An easy recipe that tastes even better than the takeout version, is fast to cook for your weekday dinner, and is healthier! {Gluten free adaptable}
This Thai Sweet Chili Chicken is a great weekday dish to immediately satisfy your Asian takeout craving. It is addictively good, super easy to make, and healthier than the restaurant version. This recipe shares a few secrets to create the best sweet chili chicken in less time, yields the best result, and makes it less calorie dense. Here is how:
Cooking notes
Homemade sauce
In this recipe I used the homemade Thai sweet chili sauce. It is spicier than the bottled sauce and it gives the dish an extra kick. I highly recommend you make the sauce at home if you want a healthier, less sugary dish. And of course, the bottled sauce will work just as well if you don’t want to make your own.
Crispy chicken without deep frying
The reason you’ll want to use this recipe is that it creates super crispy chicken without deep frying.
Simply use the formula: oil + salt + egg + cornstarch
Not only does it season the chicken and make it more flavorful, but it also yields an extra crispy exterior, even after you coat it with sauce. I’ve tried the method on chicken breasts and chicken thighs, and they both produced juicy results.
No wok required!
If you don’t own a gas stove (like me), the best way to cook this dish is to use a large nonstick pan. Not only does it create crispy chicken with less oil, but the finished dish will taste as great as if you had cooked it in a wok. I wrote a lengthy post (wok vs. stir fry pan) to explain the reason. Long story short – your home stove usually cannot generate enough heat for wok cooking. So a large flat nonstick pan is your next best choice.
Cook some veggies in the same pan
I usually chop up some veggies and steam them before I cook the chicken. To make the cooking and cleanup faster, I often use my fast-steaming method: heat up 1/4 cup water in the frying pan until boiling, spread the veggies and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook them for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. You can use broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and/or carrots. I serve the veggies on the side and pour stir fry sauce over it. It tastes so good and balances the meal!
When I serve the dish, I also cut up some lime wedges. I like to squeeze a bit of lime juice on the chicken to make it tangier. Oh my, I can finish two big bowls by myself!
I hope you enjoy the dish and happy cooking!
More delicious takeout recipes
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Kung Pao Tofu
- Beef and Broccoli
- Hunan Chicken
- Black Pepper Beef
- Sesame Chicken
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
Thai Sweet Chili Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lbs (450 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs , cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg , beaten
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
Sauce
- 1/2 cup homemade Thai sweet chili sauce (or bottled sweet chili sauce)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry for gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
Cook
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 slices ginger , minced
- 2 green onions , chopped
- lime wedge to serve with (Optional)
Instructions
- Combine chicken pieces, vegetable oil, and salt in a big bowl. Mix well and let marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Add the beaten egg into the bowl with the chicken. Stir to mix well. Add cornstarch. Stir to coat chicken, until it forms an uneven coating with a little dry cornstarch left unattached.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken all at once and spread out into a single layer in the skillet. Separate chicken pieces with a pair of tongs or chopsticks.
- Cook without moving the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottom turns golden. Flip to brown the other side and until the inside is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a big plate and remove the pan from the stove. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Wipe the extra oil from the pan using a few layers of paper towel held in a pair of tongs, leaving about 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan. Add the ginger and green onion. Stir fry a few seconds to release the aroma.
- Add the chicken back into the pan and pour in the sauce. Stir to mix well.
- Transfer to a plate and serve hot over steamed rice with lime wedges, if needed.
this looks and sounds sooo much better than a takeout. thank you for the detailed recipe.
Fantastic well detailed recipe. I plan to make this one soon, as rice bowls are a weekly affair around here.
Perfect comfort food Maggie! We hope you enjoyed your visit with your mom – every minute is precious. Great tips on wok vs frying pan. No built in wok burner here either, maybe with a remodel. Sharing, of course. Take Care
This was delicious. The chicken cooked up very crispy. I steamed sugar snap peas and threw them in at the last minute. Great flavor. I made the sweet chili sauce, too. Easy , healthy and yummy.
Hi Babara, I’m so glad to hear you like the recipe! It’s my favorite way to create crispy chicken at home 🙂 LOVE the idea of adding steamed snap peas to the dish. So delicious!
This is the best! I made this for my partner & myself & it was one of the tastiest meals! yum
I just made it this past weekend and I have to say that it was delicious, I didn’t have a chance to pick up the Thai Chili,
so I use the red pepper flakes, I will now make some of sauce and freeze it for future use, Thank you for that great
recipe.
Hi Alfred, I’m so glad to hear the recipe worked for you and thanks for taking time to leave a comment! 🙂
How long can we keep this in the fridge fresh ?
This is a dish designed for serving right after cooking. But if you have leftover, you can store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
We enjoiyed the thai sweet chili so much! Besides the great flavor it was good to learn this technique of making crispy chicken.
Great recipe. The instructions are very intuitive. The chicken is amazing in taste and structure.
This was delicious and very easy and fast 😋
That was so good. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thank you!
We made this last night with the gluten free substitutions and Wegman’s Organic Sweet Chili Sauce. It was delicious! Thanks so much for the gluten free suggested adaptations! We will be trying more of your recipes.
This was a hit tonight.
I feel like I am a professional Thai Master Chef now, Thank you! This recipe is easy to follow and tastes exactly like it looks in the photos, absolutely amazing! lol Chicken is tender with just enough crispiness due to the Corn Starch.