Spicy Jalapeno Chicken

This ultra-fiery chicken is pan-seared until golden and then braised in a savory teriyaki-style sauce (the sauce is extra spicy thanks to hot honey and chile peppers). In under 30 minutes (and in one pan), you can have fork-tender, juicy chicken in a sublimely spicy, sticky glaze.

My son said this is one of the best chicken dishes I’ve ever made. And that says a lot! He loves chicken, but more importantly, he adores spicy food. This dish seems to check all the boxes – it’s plenty hot, but flavorful too. Marrying flavor with heat is the ultimate goal.

I used chicken thighs, but chicken breasts work too. You can easily swap in boneless, skinless chicken breasts here, just note that breast meat cooks more quickly.


Spicy Jalapeno Chicken
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup chicken broth, or water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce, or tamari, or liquid aminos
- 2 tablespoons hot honey, or regular honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, regular or seasoned
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced, plus one more for garnish if desired
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 6 to 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Chopped green onions for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, jalapeño, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches to prevent crowding the pan, add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate (it will finish cooking in the sauce).
- Whisk the soy sauce mixture again to make sure the cornstarch isn’t stuck to the bottom of the bowl, then add the mixture to the pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Return the chicken to the pan with any accumulated juices. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees; chicken breasts will cook more quickly).
- If desired, garnish with more sliced jalapeño before serving.