Sweet Chili Chicken
Tender strips of chicken, seared until golden and then simmered in a sweet, tangy, fiery chili sauce. And since we start with store-bought chili sauce, you need just 6 ingredients.
Sweet chili sauce is the star of the show here, and it makes meal prep a breeze
What exactly is sweet chili sauce? Sweet chili sauce is a thick, syrupy mixture of red chilies, garlic, vinegar, and sugar. Imagine pickled red chilies in an ultra-flavorful syrup. The sauce is perfectly sweet and savory, and it elevates the chicken in this dish in the most wonderful way.
I added soy sauce to this dish enhance the savory side of the sauce. Soy sauce adds great flavor, saltiness and depth to the glossy sauce. For a completely gluten-free dish, choose gluten-free soy sauce or tamari sauce.
I added mirin to this dish to enhance the sweet side of the sauce. Mirin is Japanese rice wine and it’s not overly sweet, which makes it the perfect addition to the garlicky, sweet chili sauce. I added sriracha hot sauce to this dish to bring some fire to the meal. I added 1 teaspoon, but you can certainly add more or less to suit your taste.
How should you serve your sweet chili chicken?
I served our chicken and sauce over fluffy white rice. You’ll definitely want something to soak up the amazing sauce. You can also serve the dish over Asian noodles. If you want to make lettuce wraps, got for it! Just serve the chicken with a spoon so you can lap up every last drop.
Sweet Chili Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs, cut crosswise into thin strips
- 1 cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce, or more/less to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper.
- Add the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, mirin, sriracha sauce, and cilantro and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper and serve with extra sriracha sauce on the side.