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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.
I always welcome a little bit of heat 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, making it 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 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!
Cooking Tips
- 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.
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
- 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.
Would you please post the video that is mentioned in your post/recipe as I do not see it at this time (10/27/21)? Can’t wait to try this – your other recipes have been a hit at my house! Thanks!
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Can you show pork dishes like this
Can this be cooked in an air-fryer at all?
You can try!
I have usually not been happy with my batters, this one is excellent! I stir fried a few peppers & onions to add in at the end, and doubled the sauce, yum!
Thanks!
Thank you for this simple recipe, it’s absolutely delicious… I’m a full time carer for my mum and we live in Spain… my mum loves it every time I make it…shes 84!!!!!! Thanks again
I use this recipe its great but I make the sauce with 2tbsp sweet chilli sauce a dsp honey and 2tbsp tomato sauce must try adding the lime juice
The calories are wrong on this plus don’t factor in frying it. Very misleading.
I’m going to make this for dinner tonight to impress my boyfriend ❤️
Thanks!
It was delicious 10/10
Where can I find the video? I am not seeing it on this page! It sounds absolutely wonderful and I can’t wait to make it. Thanks.
Yes the video is on the page. If you can’t see it, you have ad blocker on.
Delicious and easy to make , most people have all the ingredients on hand
Thanks so much for this recipe, I made it for my family and we all loved it! Really easy to make as well.
I also put the chicken in a marinade overnight before doing this, really put extra flavour in the chicken meat.