Crispy Sweet Chili Chicken

Crispy, saucy, and packed with flavor, this sweet chili chicken is a weeknight winner! Tender chicken bites get a crunchy coating, then get tossed in a sticky, sweet, and slightly spicy sauce. YUM!

3 Reasons This Chicken Beats Takeout

Crispy with Less Oil: A light cornstarch coating creates golden, crunchy chicken using just a little oil, no deep frying needed.
Flavor Explosion: Sweet, tangy, and just the right amount of spice make every bite of this sweet chili chicken dish irresistible.
Easy to Customize: Serve over rice, with noodles, or stir fry vegetables, and tweak the heat to your taste for the perfect family friendly meal.

Ingredients for Sweet Chili Chicken

Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used in place of the chicken breast if you prefer.
Oil: Vegetable or canola oil is best for frying the chicken! Add more oil, if needed, to prevent the chicken from sticking.
Sweet Chili Sauce: Store-bought bottled sauce makes this recipe super easy, but if you prefer homemade, use my recipe!

How to Make Sweet Chili Chicken

This sweet chili chicken recipe is quick, easy, and packed with sticky, sweet goodness that clings to every crispy bite. Serve it with fried rice and Kung Pao Brussels sprouts for an Asian inspired meal.

Season Chicken: Place chicken pieces into a large bowl, then season with garlic salt and paprika. Crack 1 large egg on top of the chicken and massage it in with your hand to coat the chicken evenly.
Coat in Cornstarch*: Transfer the chicken to a large Ziplock bag. Add 1 cup of cornstarch to the bag, then seal it and shake to coat the chicken well.
Pan Fry Chicken: In a medium sized frying pan over medium high heat, add vegetable oil for frying. Add the coated chicken and cook 7-8 minutes, or until cooked through and browned.
Add Sauce & Serve: Pour Thai sweet chili sauce and toss to coat well. Garnish with diced green onions, if desired. Serve sweet chili chicken over rice and enjoy!

Bowl of seasoned chicken with a cracked egg on top.

Bag of seasoned chicken covered in corn starch.

Alyssa’s Pro Tip

*Cornstarch Tip: Coating each piece of chicken in cornstarch gets you the “fried” texture. It’s important to shake off any excess cornstarch before cooking the chicken.

Sweet Chili Chicken

Crispy chicken bites tossed in a sticky, sweet, and slightly spicy chili sauce. Fast, flavorful, and perfect over rice for an easy weeknight dinner.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Asian American

Keyword sweet chili chicken, sweet chili chicken recipe, sweet chili chicken skillet

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 464kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large egg
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon paprika
1 cup cornstarch
⅓ cup vegetable oil for frying
1 cup sweet chili sauce or homemade

Instructions

Place 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken pieces into a large bowl. Season the chicken with ¼ teaspoon garlic salt and ½ teaspoon paprika. Crack 1 large egg on top of the chicken and massage it in with your hand to coat the chicken evenly.
Transfer the chicken to a large Ziplock bag. Add 1 cup cornstarch to the bag and seal the bag. Shake to coat the chicken well.
In a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat, add ⅓ cup vegetable oil for frying. Add the coated chicken and cook 7-8 minutes, or until cooked through and browned.
Pour 1 cup sweet chili sauce and toss to coat well. Garnish with diced green onion, if desired. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Notes

Storage & Reheating Instructions

Storage: Store leftover chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
To Reheat: Reheat leftover portions of chicken in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until warmed through.