy Sweet Chili Chicken
- I never skip the cornstarch and baking powder when making this dish—they’re essential for getting that perfectly crispy coating on the chicken.
- I always use ice-cold water when mixing the batter to make the chicken as crispy as possible. The best part? It stays crispy even after being coated with sauce!
- I’m careful not to over-stir the batter. I just mix it until everything is incorporated, and I don’t worry about a few lumps—they’re totally fine.
- Before deep-frying, I make sure the oil is hot enough. This keeps the chicken from turning greasy and ensures each piece is fully cooked.
- For an extra sweet and spicy kick, I sometimes add red pepper flakes or a splash of Sriracha to the sweet chili sauce.
- For a tangy twist, I love squeezing a little lime juice into the sauce. It balances out the sweetness perfectly!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this sweet chili chicken recipe does have a bit of heat to it. But it’s not overwhelmingly spicy like other Thai dishes. The sweetness of the sauce helps balance out the spiciness, making it a perfect blend for those who can’t handle too much heat.
No, sweet chili and sweet and sour are two different sauces. Sweet chili sauce, used in Thai dishes, has a thick consistency with a sweet and spicy flavor. On the other hand, sweet and sour sauce lacks that spicy kick and is more commonly used in Chinese cuisine.
Ice-cold water helps make the batter light and crispy. It slows down the gluten activation in the flour, which gives the batter a more delicate texture when fried. This is the secret to getting that perfect crispy coating!
No, you don’t have to deep fry the chicken, but I highly recommend it. You can pan-fry or bake it in the oven for a healthier option. However, deep-frying will give you that crispy texture that pairs perfectly with the sticky sweet chili sauce.
Yes, you can totally make the sweet chili chicken in an air fryer! Just give the chicken a light spray of oil to help it crisp up. Air fry at 375°F (190°C) for about 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through, until it’s golden and crispy.
You can definitely bake the chicken with the sauce if you prefer, though frying gives it that perfect crispy texture. Just coat the chicken in the sauce and bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 20-25 minutes, or until it’s cooked through and the sauce thickens. Just know it won’t be as crispy as when you fry it!
Yes. Just let it cool completely before freezing. When you’re ready to eat, reheat it in the oven or air fryer to get that crispy texture back. For the best flavor and crunch, enjoy it within 2-3 months!
This recipe has only 282 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Sweet Chili Chicken
This dish is best served with steamed rice. For a quick and wholesome Thai weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes:
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Other Chicken Recipes You Might Like
Sweet Chili Chicken
Ingredients
- 12 oz. skinless boneless chicken breast, or thigh, cut into small pieces
- oil, for deep-frying
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce, bottled
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white sesame
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
Frying Batter:
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup water, ice cold
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients for the batter until well combined, then add the chicken to the batter.
- Heat a wok or skillet with about two inches of oil. Once the oil is fully heated, deep-fry the chicken until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a dish lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
- Clean the wok or skillet and heat it over medium heat. Add the oil and stir-fry the garlic until aromatic. Then, add the fried chicken, followed by the sweet chili sauce, lime juice, and salt. Stir well to coat the chicken with the sauce.
- Dish out the chicken and garnish with white sesame seeds and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- I never skip the cornstarch and baking powder when making this dish—they’re essential for getting that perfectly crispy coating on the chicken.
- I always use ice-cold water when mixing the batter to make the chicken as crispy as possible. The best part? It stays crispy even after being coated with sauce!
- I’m careful not to over-stir the batter. I just mix it until everything is incorporated, and I don’t worry about a few lumps—they’re totally fine.
- Before deep-frying, I make sure the oil is hot enough. This keeps the chicken from turning greasy and ensures each piece is fully cooked.
- For an extra sweet and spicy kick, I sometimes add red pepper flakes or a splash of Sriracha to the sweet chili sauce.
- For a tangy twist, I love squeezing a little lime juice into the sauce. It balances out the sweetness perfectly!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe is a bona fide child pleaser. I don’t, however, deep fry often, and find this is perfectly good shallow fried, about 1/4″ oil in my skillet. It doesn’t get browned on all sides, but only on 2–still tastes great and is crunchy enough. I’ve been buying Mae Ploy for years and our kidniks love it! It’s only slightly spicy and is a good way to slide kids into enjoying just a little heat. While I love my air fryer, I don’t think it works well with batter fried meats!
Yeah, this will not work well in an air fryer.