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Ready in under 30 minutes, this sweet chili chicken is an easy and delicious meal for any day of the week. It's so simple yet so flavorful—crispy chicken coated in Thai sweet chili sauce served over steamed rice.
A little bit of heat is always welcome in my meals. And this sweet chili chicken recipe adds even more flavor with its sticky, sweet chili sauce. It has the perfect balance of sweet and spicy, so it’s something even the pickiest eaters can enjoy.
Looking for Chinese-style chicken recipes? Try Sweet and Sour Chicken or Honey Sesame Chicken for dinner next time.
Thai Sauce For Chicken
I love Thai recipes and I am addicted to Thai sweet chili sauce. This sweet, sticky, slightly spicy, orange sauce is perfect for crispy chicken pieces. But it goes well with just about anything, such as:
You can also use it as a dipping sauce for appetizers, like chicken wontons, chicken lettuce wraps, shrimp cake, and salmon patties.
You won’t regret buying a bottle of this Thai sauce, especially if you’re constantly making Asian recipes at home!
What Goes Into This Recipe
- 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.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make This Recipe
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:
Step 1. Mix all the ingredients for the batter until well combined. Add the chicken to the batter.
Step 2. Heat up a wok/skillet with about two inches of oil. As soon as the oil is fully heated, deep-fry the chicken until golden brown. Transfer the chicken out to a dish lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil.
Step 3. Clean the wok/skillet and heat it up on medium heat. Add the oil and stir-fry the garlic until aromatic. Transfer the fried chicken to the wok, followed by the sweet chili sauce, lime juice, and salt. Stir well to coat the chicken with the sweet chili sauce.
Step 4. Dish out, and garnish with the white sesame and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
- Don’t skip the cornstarch and baking powder. These ingredients help achieve that crispy coating on the chicken.
- Use ice-cold water when mixing the batter to have the crispiest chicken possible. And it will stay crispy even after being coated with sauce!
- Don’t over-stir the batter. Mix it just until everything’s incorporated. It’s okay to have some lumps in the batter.
- Before deep-frying, make sure that the oil is hot enough to prevent the chicken from becoming greasy. It also helps ensure that the chicken pieces are fully cooked.
- For an extra sweet and spicy Thai chicken, you can add red pepper flakes or Sriracha sauce to the sweet chili sauce.
- Add a little bit of lime juice to the sauce for a nice, tangy flavor that will cut through the sweetness.
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.
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.
This recipe has only 282 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
This sweet chili chicken stir fry is best served with steamed rice. For a quick and wholesome Thai weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes:
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Other 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
- Don’t skip the cornstarch and baking powder. These ingredients help achieve that crispy coating on the chicken.
- Use ice-cold water when mixing the batter to have the crispiest chicken possible. And it will stay crispy even after being coated with sauce!
- Don’t over-stir the batter. Mix it just until everything’s incorporated. It’s okay to have some lumps in the batter.
- Before deep-frying, make sure that the oil is hot enough to prevent the chicken from becoming greasy. It also helps ensure that the chicken pieces are fully cooked.
- For an extra sweet and spicy Thai chicken, you can add red pepper flakes or Sriracha sauce to the sweet chili sauce.
- Add a little bit of lime juice to the sauce for a nice, tangy flavor that will cut through the sweetness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this tonight and I absolutely loved it! I have to agree with others that the batter recipe is spot on…just like take-out!
Thanks Doris, I am so glad that you liked my Thai sweet chili chicken recipe.
Oh my god amazing the kids loved it and made a vegetarian version with cauliflower for my partner
Hey Sarah, that’s awesome. So happy that you love my recipe!
Made this tonight. Anyone who is concerned about gluten can easily substitute sweet rice flour for the regular flour with excellent results. This was delicious and completely addicting. I love your recipes. Thanks for sharing so much goodness!
so much goodness!
Hi Paula, thanks for trying my recipes. I am glad that you love them.
Hi Dino, that sounds strange. This Thai sweet chili chicken recipe is very good. The batter works for all my recipes and produces crispy chicken like my photos.
When you say ‘a cup’ how many ml/pints is that? I did not get the proportions right on my first attempt. thanks
Cup as in US measuring cup.
I am not an adventurous cooker, very much meat and potatoes, but this sauce issoooo good, and I was lucky to find it in my grocery store. Love it.
Hi Donna, awesome, I am so glad you liked my sweet chili chicken recipe.
Hi Bee. Do you know if I can to freze it?
Thank you
Yes you can.
I made this yesterday for lunch, it was DA BOMB!! so delicious!! I am definitely going to make this often. thank you!
Hi Anes, thanks for trying my recipe, I am so glad you liked the Thai Sweet Chili Chicken.
Hi. Can you serve it with jasmine rice?
Yes, of course.
Instead of regular flour could I use coconut flour?
I am not familiar with coconut flour so I am not sure.
I have a really silly question! When you put the chicken pieces into the batter, should the chicken already be fully cooked? Or, does it cook while it’s frying?
The chicken is raw, you cook the chicken while frying.